You’ll never believe this, but TikTok has gotten ahold of an idea that’s not quite right and taken off running with it.
I know. I was shocked too. But the TikTok algorithm giveth, and over the past week it hath given us a whole bunch of videos promoting the idea that Apple is offering screaming trade-in offers for the iPhone 13 Pro Max — that model specifically — leading people to believe that it was the greatest iPhone of all time and Apple desperately wants them all back. The video below has been viewed almost 7 million times. And honestly? The 13 Pro was a banger. But like so many breathless theories traded on TikTok, this one just doesn’t hold up to scrutiny.
The inciting event seems to have come from the iPhone 17 launch as Apple marketing chief Greg “Joz” Joswiak lists pricing for the new models. “We also have amazing offers from Apple and our partners,” he says. “You can get up to $1,100 off when you trade in an iPhone 13 Pro or newer.” A few of the videos I saw on TikTok clipped this very moment from the keynote as evidence. The thing is, Joz said almost the exact same thing last year of the iPhone 12 Pro. And the year before that of the 11 Pro.
On top of that, Apple isn’t out here handing out $1,100 discounts to anyone with the 13 Pro. If you trade in a 13 Pro Max and purchase an iPhone 17 directly from Apple, you’ll only get up to $320 back for your old phone. Trade in a 16 Pro Max and you’ll get a $700 discount. That big $1,100 deal comes from the carriers, as it almost always does. You can get $1,100 “off” the price of a new iPhone by trading in a 13 Pro or newer, provided you’re on one of that carrier’s newest, priciest plans. Trading in a 12 Pro will still get you a discount, but not the full price of a new 17 Pro.
Realistically, 13 is the magic number this year not because it was an especially good iPhone. More likely it’s the product of a weird equation that determines how much value the carriers can extract from the old phone. But TikTok loves a conspiracy theory, and all it takes is one person making a video about Apple offering bananas trade-in deals on the iPhone 13 Pro Max to kick off a whole viral cycle.
Weirdly, I sort of agree with the TikTokers urging people not to give up their 13 Pro Maxes no matter how good the trade-in offer is. If you’re a 13 Pro Max owner who’s perfectly happy with your device, then that’s all the reason you need to hold onto your phone another year. No conspiracy theory necessary.
