1 in 5 smartphones sold in India is refurbished: Counterpoint Research

India’s secondary smartphone market — dominated by refurbished and used phones — has quietly grabbed a fifth of the country’s overall smartphone sales in 2024, according to data from Counterpoint Research. The preference change has become clearer after the pandemic, with the share of secondary phones (refurbished and new combined) climbing from 12 per cent in 2021 to 14 per cent in 2022, touching 17-18 per cent in 2023, and now hitting over 19 per cent in 2024. 

There are multiple reasons for the growing share of refurbished phones. With money getting tight after the pandemic, demand for cheaper smartphones has increased. Analysts say premium smartphones being offered at substantially depreciated values — around 40 per cent lower on average within six months of usage — have also made them attractive. This is reflected in the growing popularity of super-premium Apple iPhones. 

Experts also point out that many feature phone users looking to buy their first smartphone prefer a more feature-loaded 4G phone rather than a basic new smartphone at the same price. Similarly, those who bought their first smartphone at ₹5,000–6,000 now opt for a refurbished phone worth around ₹15,000 rather than a new upgraded 4G model costing over ₹20,000. 

 

Mobile companies, along with retailers, have also pushed to increase the sale of refurbished phones, ensuring quality checks, offering warranties, endorsing their genuineness, and promoting such sales to expand the overall market. 

Clearly, refurbished smartphone sales have grown much faster than new smartphones. In 2024, refurbished sales rose by 7 per cent over the previous year, while smartphone shipments grew by just 1 per cent. 

In 2023 as well, refurbished phone sales were up by 10 per cent, while the new smartphone market remained virtually flat at 152 million units, showing no real growth. In 2022, after the pandemic, refurbished phone sales grew by 19 per cent, while new smartphone sales fell by 9 per cent. 

The trend continues even in the first quarter (Q1) of 2025, with refurbished phone sales projected to grow between 4 per cent and 7 per cent compared to the same quarter last year. However, according to Canalys, shipments of new smartphones are down 8 per cent in the same period. In comparison, new smartphone shipments had grown by 10 per cent in Q1 of 2024. The biggest growth in refurbished sales was recorded in Q1 of 2022, when it jumped by a staggering 25 per cent. 

At the global level, in most emerging markets where phone sales are rising, such as China and Latin America, refurbished phones contribute between 14 per cent and 22 per cent of total overall sales.