When shopping for a new phone, pricing is one of the biggest factors to consider. Mid-range smartphones are still a popular segment, striking a balance between good specs and pricing. But over the years, they have started becoming more expensive. So here’s why getting your hands on a used flagship phone might be a better value for money.

Superior Build Quality

Flagship phones are designed to be premium. Brands use materials like metal (aluminum, titanium, and others) along with strengthened glass for a more luxurious feel. Meanwhile, mid-range devices cut corners in the build quality to keep pricing low, often using cheaper materials like plastic. So a pre-owned flagship basically retains its premium build quality and a robust design.

Better Performance

A premium phone is equipped with cutting edge hardware like the latest chipset, higher RAM capacity, and better GPUs. This makes them better in overall performance, which helps in improving the multitasking experience, gaming, or other intensive tasks. Mid-range smartphones can easily meet the demands of most users. However, better performance also makes it future proof and viable for more years. So you won’t need to upgrade in a year or two.

Superior Cameras

Flagship smartphones arrive with various improvements in camera technology that enhance the photography experience or bring a new feature entirely. But apart from all of this, the image quality is typically superior on flagship phones than most mid-range phones, even if it is a year old. The large sensors mean they perform better in low light, and OIS helps in stable videos and better pictures.

Longer Software Support

The standard in software support for smartphones usually brings two major OS updates and three years of security patches. However, brands like Google, Apple, and Samsung lead the pack with impressively long software support on their flagship phones. So even if the phone you get is more than a year old, it is likely to receive longer software updates compared to any new mid-range phone.

Pre-Owned or Refurbished: Cost Efficiency

There are a couple of ways to get your hands on a used flagship smartphone. This includes heading to second hand selling platforms, buying it from someone else directly (via official or unofficial channels), or getting a refurbished phone. The last option is the safest, considering how refurbished devices are thoroughly inspected, repaired (if needed), and tested to ensure they function like new. These even come with warranties as well. But getting a used phone might be the cheapest option. So without spending premium prices, you can get your hands on flagship phones that have slight wear and tear.

Meanwhile, you can even check out our hot take on why screen protectors aren’t necessary for your smartphones.

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Huawei has just officially started selling second hand smartphones in China. These certified used handsets from the company are now available on the official online store in the region.

The new service from the Chinese tech giant offers a variety of smartphones that have previously been owned and are certified by the company itself to offer assurance regarding quality of the smartphone. This move from the consumer is beneficial for the brand as its customers now get more affordable deals, while the company also benefits as second hand devices would ensure stock amid smartphone supply shortages. Notably, we had previously reported on second hand 5G Huawei phones seeing a rise in price after the company launched the 4G only P50 series.

Talking about the used devices, the VMall app and official website in China (Via CNMO) sells second hand smartphones of various models. This includes six models, namely the Mate 30 Pro 5G, Mate 40 5G, P30, P30 Pro, Mate 30, and Mate 30 Pro. Out of these handsets, only the Mate 30 Pro 5G, in the 8GB+128GB and 8GB+256GB variants, are currently in stock while the rest have already been sold out. In other words, the second hand deals from the company were quite attractive and the move was successful in the Chinese market.

Looking at the prices, one can see prices the used smartphones being around 500 or 600 Yuan (roughly 77 to 92 US Dollars) cheaper than their new counterparts. So, the second hand models are clearly more cost effective as well. Huawei also assures that the used phones it certifies undergo a strict quality check, while the company also equips these devices models with new original batteries before listing them for sale and arrives with one year of warranty.

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Huawei had just launched the P50 series earlier this week. But despite being a flagship grade lineup, the new smartphones only arrives in a 4G version. This, in turn, has led to the prices of the brand’s 5G smartphone models to rise in the second hand used market in China.

The price hike for used 5G Huawei smartphone models was observed by the Zhuanzhuan Group, which is a popular online market place that deals lets users buy and sell second hand used products in China. Generally, a smartphone’s value in the market usually always falls after its initial launch date. But now, the opposite seems to be occurring with the price of older 5G enabled smartphones from the Chinese tech giant rising.

