Global second-hand smartphone shipments fell 2 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, marking the first annual drop in more than three years, CCS Insight data showed.
The research company noted that the decline comes as operators continue to grapple with increasing consumer preference for SIM-free handsets bought directly from manufacturers or online platforms.
An estimated 27.1 million devices were sold globally in the organised secondary market in the first quarter of the year, down from 27.6 million in Q1 2024.
However, Ben Hatton, market analyst at CCS Insight, described the Q1 slowdown as “nothing more than a blip”, pointing to a positive long-term outlook in the coming quarters.
A key growth opportunity is expected to come from trade-in programmes.
Indeed, data showed that just 31 per cent of European consumers currently trade in or sell old phones, highlighting an untapped supply of more than 100 million devices annually.
As tighter European regulations restrict device imports, the research company noted that despite a slow Q1, strong device buybacks in late 2024 show vendors with internal trade-in schemes are better positioned for long-term supply stability.
Simon Bryant, VP of research at CCS Insight, highlighted Samsung’s Galaxy Club in the UK as a model to watch, stating such initiatives “help businesses lock consumers into trade-in agreements, improving take-back and supporting higher residual values for the leading brands in the secondary market”.
Looking ahead, Hatton noted “more mature” markets like France and the UK, which fell 11 per cent and 3 per cent respectively, will remain key to gauging the recovery of the second-hand European smartphone sector for the remainder of 2025.