BlackBerry is desperate -- will give iPhone 6 users up to $550 to switch to Passport

If you have an iPhone, the chances of wanting to switch to a BlackBerry handset anytime soon are pretty slim. After all, there are few reasons why you might want to do it. And BlackBerry knows it. So, in an attempt to make the switch appealing, the Canadian maker has introduced a new trade-in offer, where it will give iPhone users up to $550 to move to Passport.

The trade-in offer applies to iPhone 4S and newer, including iPhone 6. The most that you are able to get for an iPhone 4S is $240, while for one of Apple's latest smartphones BlackBerry is giving you up to $550. Of the aforementioned trade-in values, in each case $150 is made up by the so-called "BlackBerry Top-Up" (BlackBerry's added incentive).

Whether Blackberry's trade-in values are good or not, is up to you to decide. After all, you may get more money for your iPhone by selling it yourself. But, if you want to take BlackBerry up on its offer, you should know that the trade-in deal, which starts December 1, only applies to Passport devices purchased from its online shop and Amazon, and that it excludes on-contract purchases.

At the time of writing this article, on BlackBerry's online shop, a black Passport costs just $499, after a $200 discount. Yes, BlackBerry is running a promotion on it. Meanwhile, for a red or white Passport, both of which are listed as on pre-order, you will have to pay $699 or $599 (after a $100 discount, from the regular $699), respectively.

The prices are the same on Amazon. However, there is a catch. The promotion ends November 30. And since the trade-in offer starts the next day, you will have to take some money out of your pockets to get Passport (at least for the black model; the red and the white Passports are expected to ship starting December 7).

In both cases (Amazon and BlackBerry's online shop), we are talking about the GSM models. That means that Sprint and Verizon customers will have to switch to a GSM carrier (like AT&T and T-Mobile) to take advantage of this deal.