(Source: http://www.popsci.com/sites/popsci.com/files/styles/medium_1x_/public/images/2015/03/sm-g925f_014_r-front-dynamic_black_sapphire.jpg?itok=waQPEzKy)

Nowadays, there are so many new phones being released on the market that it’s becoming hard to keep up. Another option that has also come about recently is the idea to buy a used smartphone. Apple and Samsung are always trying to stay one step ahead of each other, and are always releasing new products to keep each other on their toes. If someone were to decide to upgrade their phone, the process overall isn’t that had at all.

Depending on what phone you’re going into and what phone you have right now, the process could be really simple. If you’re going from an iPhone to another iPhone, you can take care of backing up your current phone and copying over the data all through iTunes, which is really easy. If your phone is backed up through iCloud, this process is even easier as most of your stuff can get copied over without even needing to use a computer. Android to another Android is also easy, as most of the data can go into the same spots on both phones since the software is pretty much the same.

The process gets a little more complicated if you’re switching between the two operating systems. This could mean that there are things that you won’t be able to transfer between the two phones, such as text messages. It may also mean that you’re stuck copying over your contacts by hand. With Apple’s iOS 9, they have added a new feature which makes it easier to switch from Android to iPhone. All you have to do is download the Move to iOS app on your Android phone before you switch to iPhone, and most things from your Android phone will get backed up to the cloud, which will be ready for you when you’re setting up your new iPhone.

Now that you’ve finally switched into your new phone, you’ve got this perfectly good old phone that may just end up sitting in a drawer for the rest of its life. The best thing to do would be to prepare it for resale. There are services out there that allow your to sell your phone once you’re done with it (if you want to sell your iPhone, do it fast as they hold their value the best), or you can sell it yourself on Craigslist or Kijiji. However it’s done, it’s a good idea not to just leave the old phone laying around in your house. The better shape it’s in, the more you’ll be able to get for it, which means that having that case on your phone for all those years may have actually been worthwhile.

Before you sell your phone, it’s important that you remove all of the data on your phone and have transferred your SIM card over from the old phone to your new phone. This makes sure that your personal info is protected and nobody will be able to access it if they try to.

The new smartphone market is not expected to slow down, but with the ease of being able to switch phones, along with easily being able to sell your old one, this isn’t that bad of a problem.