Used smartphones are more popular than ever

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Currently, the smartphone market is experiencing a sharp decline. Weariness on the part of consumers and exploding prices, the golden age of smartphones now seems to be behind us. But everything is not completely dark. Indeed, second-hand smartphones are popular.

European expert in the recovery and reconditioning of high-tech products, the Recommerce group has unveiled the seventh edition of its annual Barometer on the used smartphone market. This study was carried out with Kantar in more than 12 European countries. The verdict is clear: in six years, the number of second-hand smartphone users has almost doubled.

45% of French people have already had a second-hand smartphone

Refurbished is becoming more and more popular. In 2023, 309 million used smartphones were sold in France. This is not very surprising: price remains the main purchasing lever for consumers. 72% choose their smartphone based on price, compared to 66% in 2018.

Inflation weighs heavily on the budgets of French households. In recent years, the prices of smartphones have continued to increase. Today, a smartphone launched at 700-800 euros is considered a mid-range model whereas a few years ago, we entered the high-end range with this price. But with premium smartphones currently well over a thousand euros, it is not surprising that the French are turning to refurbished products.

Choose a Used smartphone is an excellent economical alternative, but it is also a good ecological idea. In recent years, consumers have become more open and are aware of the ecological disaster of capitalism and overconsumption.

Thus, 1 in 5 smartphones will be second-hand in 2024 in France. With 20% of refurbished smartphones in circulation in France compared to only 7% in 2018, the explosion in the popularity of used smartphones is undeniable. In 2024, 45% of French people have already had a second-hand smartphone, compared to only 27% in 2018 in this case.

The Recommerce barometer also highlights the fact that 23% of people wanting to change their smartphone in the near future are considering a refurbished one and that 47% of French people plan to resell their current smartphone in the event of a change, at instead of letting it gather dust in the back of a drawer.

If reconditioned is more popular than ever, some obstacles persist. This is the whole challenge of these coming years. Indeed, some consumers still doubt the reliability of reconditioned products but also of resellers. If companies succeed in removing these obstacles, which prevent consumers from making the leap to refurbished goods, the second-hand smartphone market will continue to prosper.

Also read – Reconditioned smartphones: how to make the right choice?

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