Apple wants to take your old iPhone and give you a new iPhone

Apple is now launching an upgrade program at its retail stores where customers can bring in an old iPhone and walk out with a new iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c for free. According to the promo, users must bring in their old iPhone for recycling where they can get credit applied towards a new iPhone upgrade.

As reported on 9 to 5 Mac, Apple is specifically targeting current iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s owners by offering larger than normal trade-in incentives.

iPhone 4 users can fetch up to $99 for their smartphone while iPhone 4s will net you a $199 credit to use to upgrade to an iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c. With a two-year contract on AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon, the iPhone 5c is essentially free for iPhone 4 upgraders while iPhone 4s owners can walk out of an Apple retail store with an iPhone 5s without paying anything, except taxes.

"It's a beautiful time for an upgrade," Apple's store signage reads, highlighting Apple's recycling initiative.

The promotion mirrors what retail partner Best Buy is also offering. Best Buy's offer guarantees a $200 trade-in credit at this time for any working iPhone model, so users on an old first-generation iPhone or an iPhone 3G or 3GS could also be eligible.

The upgrade promotions come ahead of Apple's rumored 2014 iPhone launch, which could happen as early as this summer. Rumors suggest that Apple is exploring a body design for the iPhone that more closely mirrors the company's iPad designs and may come with larger displays in an effort to compete better with Android flagships like the HTC One M8 and the Samsung Galaxy S5.

Source: 9to5Mac