The report from the used online market place stated that the prices of these 5G models are about 3 to 9 percent higher than in early June 2021. Notably, the Mate 40 Pro saw the highest increase in second hand market pricing. The price of a second hand Mate 40 Pro at the end of July 2021 is about 6,363 Yuan (roughly 985 USD), which is about 323 Yuan (roughly 50 USD) higher than back in June and marks about a 5.43 percent price hike overall.

Similarly, the Mate 30 Pro 5G also saw a price rise during this same period, with a hike of 293 Yuan (roughly 45 USD) or about a 7.71 percent rise in price over a month prior. As of right now, the price of this model is around 4,093 Yuan (roughly 633 USD) on the Chinese used product selling platform. Analysts added that there were a number of factors that led to this price rise of older phones, with one of them being the launch of the 4G only P50 series. These used flagship devices are now not only more cost effective despite being high end, but also support 5G networking that the latest launch doesn’t.

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A new report has just revealed that Xiaomi is the leader in the second hand market for smartphones that were produced locally in the second quarter of this year in China.

The news arrives from a recent report from the Zhuanzhuan Group that was titled the “Mobile Phone Market Report for the Second Quarter of 2021.” In this report, it was revealed that the Chinese tech giant overtook Vivo to become the largest domestic smartphone brand in the second hand handset market. Although, the number one brand in terms of transaction volume increase was Honor, which saw a month on month growth rate of a whopping 88.34 percent during the second quarter.

The report also noted an interesting trend, with the price of second hand Apple iPhone witnessing a steady decline in the used market. On the other hand, the prices for the second hand flagship smartphone models from Huawei saw an explosive rise, reaching 96.45 percent for the Mate 40 Pro. While 5G enabled handsets were the market leaders for the new smartphone segment, 4G was still accounted for a notable market share of the second hand market.

Zhuanzhuan Group’s report also added that the second hand mobile phone market in Q2 saw a 10.76 percent rise in transaction volume over the previous quarter. Talking about the overall market, Apple still led the second hand market with a share of 36.53 percent in Q2. Xiaomi led the domestic brands in this segment, with a 13.88 percent market share. On the other hand, Vivo and Huawei followed close behind with a 12.7 and 12.04 percent market share.

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The used smartphone market is expected to surpass 225 million units in shipments for the year 2020, as per a new report. This marks a notable increase year on year over 2019, despite the overall smartphone market declining in the same year.

According to an IDC projection, the worldwide shipments of used smartphones is expected to reach around 225.4 million units. This translates to a 9.2 percent rise in shipments, in comparison to 2019. Furthermore, IDC also predicts that the market will further rise in the arriving years and will reach 351.6 million units by 2024. The report also takes refurbished smartphones into account, along with used devices as well.

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As per IDC, a big part of this growth is driven by the increase in popularity of trade ins. In other words, customers are more persuaded towards upgrading their smartphones to manage the cost of brand new handsets. Despite the market seeing growth, IDC believes that the figure is still lower than previous market expectations. Although, the used smartphone market still performed better than the new one, which IDC believes, saw a decline of 6.4 percent in the same period.

Anthony Scarsella, research manager at IDC stated that “In contrast to the recent declines in the new smartphone market, as well as the forecast for minimal growth in new shipments over the next few years, the used market for smartphones shows no signs of slowing down across all parts of the globe. Refurbished and used devices continue to provide cost-effective alternatives to both consumers and businesses that are looking to save money when purchasing a smartphone.”

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It has become difficult to get hold of a Huawei smartphone powered by the company’s own Kirin chipset ever since the United States government has imposed additional sanctions on the Chinese giant.

Because of this, the pricing of Huawei smartphones in the used devices or second-hand market has increased by more than 10 percent. This is interesting given that the pricing of the iPhone in the used devices market has declined.

According to the report, the pricing of Huawei devices powered by the Kirin chipset has increased by 12 percent from the month of June to September. Also, Huawei and Honor smartphones now cover around 24 percent of the second-hand market, on par with Apple.

The most popular smartphones from Huawei are 4G and 5G versions of the Mate 30 128GB model and Mate 30 Pro 128GB model, both of which have seen a price rise of 10 percent.

