Microsoft has expanded a buyback program intended to boost sales of Windows smartphones and tablets, and will pay up to $350 for a wide variety of rival hardware powered by Apple's iOS and Google's Android.
Stephen Baker, an analyst at the NPD Group who specializes in retail, applauded the deal. "This is clearly a marketing ploy, [but] they usually prove to be good programs for getting people into stores," Baker said.
The new program followed an earlier, more limited buyback deal that dealt only in Apple iPads. Customers can trade in a used iPad for a minimum of $200, with the funds placed on a gift card good for purchases at Microsoft's own retail stores.
Microsoft's expanded buyback accepts numerous rival devices, including smartphones and tablets running Android made by the likes of Samsung, Lenovo and others; Apple iPhones and iPads; and even BlackBerry smartphones.
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