You don't always need the greatest, shiniest thing when it comes to smartphones. After all, a new phone is often a very expensive purchase. More people are realizing that, as new numbers show used phones are more popular than ever.
Sales of used smartphones are higher than ever now, as over 282 million used phones were reportedly sold through 2022, according to data from the IDC. This represents an 11.5% year-on-year increase, and while new phones are still selling like hotcakes, it does show a growing trend of people buying second-hand instead. The second-hand market is full of great deals, letting you get old phones for really cheap or even knocking a few hundred bucks off a current, slightly used model.
The reason for this is not particularly hard to guess. Economic inflation was a problem for most of 2022 (and hasn't gone away), and buying a brand new smartphone is probably not a priority if someone has other bills to pay. The iPhone 14 Pro Max can start at $1,100, while you can get used iPhone 12 or 13 devices for as low as $300.
It's considered good practice to buy an used, older flagship than going for a mid-range smartphone, after all. If you're on a budget, and you need another phone, you might just want to consider one too.
Source: The Register