How Does a Trade-in Solve Your Smartphone Issues?

While new smartphone sales and shipments have declined in recent years, the rising demand for used handsets continues to drive a marked increase in this particular market segment.

According to the IDC, the global shipment of used smartphones (including both second-hand devices and those that have been officially refurbished) reached a total of 225.4 million units at the end of 2020. This highlighted an increase of 9.2% when compared with 2019’s figures when 206.5 million units were shipped worldwide.

This trend is largely being driven by the rising cost of living and the huge cost of new handsets. It’s also being encouraged by the practice of trading in old smartphones, but what are the main advantages of this practice?

#1.  It’s Economical

Let’s start with the basics; inflation and the cost of living are continuing to soar in the UK, with a major thinktank now warning that up to one million Brits could be plunged into poverty this year.

So, the ability to trade in your smartphone in exchange for a significant amount of cashback, while this can also help to reduce the cost of a new handset if it’s included as part of any new deal.

To optimise the value of your handset as part of any trade-in arrangement, however, you’ll need to ensure that it’s in excellent condition. If it’s faulty or significantly damaged, you may not be able to trade this in successfully.

Newer handsets are also deemed as being more valuable. So, if you decide to trade in your iPhone XR for example, you can reap the benefits as a customer.

#2. It’s Good for the Environment

When you trade-in your phone, the handset will either be refurbished and resold on the open market or potentially recycled (depending on who you deal with and the condition of the handset).

Both of these steps offer environmental benefits. If you choose to have your old phone recycled, for example, you’re reducing the waste sent to landfills and preventing harmful toxins from being released into the environment.

In the case of refurbished and resold handsets, this reduces the number of new smartphones that are manufactured and ensures that fewer devices are being shipped internationally across the globe.

#3. It’s Charitable

By trading in your smartphone, you can also contribute to several charitable causes that do incredible work across the globe.

For example, the Saoirse Foundation is a multi-arm foundation that targets rare genetic disorders that disproportionately affect children. This charity used old smartphones for many purposes, including the use of staff and stricken family members and the resale of parts to raise much-needed funds.

There are also two autism charities (Autism.ie and AsIAm) that frequently run mobile phone appeals.

Such devices are typically used for the same reasons, and they play an integral role in the everyday operations of each charity.