Samsung has officially launched its latest flagship, the slim Galaxy S25 Edge. As expected, the release comes with a heavy promotional push—but this time, the focus is clearly on trade-in offers. As mentioned by SecondaryMarket.news earlier, Samsung is spotlighting its new Galaxy Club initiative, a programme designed to lock in future trade-in values and drive frequent upgrades. With Galaxy Club, Samsung offers buyers a guaranteed trade-in value on their current device for the next Galaxy model. The strategy is designed to entice habitual upgraders to return sooner, while also boosting Samsung’s access to used devices before they lose too much value in the secondary market.
Trade-in values may mislead
Canalys took a closer look at the global maximum trade-in values given by Samsung and that have raised eyebrows, with some claims showing over 50 % return on new purchases. But these headline figures are based on the most premium and recent devices, such as the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max 1TB or the Galaxy S24 Ultra 1TB. Few users are realistically trading in such high-end phones at this stage, according to Canalys.
Samsung likely subsidising trade-ins
The research company continues: “Samsung’s trade-in offers appear to be partially subsidised to match the residual value retention of Apple iPhones, reflecting the dominance Apple continues to have in the secondary market. The promotion is also a way to nudge users of budget A-series phones into upgrading, though the financial incentive for them is far less compelling”.
Real trade-in value still varies
Ultimately, while Samsung’s trade-in marketing makes noise, the value for average users remains modest. For most, the upgrade journey—from mid-tier to flagship—will require either significant investment or a longer-term step-up.
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