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 info additionally exhibits that regardless of getting old trade-in stock, pre-owned smartphones are in excessive demand globally, and gaining belief amongst customers as extra OEMs and cell carriers spend money on 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 vastly improved: almost 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 customers who purchased their present telephones in new situation report they’d take into account a CPO machine 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 reasonably priced, high-quality units, in addition to the rising pool of second-hand units coming into the market,” stated Brad Akyuz, Trade Analyst Marketing consultant, Cellular at Circana. “On the identical 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 better 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 growing as trade-ins have change into an integral a part of carriers’ retention packages. Nevertheless, 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 machine lifecycles proceed to stretch.
The impact of this getting old provide pool is a tightening home marketplace for pre-owned provide, specifically CPO units. “Growing old, lower-grade fashions usually aren’t eligible for U.S.-based CPO packages as they often require newer technology units in A/B grade situation,” stated Sean Cleland, VP of Cellular at B-Inventory. “As carriers stretch cost phrases out to 36 months, customers are holding onto units 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 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 almost 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 elements are cheaper, are competing aggressively for the older provide,” stated 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 frontrunner in offering know-how, AI, and knowledge to fast-moving shopper packaged items firms, durables producers, and retailers searching for to optimize their companies. Circana’s predictive analytics and know-how empower purchasers to measure their market share, perceive the underlying shopper conduct driving it, and speed up their development. Circana’s Liquid Knowledge® know-how 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 speedy motion to future-proof and evolve their development 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 file for all resale. We join sellers and consumers of returned, trade-in, and overstock stock by a collection of on-line resale channels. Our clients vary from the world’s largest manufacturers and retailers that need best-in-class stock resale administration to entrepreneurs seeking to supply helpful merchandise for his or her resale companies.
With tons of of 1000’s of transactions accomplished yearly, we consider know-how and entry drive a wholesome B2B resale ecosystem. B-Inventory offers consumers a easy and direct approach to purchase helpful merchandise immediately from retailers and presents sellers a technology-driven alternative for conventional resale strategies, whereas boosting operational effectivity, restoration charges, and cycle time.
