Clothing, objects and technological products: second-hand has never gone so well! A real trend, accelerated by a delicate economic context, but also an increasingly affirmed desire of many buyers to take care of the environment, giving a second life to some equipment. With the Christmas holidays approaching, it’s smartphone refurbishrs who are expecting record sales. Do you want to put a second-hand iPhone or Samsung Galaxy (the best-selling references) under the tree? “20 Minutes” gives you the keys to this market, gives you its advice and warns you about the pitfalls to avoid.
A real phenomenon
Give a refurbished smartphone at Christmas? If a few years ago many did not dare to take it into consideration (probably for fear of proposing a second-hand device, or even of “being stingy”), the idea in the meantime has taken hold. Sign of the times? Yes: the market has taken shape and now has a real history, and it’s more than ever time for savings and good deals. For their part, consumers’ environmental considerations are changing. Result: 37% of French people say they have already bought a refurbished smartphone*
Thus, while the market for new smartphones stagnated in 2021 (-3.6% in volume), that for refurbished terminals exploded by more than 36%, representing 16% of total sales volumes, according to the Gfk. And it’s during the holiday season that restorers do most of their ” business ».
Starting point of Black Friday
“We are clearly attacking the strongest time of the year,” enthuses Laure Cohen, co-founder of CertiDeal. “As regards the new domestic market, we are preparing for sales peaks multiplied by three over the next month”, confirms David Mignot, co-founder of YesYes. For these two French renovators, Black Friday will kick off their annual big sales, with the wait-and-see attitude of shoppers becoming ever more significant ahead of November 25th. It is indeed the “official” date of Black Friday, the big annual sale, and its numerous promotions, especially in the world of technology. Sales more than ever appreciated by “Generation Z”: 92% of 15-25 year olds take advantage of Black Friday to shop, of which 71% to buy Christmas gifts at a reduced price**!
Apple and Samsung lead the way
Note: Aside from Apple and Samsung smartphones, few brands have a say in the world of refurbished smartphones. And again, the iPhone would hog 80% of sales there, roughly. “We don’t see much Huawei or Oppo, some of which are popular. As for Xiaomi (the third largest smartphone seller in the world and in France, according to Canalys), the price of new products remains relatively affordable,” notes Laure Cohen.
It would therefore not necessarily be worth buying a refurbished Xiaomi. However, we found refurbished Xiaomi Mi 11 sold at 349 euros in 256 GB (compared to 495 euros, their current price when new) on Smaaart, another French refurbishing, which favors short circuits. You can find more information on BackMarket, which is a marketplace that brings together restorers from all over the world. A criterion to check before buying, if you don’t want to affect your carbon footprint too much… According to a recent study***, in 2022, 45% of buyers of refurbished smartphones are motivated by the more ecological aspect of the their approach. This is 11% more than in 2021! Encouraging.
Three years of age for the best vintages
The market is therefore adrift from initially expensive products. And from products that are about three years old. Thus, at a time when new smartphones, such as the iPhone 14, are only evolving technically, the terminals that yesterday were at the top of technology paradoxically remain very competitive. Examples?
The iPhone 11 would be, according to David Mignot of YesYes, “the excellent value for money of the moment”. Launched at 809 euros at the end of 2019, it is sold for 389 euros refurbished (64 GB). For smaller budgets, Laure Cohen recommends the iPhone XR which costs just under 300 euros in 64 GB. Even if it is older (five years), Apple’s excellent plan remains the iPhone 8, which sells for around 150 euros in the 64 GB, against 809 euros when it was launched. Warning: Older iPhones are no longer compatible with iOS 16 and may have problems running some apps. An iPhone 8 may therefore seem ideal for a teenager’s original equipment, even if it is necessary to compare different models, checking in particular what is defined as their “aesthetic grade”. During reconditioning, the latter determines the appearance of the product, with the possibility of micro-scratches, stains, any visible bumps, etc. (Read box).
Samsung cheaper
On Samsung’s side, it’s the Galaxy S10 that looks like a great deal if you want to stay within your budget. Launched 3 years ago (like the iPhone 11), it now costs 70% less than when it was launched: around 259 euros, compared to 909 euros in 128GB.
More recent (2020), the Galaxy S20 comes out for around 369 euros, or 60% less than the price of the new 128 GB! Where we will notice that the prices of old Samsung smartphones are deteriorating faster than those of its eternal apple rival… A logic to this: Apple hardly touches the price of its new smartphones during their life cycle, while those of Samsung evolve downward over time. The first refurbished iPhone 14s (from 889 euros) are just starting to arrive. A boon for buyers, according to David Mignot: “They will be able to access a dream share at a bargain price”.
* Ifop survey for Smaaart, carried out among 1,201 people from 3 to 6 October 2022.
**Clearpay Opinion Way Survey, conducted among 525 people October 5-7, 2022.
*** Happydemics survey, for YesYes, conducted among 1,018 people from 5 to 13 August 2022.
