Are High-End Refurbished iPhones killing off the Low-End Android Phone Market?

When it comes to identifying the fastest growing smartphone segment, right across the globe— refurbished devices show up as the most prominent players, at least leading into 2019. Therefore, it wouldn’t be wrong to assume that used iPhones with minor manufacturing flaws fixed for resale are playing a major role in killing off the existing market pertaining to the low-end android smartphones.

In the subsequent sections, we shall talk about the entire refurbished segment besides throwing some light on how Apple refurbished gadgets are leading the concerned market, in terms of brand value and global sentiments.

Before moving any further into this discussion, it is important to identify the potential of the used smartphone market, preferably the refurbished industry. According to reports released by Counterpoint Research, there has been a significant growth in this sector with pre-owned and tweaked devices growing by almost 13 percent, in terms of market presence. With more than 140 million gadgets being sold, the situation looks promising for the refurbished arena, especially in regards to visibility.

How Apple Refurbished Gadgets are making a Difference?

What’s interesting to note is that the new iPhone sales have nosedived to a considerable extent courtesy the exorbitant price points on offer. However, this hasn’t discouraged individuals who are constantly looking to get hold of reasonably priced iPhones for keeping the status quotient high. One approach taken by most customers is to opt for older variants as Apple generally minimizes the price points associated with these models once the new ones are launched. Therefore, despite the new collections experiencing flattened sales figures, Apple still managed to earn something in the ballpark of 13 percent, in terms of revenues. However, even the sale of certified second hand phones and refurbished gadgets added a lot to the revenues with Apple winning it comprehensively in terms of used smartphone popularity. It is right to put it this way that loyal iPhone fans aren’t actually worried about the age of a device, provided they are getting good deals on the same.

The Existence of Low-End Androids

A majority of OEMs that are manufacturing mid to low-end android smartphones aren’t adding a lot to the plate, in terms of innovative feature sets. This is why the market is getting extremely stagnated which eventually is making way for the high-end iPhones, precisely the used ones. With sustainability being a factor, a majority of low-end players are getting pushed out of the market. The existence of poorly-differentiated smartphones has in a way made way for refurbished devices with Apple leading the way, by a considerable margin.

The Growth of Retouched Devices

The most surprising thing about the refurbished smartphone market is that there aren’t many gadgets doing rounds and even then the market share is growing almost remarkably. What’s important to note is that in general only 25 percent of the new gadgets make it back to the market and only a small percentage are sold in a refurbished manner. Despite being a small segment with Apple leading the otherwise smaller portion of the used smartphone arena, the pre-owned devices are capable enough of cannibalizing the existing low-end android market. The most important aspect of this discussion is how and why the used iPhones are regarded highly by the customers and despite the android devices offering decent deals, the latter is losing out on attention. Firstly, it is essential to take a note of the fact that even the refurbished iPhones purchased from offline stores or online startups like Togofogo support iOS upgrades for at least a few years. Moreover, the feature sets offered by Apple are high-end and do not evolve substantially despite newer models being launched every year. This is what makes the older and refurbished units relevant for a longer period of time. The low-end android devices, in comparison offer a restrictive set of features with almost no innovation to show for. Moreover, with even high-end android flagships like the Galaxy S series and Note series smartphones from Samsung available as refurbished units, it’s about time that we bid adieu to the mid to low-end android mobile phones.

It can now be inferred that Apple’s massive presence in the refurbished smartphone arena is slowly but surely suffocating the overall growth of cheaper android smartphones. Even customers are slowly realizing the fact that it is prudent enough to invest in a gadget that is relatable to the current technological era and supports multiple upgrades instead of going with a device that isn’t powerful and relevant enough.