San Mateo, CA and Chicago, IL, Feb. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — New knowledge from each Circana and B-Inventory reveals the age of smartphones traded-in reached an all-time excessive through the 2025 improve cycle, with most units being three generations again or older. The information additionally exhibits that regardless of growing old trade-in stock, pre-owned smartphones are in excessive demand globally, and gaining belief amongst customers as extra OEMs and cell carriers put money into Licensed Pre-Owned (CPO) packages.
Circana knowledge exhibits that as of October 2025, roughly 11% of U.S. customers personal a pre-owned smartphone, with roughly 30% of these being licensed fashions. Particular to CPO packages, shopper belief seems to have tremendously improved: practically half of pre-owned consumers report cellphone situation was “a lot better” than anticipated. And, as considerations about situation, {hardware} efficiency, and battery life have eased, 75% of customers who purchased their present telephones in new situation report they’d contemplate a CPO system as an possibility, demonstrating rising belief in refurbished units.
“The pre-owned smartphone market within the U.S. stays extremely resilient, pushed by robust shopper demand for inexpensive, high-quality units, in addition to the rising pool of second-hand units getting into the market,” mentioned Brad Akyuz, Business Analyst Marketing consultant, Cellular at Circana. “On the identical time, the standard of labor being achieved by the wi-fi neighborhood with respect to refurbishment, together with elevated use of real components, and introducing larger transparency and standardization throughout the secondary market, has altered purchaser expectations and improved perceptions of system situation.”
This mounting belief and demand has resulted within the pre-owned market outpacing the brand new market with provide steadily rising as trade-ins have turn into an integral a part of carriers’ retention packages. Nonetheless, prolonged possession cycles are actually reshaping pre-owned provide. B-Inventory knowledge exhibits that units 5 generations previous or older (N-5+) accounted for 19% of all pre-owned smartphone provide in 2025, that’s up 75% from 2022. On the identical time, this identical knowledge exhibits D and E grade units reached record-high ranges, signaling a noticeable skew towards lower-quality stock as system lifecycles proceed to stretch.
The impact of this growing old provide pool is a tightening home marketplace for pre-owned provide, particularly CPO units. “Growing old, lower-grade fashions usually aren’t eligible for U.S.-based CPO packages as they normally require newer technology units in A/B grade situation,” mentioned Sean Cleland, VP of Cellular at B-Inventory. “As carriers stretch fee phrases out to 36 months, customers are holding onto units longer and fewer trade-ins meet these thresholds. Whereas the amount of trade-ins could also be wholesome, the composition is shifting away from what CPO packages want.”
Concurrently, there may be heightened worldwide competitors pulling quantity offshore. B-Inventory worldwide cargo knowledge exhibits {that a} roughly 15% devaluation of the U.S. greenback made American units considerably extra enticing to abroad consumers in 2025. Because of this, worldwide shipments of U.S.-sourced pre-owned smartphones practically tripled 12 months over 12 months. Dubai and Hong Kong accounted for roughly 80% of worldwide quantity, whereas the Netherlands and Spain emerged as fast-growing export locations. Demand was notably robust throughout Southern Europe, the place older fashions such because the iPhone 6, 7, and eight stay in lively use.
“Worldwide refurbishers, particularly in areas the place labor and components are cheaper, are competing aggressively for the older provide,” mentioned Cleland. “These dynamics are beginning to squeeze home refurbishers that don’t have the identical value construction or entry to stock.”
About Circana
Circana is a frontrunner in offering expertise, AI, and knowledge to fast-moving shopper packaged items firms, durables producers, and retailers looking for to optimize their companies. Circana’s predictive analytics and expertise empower purchasers to measure their market share, perceive the underlying shopper habits driving it, and speed up their progress. Circana’s Liquid Information® expertise platform is powered by an expansive, high-quality knowledge set, and clever algorithms educated on six a long time of area experience. With Circana, purchasers can take quick motion to future-proof and evolve their progress methods amid an more and more advanced, fast-paced, and ever-changing economic system.
About B-Inventory
B-Inventory is the world’s largest B2B recommerce platform and system of report for all resale. We join sellers and consumers of returned, trade-in, and overstock stock by means of a collection of on-line resale channels. Our prospects vary from the world’s largest manufacturers and retailers that need best-in-class stock resale administration to entrepreneurs seeking to supply invaluable merchandise for his or her resale companies.
With a whole bunch of 1000’s of transactions accomplished yearly, we consider expertise and entry drive a wholesome B2B resale ecosystem. B-Inventory offers consumers a easy and direct method to purchase invaluable merchandise immediately from retailers and presents sellers a technology-driven alternative for conventional resale strategies, whereas boosting operational effectivity, restoration charges, and cycle time.
