Want a Surface Duo? Here is how to save $700 by trading in your phone

Microsoft unveiled the Surface Duo pricing and availability today. There’s no doubt that the price, which starts at $1,399, is on the high-end (but still well below Samsung’s Galaxy Fold at $2,000).

Luckily, there is a way to save money if you have some old gadgets lying around your home. Microsoft, through CExchange, is letting users send in their old phone, tablet, or laptop for “up to $700” off Surface Duo. That cuts the Surface Duo’s price in half, which is a lot more palpable for many.

Of course, the devil is in the details as not all devices get the full $700. It seems a Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ and an iPhone 11 Pro/Max yield that reward. A working iPhone 11 with 128GB brings in $550, while an iPhone 8 still fetches for $400.

Microsoft is accepting phones, tablets, and laptops from all the major manufacturers, including:

• Apple
• Acer
• Asus
• Dell
• Lenovo
• Microsoft
• LG
• BlackBerry
• Google
• HTC
• Huawei
• Motorola
• Nokia (non-Windows phone)
• OnePlus
• Razer
• Samsung
• Vizio
• Toshiba

The best trade-ins are for smartphones, unsurprisingly. Laptops, even a Surface Laptop 3 with Core i5, only gets you $325, which seems like a poor deal. It’s unclear if you can claim multiple devices to stack.

The process is not as smooth as walking into an Apple store, but it is easier than trying to sell it yourself. Here is how it works:

1. Pre-order or order a Surface Duo (128GB or 256GB), save receipt (PDF).
2. Get the trade-in value for your device using this portal.
3. Verify your purchase (upload your PDF receipt from the Microsoft Store).
4. Send in your old device (for free).
5. After device inspection, CExchange will send you the money within 14 days to your PayPal or bank transfer.

There’s going to be some waiting, and you still need to front the entire cost of Surface Duo, but if you have a high-end phone that you would like to trade-in, it’s a great way to save money.

Since Surface Duo is currently in pre-order status, you cannot claim the trade-in until your device has shipped. That also means you do not need to send in your current phone until after you get Surface Duo.