Used Smartphone Market Robust as OEMs Struggle to Produce Affordable Phones: IDC

Worldwide shipments of used smartphones rose 17.6 percent to 206.7 million last year, reported IDC this week. The growth reflects “considerable savings” over new devices, as OEMs "struggled to produce new models that strike a balance” between new features consumers want and reasonable prices, said the researcher. The used market “shows no signs of slowing down,” said analyst Anthony Scarsella, with the transition from 4G to 5G. “The ability for vendors to push more affordable refurbished devices in markets in which they normally would not have a presence is helping these players grow their brand as well as their ecosystem of apps, services, and accessories.” Used smartphones had 22.2 percent share in North America in 2018, expected to grow to 26.2 percent by 2023. Elsewhere, it was 77.8 percent in 2018, forecast to reach 73.8 percent share in three years.