Refurbished smartphones are cost-effective alternatives for consumers looking to save money when buying a smartphone. Apple and Samsung are the top brands in this secondary smartphone market, allowing users to purchase popular flagship smartphones at a much lower cost. Even as shipments for the global market for new smartphones grew 4.5% YoY in 2021, shipments for the global refurbished smartphone market witnessed 15% growth, according to Counterpoint Research’s Global Refurb Smartphone Tracker. Factors such as attractive trade-in programs, consumer awareness of sustainability, and certified pre-owned smartphones led to this growth.
In the latest episode of ‘The Counterpoint Podcast’, host Maurice Klaehne is joined by Research Director Jeff Fieldhackand Senior Research Analyst Glen Cardoza to discuss the refurbished smartphone market. The insightful discussion focuses on key topics highlighting the refurbished market performance in 2021, key regions contributing to the growth, and key OEMs. The three also touch upon topics like geopolitics, sustainability, right to repair movement, and much more.
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You can download the podcast transcript here.
Podcast Chapter Markers
01:17 – Glen on how the refurbished market performed in 2021.
02:41 – Besides attractive trade-ins, what are the other factors driving sales?
03:58 – Jeff talks about the key factors driving the growth in the US and EU.
05:59 – Jeff further talks about geopolitics and what OEMs are doing to diversify and ensure low-cost operations?
07:55 – Glen talks about the leading OEMs in the refurbished market.
09:42 – Jeff deep-dives into the right-to-repair movement and which components need the most repairs.
14:10 – Eco ratings and sustainability initiatives from top smartphone brands.
17:22 – Last comments and recommendations for OEMs from Jeff and Glen.