The explosion in the sale of refurbished mobiles is a reality. After a year in which the market for new smartphones has stagnated and even reduced in some countries, the offer of cheaper mobiles with certain insignificant defects has managed to capture the attention of consumers.
This is demonstrated by the data collected by Counterpoint Research. The report reflects that second-hand mobile sales grew by 5% during 2022 compared to last year with India (19%) and the Latin American region (18%) leading the regional rankings.
Proof of this trend is the spectacular increase in the sale of refurbished iPhones, 16% in 2022. Apple devices represent almost half of second-hand smartphones sold worldwide.
The study reflects that the main customers of refurbished mobiles are usually new smartphone users, customers used to using simple mobiles and who are switching to smartphones. This trend can be seen especially in markets of emerging countries and regulars in the sale of second-hand devices.
At the same time there is a phenomenon of slowdown in the purchase of smartphones. Users are taking longer and longer to change their mobile, and many wait for high-end devices to drop in price over the years to get one instead of buying a newer but lesser category.
In any case, what is clear is that fewer and fewer new mobiles are being sold. Canalys collects that in the fourth quarter of 2022, 17% fewer smartphones were sold than in the same period of 2021, which is the worst quarter in a decade.
