More than 195-million used smartphones – including officially refurbished and used smartphones – were shipped into the market in 2023, an increase of 6,4% compared to 2022. The value of these shipments was $72,9-billion, up 12,4% year over year, according to data from the newly launched Worldwide Quarterly Used Device Tracker from International Data Corporation (IDC).
“The growth of the secondary smartphone market continues to outperform the new device market as the volume and quality of used and refurbished inventory across the channels improves over time,” says Anthony Scarsella, research director: Mobile Phones at IDC. “New players continue to enter the market in numerous regions looking to grab a piece of this pie as sales of new devices have been slow to return to pre-pandemic levels.”
While the secondary market looks impressive compared to the new market – which continues to make a modest recovery – growth rates for used models have slowed over the past few years. Inventory remains a critical issue as refresh rates continue to get longer in most developed economies causing a shortage of premium models entering the secondary market. Trade-in programmes continue to fuel the industry, but only make up a portion of the total used inventory.
“The fact that all used devices need to be processed – some requiring more intervention than others – makes this market lean towards higher-priced devices and more established brands,” says Diogo Santos, research analyst with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Used Device Tracker. “Apple and Samsung dominate this category accounting for close to 64% of the global used smartphone market. As the used device market matures and becomes more efficient, other brands and lower-priced models are expected to gain a larger share.”
Despite the challenges, the market for used smartphones is expected to reach 257-million units in 2028 with a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5,7%. Shipment value is forecast to see similar growth with a 5,5% CAGR. In comparison, IDC’s current forecast for the new smartphone market is a 2,8% CAGR over the 2023 to 2028 forecast period.