11/03/2025
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The Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025, held in Barcelona, showcased major trends and groundbreaking innovations in the mobile industry. With a record-breaking 109,000 attendees from 205 countries, the MWC25 reinforced its position as the leading event in the tech industry.
This year’s edition highlighted the growing influence of AI, cutting-edge device innovations, and an increasingly dynamic market, shaping the future of mobile technology. Here’s an overview of the MWC Barcelona 2025 key insights and announcements from the event.
Circular economy and the future of device lifecycle management
1. The global smartphone market and its impact on the secondary market
According to IDC, the global smartphone market is projected to grow by 2.3% in 2025, fueled by both increased device production and the growing popularity of AI-powered smartphones.
This growth directly impacts the refurbished smartphone market, as more high-end devices make their way into the secondary market, ready for refurbishment and resale. With more high-end AI-powered devices entering the market, the availability of premium refurbished models will increase.
The global tech industry is rapidly evolving towards sustainable solutions, reshaping the way we think about device life cycles. As a result, the refurbished smartphone market is emerging as a key player in the tech industry, providing businesses and consumers with eco-friendly, affordable alternatives.
2. Trade-in and refurbishment gain momentum
Operator-driven trade-in programs are gaining momentum as telecom companies promote greener alternatives and incentivize customers to exchange their old devices. Together, these trends are accelerating the refurbished market. Here are two reasons why telcos are developing their trade-in offer:
- As consumer awareness of sustainability grows, demand for refurbished smartphones is on the rise.
- One major enabler of this growth is the adoption of AI-driven pricing and grading solutions. These tools enhance the efficiency of the refurbishment process, making it faster, more accurate, and cost-effective.
In this context, Dipli showcased its plug-and-play tech at MWC Barcelona 2025, unveiling how businesses can seamlessly integrate trade-in and refurbishment solutions into their operations. This innovation facilitates a more efficient, secure, and scalable process for collecting and distributing refurbished smartphones.
Dipli's Tapas night and its booth were buzzing with activity! Professionals networked and discussed how next-gen reconditioning technologies are revolutionizing device lifecycle management. This reflected the growing interest in sustainable tech solutions that extend the life of devices while reducing e-waste.
3. Operators and retailers embrace circularity
- Telecom giants like Orange, Vodafone, and Deutsche Telekom are leading the charge by integrating trade-in programs into their business models.
These initiatives not only promote sustainability but also offer customers a simple, convenient way to hand over their old devices for refurbishment, shifting the growth of circular economy.
- Retailers and e-commerce platforms are are jumping on the bandwagon by expanding their refurbished product offerings.
From smartphones to laptops, these platforms are capitalizing on the growing demand for high-quality, affordable, and sustainable devices. This move is fostering an increased trust in the refurbished market and encouraging more consumers to choose pre-owned devices over new ones.
Additionally, Europe’s right-to-repair regulations are boosting sustainable device lifecycles by ensuring that consumers can repair, upgrade, and refurbish their devices with ease. This legislative push is accelerating the transition towards a circular economy.
AI everywhere: the new standard for smartphones
From AI-powered smartphones to predictive analytics reshaping the industry, artificial intelligence is at the heart of innovation and is driving the future.
1. AI-driven smartphone upgrades: a new consumer trend
- Consumers are upgrading their devices faster than ever before, largely due to advancements in AI.
With new features like real-time translation, AI-powered photography, and energy optimization, smartphones are becoming even more integral to daily life, thus redefining user experience. It explains why AI enhancements are becoming a key differentiator for telcos, leading to faster upgrades and more frequent device renewals for consumers.
- At MWC25, Samsung and Honor showcased their latest AI-centric devices, further reinforcing AI's crucial role in the future evolution of smartphones.
Samsung presented its Galaxy S25, featuring AI-powered camera enhancements and real-time translation, while Honor introduced the Magic5 Pro, equipped with AI Vision for smarter photography and energy optimization. These innovations are not only enhancing user experiences but also enabling new use cases for consumers, making AI an integral part of the device lifecycle.
2. AI and telecom: the next frontier
AI is also revolutionizing the telecom industry, with operators investing heavily in AI technologies to optimize network performance and improve customer experiences. AI-driven tools are helping telecom companies manage increasingly complex networks, offering enhanced service reliability and customer satisfaction. Here are two notable examples of it:
- Deutsche Telekom introduced RAN Guardian, an AI network agent built on Google’s Gemini AI.
This innovation aims to monitor and optimize network operations in real time, improving service quality and reducing operational costs.
- Telefonica is leading the charge with AI-powered quantum computing initiatives.
By leveraging AI in areas such as predictive maintenance, network optimization, and customer support, telecoms are solidifying their role as future tech leaders at the forefront of nex-gen technology.
As AI continues to evolve, its integration into both smartphones and telecom networks promises to accelerate the development of smarter, more efficient mobile ecosystems, benefiting both consumers and businesses alike.
3. AI challenges and opportunities for the refurbished market
| Opportunities | Challenges |
This will boost supply in the refurbished market and provide affordable access to premium AI tech. |
However, AI chips (like Google's Gemini AI or Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Elite AI) may age faster as AI models evolve, making some devices obsolete sooner. |
Predictive AI can assess a device’s remaining lifespan to optimize resale pricing. |
Older AI-powered devices may struggle to support future AI updates, reducing their resale value. |
Companies looking for AI-enhanced business tools (e.g., AI transcription, workflow automation) may turn to refurbished options. |
Buyers of refurbished AI smartphones might worry about previous owners' data lingering or AI models being biased toward past users. |
Next-gen devices: the future of hardware
The mobile industry is embracing a new era with foldable, rollable, and AI-optimized devices taking center stage.
1. Google's Pixel Pro 9: the AI-powered smartphone of the year
The Google Pixel 9 Pro won the "Smartphone of the Year" award. This model was praised for its integration of Gemini AI, real-time voice translation, and adaptive battery optimization. This recognition solidifies Google's continued leadership in creating AI-driven mobile experiences that optimize user interactions.
2. The battle of flagships: Samsung, Honor and Xiaomi
These three companies are making the battle for premium devices a race toward better performance powered by AI capabilities:
- Xiaomi 15 and 15 Ultra were officially launched, featuring HyperAI for photography and video enhancements.
- Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra and Honor’s Magic7 Pro continue to push innovation with AI-powered imaging.
Premium smartphone competition is fierce, but AI differenciation is becoming the key selling point.
3. Foldables and rollables take the spotlight
This year, the next wave of mobile flexibility literally stole the show:
- Huawei’s Mate XT grounbreaking triple-folding smartphone.
- Samsung and Tecno showcased rollable and trifold concepts, highlighting the next wave of device design.
- Lenovo unveiled wild foldable OLED screens for its laptops.
Still, consumer concerns remain over the durability and resale value of foldable devices. The refurbished market will have to showcase its resilience and innovations one more time.
MWC25 confirmed that AI, foldable technology, and sustainability are shaping the future of mobile innovation.
With 5G-Advanced enhancements and early 6G prototypes pushing the boundaries of connectivity, and the smartphone upgrade cycle accelerating, AI integration is becoming a major factor in device selection. This positions the refurbished market for significant growth, offering businesses and consumers a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to keep pace with the latest technological advancements.
Are you looking to bring your own tailored trade-in program to life? Or to renew your electronic device fleets with refurbished products? Or perhaps an online solution that aggregates certified refurbishers to stock up your refurbished offer? Dipli has got you covered.
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.
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