Price index for refurbished smartphones 2025

After a pivotal year for the refurbished smartphone market in 2024, it's time to focus on the key data for the year ahead! Our data experts have closely analyzed price trends in the refurbished market to provide you with a detailed and strategic review in our 2025 price index.

What is the goal of the 2025 price index and how does it work?

Tracking price trends is essential to staying competitive. That’s why we have collected, analyzed, and deciphered a large volume of data to provide you with a detailed and precise view of market developments.

This index is a market trend analysis tool, not a predictive indicator.
It serves as a powerful resource for monitoring the price evolution of refurbished smartphones sold on dipli.com.

The index is based on a baseline index set at 100, which serves as a starting point for price analysis. Every subsequent price change is measured against this initial value, allowing for an accurate tracking of market trends. In short, here’s what it offers you:

• Easy comparison,
• Clear visualization,
• Trend tracking,
• Performance evaluation.

The objective of the price index is clear: to provide you with a precise breakdown of quarterly variations and the key factors shaping the refurbished products market.

Our index is built on an advanced algorithm that analyzes a large volume of data in real time to deliver highly relevant insights. By tracking observed prices across our sales and distribution channels, we monitor market trends on a monthly basis, enabling a detailed understanding of pricing dynamics in the industry.

Monthly analysis of refurbished smartphone prices

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March

In March 2025, our refurbished smartphone price index continued its downward trend, decreasing by 4.37 points in just one month. This effect is particularly pronounced in 2025 compared to previous years, where monthly declines generally remained below -2 points. Usually, this price drop occurs a little later in the year. This dynamic reflects a rapid and structural evolution of the market. Here are the key points to remember from this period:

• Market seasonality:

Historically, the first quarter is marked by an abundant supply of refurbished products, intensifying competition between market players and putting downward pressure on prices. In 2025, this trend is amplified: although detailed data for Q1 2025 has not yet been fully released, analysts expect a +5% increase in volumes compared to Q1 2024, signaling the start of a market recovery in 2025 (Apple Reaches New High in Global Refurbished Market in 2024, But Supply Remains a Challenge - Counterpoint Research).

• Success of Samsung's trade-in programs:

The Korean giant has significantly strengthened its trade-in offers following the launch of the Galaxy S25 in January 2025, with incentives going up to €150 in trade-in bonuses. Samsung is forecasting to ship around 40 million units of the Galaxy S25 series in 2025, which would represent a 10% increase compared to the 37 million units sold of the Galaxy S24 series the previous year (Samsung vise haut : découvrez le chiffre (impressionnant) des ventes de ses Galaxy S25 - Netcost).

On the retailers' side, this price drop can erode profit margins. It is therefore essential for them to quickly adjust their pricing and inventory management strategies to avoid holding products whose value can decrease by 1% to 1.5% each week.

Telecom operators, for their part, are seeing the growing strength of their own trade-in programs. 84% of global operators have already implemented a trade-in program (Rethinking Mobile Phones, The business case for circularity - GSMA). This acceleration forces them to balance supply and demand to avoid an oversupply of refurbished stock, which could generate discounts of -5% to -7% between the time of stock entry and resale, while still ensuring a smooth response to consumers' expectations in terms of pricing and availability.

Given the current acceleration of the trade-in market, closely linked to the refurbished market, market players must remain vigilant and adapt their strategies to navigate effectively in this constantly evolving landscape.

February

Our price barometer recorded a decrease of 8.83 points in February 2025, reaching 91.17 points.
Every year, after the holiday season and winter sales, the refurbished smartphone market experiences a price drop. This is because, following this period, stocks are often higher, which allows distributors to offer more competitive prices, explaining this seasonal downward trend.

However, the decrease observed in February 2025 is more pronounced than in February 2024. What are the reasons for this difference?

• The arrival of the Samsung Galaxy S25:

The Samsung Galaxy S25 had a significant impact on the prices of previous models. The increase in trade-ins of Galaxy devices (S10, S20, etc.) contributed to the supply of refurbished smartphones, driving prices down for these older ranges.

• The release of the iPhone 16e:

The iPhone 16e did not have the expected impact on the trade-in market, as the volume of devices traded in was lower than anticipated. This could be explained by its price, which is €250 higher than the SE, even though this model was supposed to replace that range. Despite this, some users still chose to part with their old iPhone SE or other Apple models, increasing the supply of refurbished devices.

• Increased competition between Apple and Samsung:

The releases of the Galaxy S25 and the iPhone 16e in February 2025 highlight the intensifying rivalry between the two tech giants. With more frequent model launches, each new release generates a large number of trade-ins, which amplifies the price drop on refurbished models during these periods.

This February month once again confirms that telecom operators have business opportunities to seize if they adjust their trade-in strategies based on new model releases.
For retailers, it is a key moment to strengthen their stocks of popular refurbished models, in anticipation of the demand increases expected in the coming months.

January

As with every new year, prices tend to stabilize after the holiday season. The end-of-year sales period is always marked by high intensity, with increased seasonal demand that typically declines over the following two months.

However, while prices for most models remain stable across our various distribution channels, this effect is not uniform for all models. Price variations depend on stock levels and seasonal demand associated with each smartphone model.

Stay tuned for next month’s update to track price trends! 🚀

Dipli simplifies the second life of electronic products.

An all-in-one tool for distributors, leasing companies, telecom operators and companies to manage the entire value chain in one place.

The platform connects the electronics industry to secondary markets; simply and securely. Trade-in and return management, refurbishment, omni-channel purchasing and distribution: Dipli covers and simplifies all stages of the circular economy.