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The report from China also shows that the value preservation rate of a variety of domestic smartphones exceeded 80 percent. Among them, the flagship model — Huawei P40 Pro 5G was ranked first with a retention rate of 84.96 percent.

For those unaware, Huawei lost access to chips because of the new sanctions from the United States. The company has stockpiled on Kirin chips but has a limited quantity that could last a few months.

Meanwhile, the company is gearing up to launch its upcoming flagship smartphone — Mate 40 in the coming weeks. The device will be powered by the Kirin 9000 chipset, which could be the company’s flagship chipset.

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According to a new report by IDC (International Data Corporation), the global shipment of used smartphones crossed over 206 million units in 2019 alone. This sizable number includes used smartphones and also officially refurbished one.

The number is also a notable growth of 17.6 percent from 2018, which had seen 175.8 million smartphone units being shipped worldwide. Similarly, IDC has predicted that the number will grow even more in the near future, with a predicted forecast of 332.9 million units in 2023 going by an annual growth rate of 13.6 percent starting from 2018.

The used smartphone market is seeing rapid growth and growing market prospects despite its declining market popularity over the past. Furthermore, a research manager with IDC stated that “the used market for smartphone shows no signs of slowing down across all parts of the globe” while the shipment for new smartphones is predicted to see “minimal growth over the next few years.”

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IDC has credited the major contributing factor of the growth of used smartphones to financial factors. Generally, used and refurbished handsets are more cost-effective and a viable alternative to both consumers and businesses over recently released offerings. This even extends to OEMs not maintaining a balance of features to pricing.

In recent times, no big breakthroughs in processing and features have been achieved. In other words, the price of the newer smartphones has been on the rise while the number of worthwhile features and notable performance improvements have been fewer. For example, an in-display fingerprint scanner and a punch-hole camera are quite convenient in providing a more content friendly viewing experience but offer no new functionality over conventional rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and a teardrop notch.

Lastly, IDC mentioned that the wider adoption of 5G network across different regions is expected to impact the used smartphones as well. Meaning, People would seek out refurbished 5G handsets over their older 4G devices to gain access to the newer and faster bandwidth.

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(Source,Via)

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Smartphones have become an essential part of our lives. This has also led to the incredible growth of the used phone market. The selling price of a used smartphone now influence buyers when making a purchase and if you were wondering which were phones had the best resale value, here’s a reference list from China. Huishoubao, China’s leading used phone platform has just released the list of smartphones with the best resale value. 

According to the list, the smartphone with the best resale value in the first half of 2019 was none other than the OnePlus 7 Pro. This isn’t surprising given the brand’s incredible popularity in China as well as abroad. The latest OnePlus flagship brings top-end specs including a pop-up camera at a competitive price tag. Plus, OnePlus is known for its solid software support with even models like the three-year-old OnePlus 3T getting the new Android Pie update. These factors explain why OnePlus 7 Pro tops the chart with a maximum resale value of nearly 77% of its cost price. 

The second and third place are occupied by the Huawei P30 duo. These two models have one of the best camera setups in the market right now, so getting a used unit is still worth the price. Not to mention Huawei’s brand value has surged in the past few months especially after the US ban when the Chinese went all patriotic to support the company.

In the fourth place is yet another smartphone that offers excellent value for money – the Redmi K20 Pro. So it’s no surprise that people looking to buy a used smartphone are ready to pay nearly 68% of its original selling price for this model. Oneplus 7, Honor View 20, OPPO Reno Zoom, Xiaomi Mi 9, and OPPO K3 take the remaining spots from the fifth place to the tenth place respectively. 

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It is worth noting that flagships from Samsung like the Galaxy S10+ or the S10 are way down in the list with the best offer being just over 50% of its official cost price. In case you are wondering, Apple’s iPhones were not mentioned in this list because the Cupertino giant didn’t release any new models in the first half of 2019. This list covers all smartphones that were released from Jan 1, 2019, to June 30, 2019. The resale ratio is calculated by dividing the best resale value for a model by its official selling price of a new model.

The entire list can be found down below. 

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