Apple extends its trade-in program to Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry

Earlier in the month we reported that Apple was about to start offering gift cards as part of a trade-in program for people buying a new iPhone. The updated program has now gone live so you can take your old Apple device, or non-Apple smartphone to an Apple store, or mail it in to receive credit.

The credit can be used in store or online against the purchase of a new Apple device, and this program expansion is the latest move from Apple to try to tempt users away from other platforms. You can check online to see how much you can expect to receive for your existing phone and decide whether it's worth your while. Hint: it might not be.

It's not an expansion that Apple is making a great deal of fuss about. Head over to the page for a specific Apple store -- such as the San Francisco branch -- and you'll see a small announcement under the "Reuse and Recycling Program" heading, you'll see the description: "Get credit when you recycle your eligible iPhone, iPad, or select  smartphone from another manufacturer."

So what are the trade-in values? We got a valuation for a 32GB Samsung Galaxy S5 and Apple's chosen valuation service, Brightstar in the UK, came up with an offer of £144 (around $214). This sounded a little on the low side, so we checked on phone trade-in comparison site SellMyMobile which provided trade-in prices from nine other sites. The valuations ranged from £110 - £185 ($163 - $274), averaging out at £170 (around $251).

On the face of it, the trade-in values are not brilliant. Trading in through Apple means that you are tied into using the company's chosen valuation service. Opt to go it alone and you can check the market and get a better deal -- from a quick check it looks as though it might be worth spending the time shopping around.