Shipment of used smartphones — including officially refurbished and used smartphones — will reach 413.3 million units in 2026 with a value of $99.9 billion from 282.6 million units in 2022 and 253.4 million units in 2021, a report from International Data Corporation (IDC) said.
Trade-in programs will be the driving factor for the new and used smartphone market. The size of the used smartphones market in North America will reach 103.9 million in 2026 from 73.5 million in 2022. The volume of used smartphones in rest of the world will reach 309.4 million in 2026 from 209.1 million in 2022.
“We have witnessed new programs launch successfully across multiple regional markets where trade-in is still a new concept for local consumers. Additionally, in mature markets such as the U.S., Canada, and Western Europe, trade-in continues to play a significant role in speeding up refresh cycles through telco and retail-driven promotions, says Anthony Scarsella, research manager with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker.
