New IDC Tracker Finds Used Smartphone Shipments Grew 6.4% in 2023 as Secondary Market Continues to Flourish Across Emerging and Developed Markets

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NEEDHAM, Mass., September 25, 2024 – 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," said 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 programs 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," said 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 2023-2028 forecast period.

The newly launched IDC Worldwide Quarterly Used Device Tracker provides data for device shipments, average selling price (ASP), and value across nine geographic regions and nineteen countries, including China. The historical data covers vendors, model information, operating system, price band, as well as many other technical attributes. The used device forecast provides a five-year outlook unit shipments, ASP and value by operating system. Leveraging IDC's expertise from decades of tracking the smartphone market, the Used Device Tracker will help vendors, channel partners, component suppliers, and industry players track the secondary market to understand the trajectory of the used market by utilizing IDC's historical and forecast data. Other device categories will be added in the future.

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International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,300 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology, IT benchmarking and sourcing, and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading tech media, data, and marketing services company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter at @IDC and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the IDC Blog for industry news and insights.

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