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

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

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