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 gadgets being three generations again or older. The info additionally exhibits that regardless of growing old trade-in stock, pre-owned smartphones are in excessive demand globally, and gaining belief amongst shoppers as extra OEMs and cell carriers put money into Licensed Pre-Owned (CPO) applications.
Circana knowledge exhibits that as of October 2025, roughly 11% of U.S. shoppers personal a pre-owned smartphone, with roughly 30% of these being licensed fashions. Particular to CPO applications, shopper belief seems to have vastly improved: practically half of pre-owned consumers report cellphone situation was “significantly better” than anticipated. And, as considerations about situation, {hardware} efficiency, and battery life have eased, 75% of shoppers who purchased their present telephones in new situation report they’d contemplate a CPO machine as an choice, demonstrating rising belief in refurbished gadgets.
“The pre-owned smartphone market within the U.S. stays extremely resilient, pushed by robust shopper demand for reasonably priced, high-quality gadgets, in addition to the rising pool of second-hand gadgets getting into the market,” mentioned Brad Akyuz, Business Analyst Marketing consultant, Cell at Circana. “On the similar time, the standard of labor being completed by the wi-fi group with respect to refurbishment, together with elevated use of real elements, and introducing larger transparency and standardization throughout the secondary market, has altered purchaser expectations and improved perceptions of machine 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 applications. Nevertheless, prolonged possession cycles are actually reshaping pre-owned provide. B-Inventory knowledge exhibits that gadgets 5 generations outdated or older (N-5+) accounted for 19% of all pre-owned smartphone provide in 2025, that’s up 75% from 2022. On the similar time, this similar knowledge exhibits D and E grade gadgets reached record-high ranges, signaling a noticeable skew towards lower-quality stock as machine lifecycles proceed to stretch.
The impact of this growing old provide pool is a tightening home marketplace for pre-owned provide, particularly CPO gadgets. “Ageing, lower-grade fashions usually aren’t eligible for U.S.-based CPO applications as they often require newer era gadgets in A/B grade situation,” mentioned Sean Cleland, VP of Cell at B-Inventory. “As carriers stretch fee phrases out to 36 months, shoppers are holding onto gadgets longer and fewer trade-ins meet these thresholds. Whereas the quantity of trade-ins could also be wholesome, the composition is shifting away from what CPO applications 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 gadgets considerably extra engaging to abroad consumers in 2025. Consequently, worldwide shipments of U.S.-sourced pre-owned smartphones practically tripled yr over yr. Dubai and Hong Kong accounted for roughly 80% of world quantity, whereas the Netherlands and Spain emerged as fast-growing export locations. Demand was significantly robust throughout Southern Europe, the place older fashions such because the iPhone 6, 7, and eight stay in energetic use.
“Worldwide refurbishers, particularly in areas the place labor and elements 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 price construction or entry to stock.”
About Circana
Circana is a pacesetter in offering know-how, 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 know-how empower shoppers to measure their market share, perceive the underlying shopper conduct driving it, and speed up their progress. Circana’s Liquid Information® know-how platform is powered by an expansive, high-quality knowledge set, and clever algorithms skilled on six many years of area experience. With Circana, shoppers can take rapid 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 via a set 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 trying to supply invaluable merchandise for his or her resale companies.
With tons of of hundreds of transactions accomplished yearly, we consider know-how and entry drive a wholesome B2B resale ecosystem. B-Inventory offers consumers a easy and direct means to purchase invaluable merchandise instantly from retailers and provides sellers a technology-driven alternative for conventional resale strategies, whereas boosting operational effectivity, restoration charges, and cycle time.
