San Mateo, CA and Chicago, IL, Feb. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — New information from each Circana and B-Inventory reveals the age of smartphones traded-in reached an all-time excessive throughout the 2025 improve cycle, with most gadgets being three generations again or older. The info additionally reveals that regardless of growing older 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) applications.
Circana information reveals 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 applications, shopper belief seems to have drastically improved: practically half of pre-owned patrons 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 think about a CPO gadget as an possibility, demonstrating rising belief in refurbished gadgets.
“The pre-owned smartphone market within the U.S. stays extremely resilient, pushed by sturdy shopper demand for reasonably priced, high-quality gadgets, in addition to the rising pool of second-hand gadgets getting into the market,” stated Brad Akyuz, Business Analyst Advisor, Cellular at Circana. “On the similar 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 better transparency and standardization throughout the secondary market, has altered purchaser expectations and improved perceptions of gadget 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 applications. Nonetheless, prolonged possession cycles are actually reshaping pre-owned provide. B-Inventory information reveals that gadgets 5 generations outdated or older (N-5+) accounted for 19% of all pre-owned smartphone provide in 2025, that’s up 75% from 2022.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 information reveals D and E grade gadgets reached record-high ranges, signaling a noticeable skew towards lower-quality stock as gadget lifecycles proceed to stretch.
The impact of this growing older provide pool is a tightening home marketplace for pre-owned provide, specifically CPO gadgets. “Getting old, lower-grade fashions sometimes aren’t eligible for U.S.-based CPO applications as they often require newer era gadgets in A/B grade situation,” stated Sean Cleland, VP of Cellular at B-Inventory. “As carriers stretch fee phrases out to 36 months, customers are holding onto gadgets 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 applications want.”
Concurrently, there may be heightened worldwide competitors pulling quantity offshore. B-Inventory worldwide cargo information reveals {that a} roughly 15% devaluation of the U.S. greenback made American gadgets considerably extra engaging to abroad patrons in 2025. Consequently, worldwide shipments of U.S.-sourced pre-owned smartphones practically tripled yr over yr. Dubai and Hong Kong accounted for about 80% of world quantity, whereas the Netherlands and Spain emerged as fast-growing export locations. Demand was notably sturdy 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,” stated 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 information to fast-moving shopper packaged items firms, durables producers, and retailers in search of to optimize their companies. Circana’s predictive analytics and expertise empower shoppers to measure their market share, perceive the underlying shopper habits driving it, and speed up their development. Circana’s Liquid Information® expertise platform is powered by an expansive, high-quality information set, and clever algorithms educated on six a long time of area experience. With Circana, shoppers can take fast 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 patrons of returned, trade-in, and overstock stock by way of a set 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 trying to supply invaluable merchandise for his or her resale companies.
With a whole bunch of 1000’s of transactions accomplished yearly, we imagine expertise and entry drive a wholesome B2B resale ecosystem. B-Inventory provides patrons a easy and direct means to purchase invaluable merchandise instantly from retailers and presents sellers a technology-driven substitute for conventional resale strategies, whereas boosting operational effectivity, restoration charges, and cycle time.
