On September 19, CNMO learned that CCI Insights data showed that in the second quarter of this year, iPhone dominated the global second-hand smartphone shipments, accounting for 62% of the market share, while Samsung phones followed closely with 18% market share, ranking second. Together, these two brands accounted for 80% of global second-hand mobile phone sales.
The report pointed out that the strong performance of the iPhone was mainly due to its significant advantage in the North American market, while Samsung phones performed well in Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Despite the increase in shipments of used mobile phones, the overall value of used mobile phones fell by 13% to US$7.7 billion due to the popularity of older devices such as the iPhone 11 series.
The iPhone 11 series includes three models: iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max. Although it was released in 2019, its price has dropped significantly in recent years, making it a hot spot in the second-hand market. Leo Gebbie, chief analyst and director of CCI Insights Americas, said: “Consumer demand for second-hand smartphones is accelerating, among which low-cost iPhones remain the most popular second-hand devices. Our data confirms this, showing that Apple products dominate the market in both volume and value. Therefore, changes in iPhone demand are the most important factor affecting quarterly market trends.”
In addition, the iPhone 16 series is also expected to drive a large number of upgraded iPhones into the second-hand market. However, it is worth noting that although some analysts predict that there will be an iPhone super cycle this year, the most powerful part of Apple’s AI function will not support existing models until iOS 18.2 is released in December, so Mark Gurman believes that the real super cycle may not appear until next year.
In Europe, the Radio Equipment Directive, which will take effect on December 28, will also have an impact on the second-hand market. The directive requires all imported devices to be equipped with a USB-C interface to reduce electronic waste and reduce dependence on proprietary chargers. CCS Insight predicts that by 2025, this directive will lead to a reduction of 8 million units in the European second-hand market supply.
For the full year, CCI Insights expects the global used smartphone market to perform better than last year.
