Amid trade disruptions and supply shortages, refurbished smartphone growth slowed to 3% globally in H1 2025, yet emerging markets and Apple-led demand kept the sector resilient.
Global refurbished smartphone sales grew by only 3% year-on-year in the first half of 2025, signalling a slowdown from the stronger growth recorded a year earlier. According to a recent data by Counterpoint Research, the industry faced headwinds from supply shortages, pricing pressures, and stricter regulations in mature markets.
Growth was most visible in Africa (+6%), India (+5%), Southeast Asia (+5%), and Japan (+5%), showing strong demand in emerging markets. China and Latin America also posted healthy increases of 3% each. Europe saw only a marginal 1% gain, reflecting maturity and supply constraints, while the US grew by 3% despite trade disruptions.
In contrast, the “Others” category declined by 4%, signalling uneven performance across smaller markets.
The report stated that despite resilient demand for recently refurbished models and solid momentum in emerging economies, several established markets held back overall expansion. The United States was hit hardest, as new tariffs introduced by former President Trump disrupted supply chains.
Many businesses stockpiled devices and components in anticipation of trade hurdles, temporarily shielding consumers from sharp price rises. Still, secondary markets adapted quickly, with trade routes stabilising in the last two months of the period to ensure adequate supply of bulk-selling models before costs escalated.
On average, mature markets saw just 1% growth, while emerging regions expanded by 4%. Japan remained a bright spot, posting steady gains though at a slower pace than last year. The US and major European countries, by contrast, registered muted or negative growth.
Among the vendors, Apple continued to dominate the secondary space, with global refurbished sales of iPhones climbing 7% YoY. Its performance was especially strong in emerging economies, where sales surged 12%. Samsung also advanced, achieving 4% growth in mature markets.
Trade-in programmes played a crucial role in boosting supply. Counterpoint’s Apple User Survey 2024–2025 revealed that one in three iPhone users in the US traded or sold their older devices before purchasing a new one.
However, this practice was less common in other large markets, including the UK, China, and India.
5G devices accounted for 57% of refurbished smartphones sold globally in H1 2025, up 65% from the same period last year. Meanwhile, sales of “As Is” devices rose 10% YoY, outpacing growth in fully refurbished handsets as companies sought to cut costs.
The report expects the secondary market to stay relatively resilient in the second half of 2025, provided global trade flows remain stable. Demand for newer refurbished models, particularly Apple’s iPhone 13 and 14 series and Samsung’s S range, is likely to remain strong.
