Millions of phones find new homes around Christmas, but billions are gathering dust in drawers
As the holiday season begins, millions of people around the world are gearing up to pass down their old iPhones, Galaxy phones, Pixel devices, and just about any smartphone to family and friends. While it's become pretty common to hand over old devices, a new survey from GSMA, which represents mobile operators globally, reveals that a large number of smartphones are still collecting dust in drawers across the globe.
According to the survey, which polled 10,000 consumers across 26 countries, around 40% of smartphones are given a "second (or third) life" – passed down to family members and friends or traded in for newer models, often during the holiday period. However, despite this growing trend, 75% of consumers still have at least one older device gathering dust, with an estimated 5-10 billion "pre-loved" phones lying dormant across the globe.
However, it looks like people are warming up to the idea of recycling their old phones, and cash incentives plus the promise of data safety are leading the charge. GSMA's latest survey shows that these two factors are motivating consumers to finally say goodbye to their outdated devices – and honestly, I'm all for it.
This push to recycle fits perfectly into the global shift toward a circular economy, where reusing and reducing waste take center stage. Some countries, like Australia, are already setting a strong example with recycling programs that have seriously ramped up mobile phone recycling rates. If more places jump on board, we could see a big reduction in the environmental impact of our old tech.
Recycling old phones helps cut down on the demand for raw materials. The GSMA estimates that if we recycle just half of the 5 billion dormant devices out there, we could recover up to $8 billion in valuable minerals like gold, silver, and cobalt. These critical resources could be reused in everything from smartphones to electric car batteries.
The survey also found that 14% of phones in use today were either bought secondhand or refurbished, with the UK taking the lead – nearly 10% of UK consumers choose refurbished devices. This trend is only expected to grow, as sales of used phones jumped by 6% in 2023, while new phone sales saw a 4% decline. As a result, the secondhand smartphone market is on track to outgrow new phone sales in the years ahead.
Other notable findings from the GSMA's survey, which will be fully unveiled at MWC Barcelona in March 2025 (where actually the Xiaomi 15 Ultra might make its global debut), include:
A lot of people hold onto their old phones as backups or because they're worried about losing precious photos and memories – about 27%, to be exact. Another 20% just aren't sure what to do with them. This has created a stash of idle phones that could either be repurposed or recycled instead of sitting around gathering dust.
However, it looks like people are warming up to the idea of recycling their old phones, and cash incentives plus the promise of data safety are leading the charge. GSMA's latest survey shows that these two factors are motivating consumers to finally say goodbye to their outdated devices – and honestly, I'm all for it.
This extensive survey sheds light on how consumers around the world are becoming more aware of the environmental impact of their devices, with many wanting to use them longer. But there's also a growing demand for secure and easy ways to trade them in responsibly. The markets for reused and refurbished phones will only continue to grow, and this presents a huge opportunity for companies to innovate.
– Steven Moore, Head of Climate Action at GSMA, 2024
The survey also found that 14% of phones in use today were either bought secondhand or refurbished, with the UK taking the lead – nearly 10% of UK consumers choose refurbished devices. This trend is only expected to grow, as sales of used phones jumped by 6% in 2023, while new phone sales saw a 4% decline. As a result, the secondhand smartphone market is on track to outgrow new phone sales in the years ahead.
- The average lifespan of a phone before it is replaced is around three years, with 75% of devices being replaced between one and three years.
- Battery life (90%) and performance issues (87%) are the top reasons people replace their phones.
- Nearly 60% of consumers plan to purchase a new phone within the next two years, while older consumers tend to hold onto their devices for longer.
- An increasing number of people, especially younger consumers, are considering sustainability in their purchasing decisions, with 49% saying it's a very important factor in their next phone purchase.
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