Here are the trade-in prices for Huawei phones at Singtel, Starhub, M1, and Samsung stores

If you haven't heard the news about Huawei, you've either been living under a rock, or you're a hardcore iPhone user. (No difference? lol)

The background is that Huawei has been on the US government's sh*tlist for some time, and the latest development is that Google will also join in the boycott - meaning Huawei phones will not be able to run on Android.

To be more precise, existing Huawei phones can still run on the open source version of Android, but Google will no longer supply non-open source apps like Gmail, YouTube and Chrome.

Now, close your eyes and imagine a world without those apps. What's the point of living, right?

So unless you don't mind keeping your Huawei P20 Pro around to use as a digital camera, you're gonna want to find a way to dump your phone ASAP, while it still has some trade-in value.

Here are the trade-in options:

OVERVIEW: HUAWEI TRADE-IN PRICES AT SINGTEL, STARHUB, M1 & SAMSUNG

As of 21 May 2019, here are the trade-in prices I found at the 3 major telcos and Samsung (which has its own trade-in programme). Just locate your Huawei phone model and you can easily see which one offers the best rate:

(I've omitted some older models with only $10 trade-in value.)

SINGTEL TRADE-IN PRICES FOR HUAWEI PHONES

Singtel doesn't publish their trade in prices openly, but you can get hold of them by going through the Singtel online store.

After selecting your new phone, mobile plan, add-ons, yadda yadda, you'll reach the "Shopping Cart" page where you'll see the itemised bill. Before making payment, click on "Trade in phone to this Mobile Line" and you can select the model you have.

Here's a list of Singtel trade-in prices for Huawei phones when I tried fake-shopping for an iPhone XS Max:

If you've got the higher-end Huawei P30 series phone, it's a no-brainer to go with Singtel. These phones aren't eligible for all trade-in programmes - only Singtel's and M1's.

Singtel's trade-in values for the P30 and P30 Pro ($400 and $600) are also way higher than what M1 offers ($350 and $400 respectively).

As with all trade-in programmes, the phone needs to be in good condition, both physically and otherwise, and need to come with the original battery, charger and any accessories that came with the device.

For online trade-in, you have to opt for home delivery and pass the trade-in phone set to the courier upon delivery.

Otherwise, you may go to a Singtel Retail Shop and trade in your phone over the counter. But note that some retailers have their own list of accepted phones and trade-in prices, so you may not get the same rate as shown online.

STARHUB TRADE-IN PRICES FOR HUAWEI PHONES

Kudos to Starhub for clearly listing phone trade-in prices on their website. These trade-in rates are for Starhub Shop (i.e. offline) purchases only.

Between Singtel and Starhub, Starhub has a shorter list of accepted Huawei models. Starhub doesn't accept the earlier Huawei Mate 9 and P9 series, nor the higher-end P30 series.

But Starhub does have the best trade-in prices in town for certain popular models such as the Huawei Mate 20 ($400). The trade-in price for Huawei Mate 20 Pro ($600) is on par with that of Singtel's.

Starhub also has the highest trade-in value for the Huawei P20 Pro ($450), unless you want to trade it in for a Samsung Galaxy 10 phone under Samsung's trade-in programme ($560 value).

The usual conditions apply for Starhub's trade-in programme - the device must be in good condition and come with the original battery and accessories.

But a possible dealbreaker is that you need to sign a 2-year mobile contract while purchasing your new phone. Otherwise, no deal. C'mon, Starhub… a 2-year contract in this day and age!?

M1 TRADE-IN PRICES FOR HUAWEI PHONES

M1's trade-in prices are clearly stated on their website. Click on the Trade-In Values tab and you'll see a table like this:

Like Singtel, M1 accepts almost all Huawei phone models under its trade-in programme.

But M1 offers very low rates for certain popular models: the Huawei Mate 20 Pro ($400 vs Singtel and Starhub's $600), Huawei P20 Pro ($300 vs Starhub's $450 and Singtel's $400), and the Huawei P30 Pro ($400 vs Singtel's $600!).

Unless you're a die-hard fan of M1, trading in one of these models is like taking out $200 in cash at the MRT station, and accidentally letting go of the notes as the train comes rushing in. Don't do it, man.

For the other models, prices are okay - pretty much on par with the rest of the telcos.

As usual, your phone needs to be in working condition. M1 is more lenient about the accessories - you can still trade your phone in without the original charger; M1 will just deduct $10 from the trade-in value.

Trade-in can be done at M1 shops when you purchase a new phone and sign an "applicable" contract. I suppose the latter varies from store to store, so you'll have to ask.

SAMSUNG TRADE-IN PRICES FOR HUAWEI PHONES

While checking out how much trade-in value your phone can fetch, here's an alternative to consider: Samsung's trade-in programme.

Obviously, you can only trade in for a Samsung phone. And Samsung accepts only a limited range of models. But there's one major advantage: You won't have to get locked into some telco contract just for the sake of trading in your phone.

Here are the trade-in values that Samsung offers:

Samsung's trade-in prices are mostly middling; nothing spectacular but no rip-offs either.

For example, the Huawei Mate 20 Pro fetches $555 with Samsung, which is lower than Singtel and Starhub's $600, but higher than M1's $400. Meanwhile, the Nova 3i's $100 trade-in value is the same across the board.

But you'll definitely want to consider Samsung if you have a Huawei P20 or Huawei P20 Pro to trade in, because right now there's a promotion where you can bump up the trade-in value of those phones:

Get $100 extra trade-in value if you trade up to a Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+, or Note9. Or an extra $200 value if you get a Galaxy S10e, S10, or S10+.

An obvious ploy by Samsung to upsell their more premium (i.e. expensive) phones, but I'll bet it works for some gadget-heads.

You can trade in your phone with a new purchase at a Samsung store.

Or, if you've already rushed out and bought a Samsung phone, you can download the "Trade Up for Samsung" app. The app runs a bunch of tests on your old phone and gives it a valuation; you can then process it for delivery and the trade-in value will be transferred to your bank account.

THERE'S ALSO THE IPHONE TRADE-IN PROGRAMME

If you're not averse to Apple products, it's also possible to trade in your Huawei phone for an iPhone. It's not for everyone, but I thought I'd put it out there.

Like Samsung, Apple runs a trade-in programme, and yes, non-Apple smartphones are accepted too.

There's no list of prices available online. Instead, you need to key in your device's IMEI number to find out its trade-in value. To find this number, dial *#06# into your phone.

Though I couldn't find the iPhone trade-in prices, I suspect they might be similar to that of Samsung's, because both trade-in programmes are run by the same company (Brightstar).

WHAT ABOUT AH BENG HANDPHONE SHOPS?

At the moment, it's still possible to trade in your phone through the "official" channels (telcos, major phone brands). As long as your aim is to ditch your Huawei for a phone that you can actually use, this is the most legitimate route.

But the Huawei situation is in flux, so you have to act fast. There's always a chance that the major retailers will take Huawei off the list.

"Aiyah, if that happens, the neighbourhood Ah Beng shop will buy my phone right?"

Not necessarily. 5 out of 7 independent used handphone shops' websites I visited have removed their price lists for Huawei phones: MobileSquare, WhyMobile, RedWhiteMobile, Rebox and J2 Mobile Shop.

Mobyshop and SellUp still have prices for Huawei devices up, but I have a feeling they'll follow suit. Try at your own risk!

This article was first published in MoneySmart.