Used And Refurbished Smartphone Market Size (2024 - 2029)

Used and Refurbished Smartphone Market Analysis

The Used And Refurbished Smartphone Market size in terms of shipment volume is expected to grow from 349.40 Million units in 2024 to 504.10 Million units by 2029, at a CAGR of 7.61% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

The used and refurbished smartphone market has surged globally, providing affordable alternatives for budget-conscious consumers. Driven by cost-effectiveness and environmental worries, this market offers renewed or pre-owned devices, extending product life cycles and contributing to a sustainable tech ecosystem.

• Multiple product launches in the premium smartphone segment, more brand options, new price points, and the overall aspirational value of an upgraded smartphone are some significant factors rapidly driving the second-hand smartphone industry to increase its market in multiple geographies globally.
• The significant increase in disposable incomes and the rise in online gaming have been major reasons consumers adopt premium smartphones. Technological advancement has increased the demand for upgraded specifications over the years. However, such specifications come with higher costs, and consumers often tend to exchange their existing smartphones with upgraded used or refurbished premium models against lucrative buyback value.
• With the increasing amount of e-waste being dumped in landfills, the network operators are venturing into new effective strategies to increase their subscribers, especially in rural areas, by offering connectivity and low-budgeted smartphones. Countries such as India have been one of the major markets driving the secondary smartphone market around the globe, witnessing several major developments in the past few years.
• The market witnessed a stagnant market due to decreased disposable income and cash in hand among the customers due to rising inflation in developed and developing economies. As a result, the trade-in volume decreased, affecting the secondary market of smartphones. In addition, major markets for refurbished and used smartphones, such as India, have witnessed a substantial decrease in smartphone sales in the past few quarters, thus further hindering the growth of the market.
• The outbreak of COVID-19 led to a movement toward studying and working from home. The trend shifting toward work from work steadily rose over the past decade. However, the effect of COVID-19 dramatically accelerated this trend in an extremely short period, forcing enterprises, irrespective of their size, to quickly adapt to the self-isolation measures governments worldwide were recommending.

Used and Refurbished Smartphone Industry Segmentation

A refurbished phone generally refers to a pre-owned handset that has been returned due to a fault and repaired for resale. Refurbished smartphones are a cost-effective solution for customers looking to save money while purchasing a smartphone.

The scope of the study covers both officially used and refurbished smartphone markets, where trade-in for upgrades in the mature market is also considered as part of the study. OEMs use it to push the adoption of premium devices by making upfront costs affordable, whereas telcos are using it to offer bundled services.

The used and refurbished smartphone market is segmented by geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World). The report offers market sizes in volume (shipment units) for all the above segments.