NEW YORK — In case you haven’t heard by now, Apple is unveiling its latest iPhone today. That leaves the question: What should you do with your old one?

The new phones will join some 244 million iPhones sold since the first one launched in 2007. Some have been lost or stolen. Some of us are still hanging on to our old gadgets in some futile attempt to resist the constant upgrade cycle that technology companies are forcing on us.

But it’s fair to say that millions of iPhones are languishing in desk drawers or gathering dust. Here are a few things to do with yours to keep it from meeting that fate once you buy the iPhone 5.

1. Give it to your kids so they stop taking yours.

Every parent, aunt and uncle knows that no toy in the history of toys has ever been as appealing to a kid as an iPhone.

After all, they are shiny, they have games and grown-ups use them for important things. Load up your old iPhone with games and give it to a deserving child in your life.

2. Or give it to your mom so she can finally see the light.

Alternately, if a Luddite adult has been thinking of taking the plunge into the world of smartphones, your old iPhone may help him or her get over the hump. If you have an iPhone 4 or 4S, you might also find someone who’s still hanging on to an earlier model and give them the gift of an upgrade.

3. Donate to charity.

Several charities accept old phones for donation, though it’s worth remembering that these groups likely won’t physically give your old phones to people in need. Rather, they work with phone recyclers and sell your donated phones to them.

For example, a nonprofit group called Cell Phones for Soldiers will take your “gently used” phone and sell it to recycling company ReCellular. It will then use the proceeds to buy calling cards for soldiers.

4. Sell, sell, sell!

Join the eBay hordes and sell your phone for a few hundred bucks if you can. There will likely be a flood of the gadgets soon after people start getting their new phones, so it might make sense to wait a little.

A company called Gazelle, meanwhile, will make an offer for your old phone based on its condition, your phone carrier and other information. A 32 gigabyte iPhone 4S on Verizon Wireless, for example, was recently going for $237 if it’s in good condition and $90 if it’s broken.

5. Trade it in at GameStop.

The video game retailer offers cash or store credit for old iPhones (along with iPods and iPads). The service is only available in stores and not online.

A 32 gigabyte iPhone 4S on Verizon will get you up to $335 in store credit or up to $268 in cash.