Prior to the iPhone 13 launch event earlier this week, survey data showed that 44% of iPhone owners plan to upgrade. In addition, iPhone 13 will account for 33% of 5G shipments this holiday season, according to Counterpoint Research. In anticipation of high demand, I knew I had to get my iPhone 13 pre-order in early.

But I also wanted to save money. Luckily, despite the high demand, the mobile carriers were offering generous trade-in offers, which I took full advantage of.

When I went to T-Mobile's website, the iPhone 13 Pro product page showed an array of models eligible for trade-ins, including the iPhone 12 Pro line and the 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, for which I could earn $1,000 in trade-in credit. Both AT&T and Verizon appear to be offering similar trade-in offers.

However, scrolling down, I found that older models like the 2017 iPhone X offered an $800 credit. All I had to do was buy a used one to trade in. going to eBay, I found a used iPhone X for under $300. $250 seemed to be the average. But shipping would take too long, and with such high demand, the sooner I pre-ordered, the sooner I could get my iPhone 13 Pro. The race was on.

Comparing the iPhone 13 to the iPhone 13 Pro, for an additional $200, users could get the slightly more powerful A15 Bionic chip, 12MP telephoto camera, 3x optical zoom, and 120Hz ProMotion display.

Now, to be honest, this iPhone 13 Pro reservation is not for me; it is for my mother, who is fed up with the iPhone 12's reception problems; calling Apple Care or making an appointment at the Genius Bar does not solve the problem, and she She has put the burden on me.

After using a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 with a 120Hz display, I found the iPhone 13 Pro to be the better overall device, even if my mother would never play Call of Duty Mobile. I was so pleased with how satisfying the 120Hz feel was that it is hard to recommend anything less.

Scrolling through Facebook Marketplace, I saw the Samsung Galaxy Note 10, OnePlus 8, and iPhone X listed there at reasonable prices. But driving halfway across town just to find an IMEI locked or a phone that wasn't paid off didn't seem worth it to me. Besides, I had to go back and write this article.

So, as I did with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 trick to save $850, I went to a used phone reseller in Houston's Electronics District to see if he could do a deal.

At Wireless Liquidation, a phone wholesaler on Harwin Drive, north of Houston's Chinatown in the electronics district, I walked in asking for the cheapest model on the eligible list. Unfortunately, the standard iPhone X was out of stock, so I had to purchase an additional iPhone XR. $375 was definitely more than I wanted to pay. Had I chosen to track down an iPhone X, I could have gotten it for around $275. But I was in a hurry and decided to go with it.

Since this was a device that was going straight to T-Mobile for trade-in, I took the more battered, but still replaceable, iPhone XR that Wireless Liquidation had in stock. It was pretty beat up, but the screen was not cracked and there was no water damage. The owner assured me that T-Mobile would accept it.

I took the iPhone XR I had just bought for $375 to a nearby T-Mobile store, which, being the first day of iPhone 13 pre-orders, was not as crowded as I expected. In fact, I was the only customer there among five fully masked employees.

In any case, I handed the sales rep a battered red iPhone XR. Another employee came in to inspect it with what looked like an otoscope, the kind doctors use to look into people's ears. After a thorough examination, he allowed the phone to be traded in.

Overall, the process was easy, but I would have liked a longer lead time between when Apple opened pre-orders and the actual ship date; T-Mobile did not update the product page for trade-in eligible devices until the first day of pre-orders. If the lead time had been longer, I would have been able to buy the iPhone X on eBay at a lower price and would have gotten a better deal overall.

So don't pay $375 for an iPhone XR like I did. Shop around and find a used iPhone X with no water damage, a clean screen, and a clean IMEI to trade in. Then go to any wireless carrier and process your trade-in, and don't forget to order your iPhone 13 before it goes on sale on September 22. Just know that the longer you wait for your trade-in, the longer it will take for your iPhone 13 to arrive.