Refurbished Price Index 2026: circular market trends and data analysis

Dipli's 2026 Refurbished Price Index provides an up-to-date view of circular product pricing throughout the year.

Drawing on data collected across Dipli's distribution channels, each new edition tracks how refurbished devices prices evolve over time, highlights the structural market forces driving these changes and helps retailers, telecom operators and OEMs better understand pricing dynamics in an increasingly mature market.

To better interpret this year's trends, we also invite you to explore our 2025 annual market analysis, which explains the structural shifts that continue to shape the market in 2026.

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How does the Refurbished Price Index work?

1. A market benchmark for tracking refurbished device prices

This index is a market trend analysis tool, not a predictive indicator.
It provides a reliable resource for monitoring the price evolution of refurbished smartphones, tablets, laptops, and wearables sold on dipli.com.

The index is built on a baseline value of 100 at the beginning of the year. Every subsequent price movement is measured against this reference point, making it easy to monitor market evolution, compare periods and identify long-term pricing trends across the refurbished market.

💡 Powered by our Market Data Lab, the Refurbished Price Index analyses millions of real-world pricing data points across Dipli's ecosystem to monitor market movements month after month. Combining advanced algorithms with market intelligence, it reveals the structural forces shaping refurbished prices and delivers actionable insights into the industry's evolving dynamics.

2. A re-engineered methodology for greater market accuracy

The 2026 Refurbished Price Index has been extensively re-engineered to provide a more representative and statistically robust view of the secondary electronics market. While its methodology has evolved, its objective remains the same: helping tech professionals better understand how and why refurbished prices move over time.

🟣 A more representative market benchmark:

• Product variant consolidation: identical devices are grouped regardless of colour or tax regime, improving statistical consistency and reducing the impact of low-volume variations.
• Intelligent data interpolation: temporary missing values are estimated using pricing patterns from products within the same family, preserving historical continuity without creating artificial volatility.

🟣 A broader market scope and deeper analytical insights:

• Expanded product coverage: the index now includes additional refurbished product categories beyond smartphones. Laptops, tablets, and wearables are now included, providing a broader view of the circular tech market.
• Price Variation indicator: a complementary metric highlighting the products experiencing the most significant price movements during each reporting period, making market shifts easier to identify and understand.

Refurbished Price Index: what do the data reveal?

 
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H1 2026 analysis: decoding refurbished market pricing dynamics

The first half of 2026 confirms the structural trends identified throughout 2025. While seasonal pricing cycles remain visible, market fluctuations continue to soften as inventory management, trade-in programs and demand forecasting become increasingly efficient across the secondary market.

Rather than experiencing abrupt fluctuations, the market is now responding in a more measured way to changes in supply and demand, reinforcing the long-term reliability of refurbished pricing.

Q1 2026: a familiar seasonal cycle with increasing market resilience

The first quarter of 2026 followed the seasonal pattern typically observed in the refurbished market. After a post-holiday decline in January and February, refurbished device prices recovered slightly in March, although the rebound remained more moderate than in previous years.

Several structural factors shaped pricing throughout the quarter:

• Supply constraints affecting key electronic components continued to weigh on device availability.
• Rising prices in the new smartphone market supported demand for refurbished alternatives.
• The launch of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Family stimulated trade-in activity. Higher trade-in bonuses offered by telecom operators helped bring additional devices into refurbishment channels, improving supply and reducing upward pressure on refurbished prices.

Q2 2026: a more balanced market with early signs of summer pressure

During the second quarter, refurbished prices continued to soften before reaching a stable level in June. Increased device availability, supported by higher trade-in volumes following Samsung's flagship launch and seasonal inventory preparation, contributed to a healthier balance between supply and demand.

More importantly, price movements remained significantly less pronounced than in previous years. This continued stabilisation reflects a secondary market that is becoming increasingly predictable, with stronger inventory management and more consistent sourcing strategies limiting seasonal volatility.

While the overall Price Index remained stable, our Signal 4 show that several high-demand iPhone models have started to experience renewed price increases. As summer demand strengthens and trade-in volumes gradually slow, sourcing conditions are tightening again on the market's most sought-after refurbished devices.

The 2026 Refurbished Price Index goes beyond tracking price evolution. By combining quarterly pricing data with in-depth market analysis, product-level focus and insights from leading industry research firms, it provides tech professionals with a clearer understanding of the structural forces shaping the secondary market.

Alongside each edition, we explore the key drivers influencing refurbished prices, from trade-in adoption and residual value trends to component costs, regulatory developments and the behaviour of the market's most strategic devices through our Price Variation analysis.

Every quarter, Dipli's Market Data Lab analyses thousands of refurbished devices to help retailers, telecom operators and OEMs better anticipate market developments and make more informed business decisions.

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