However, a higher percentage of iPhones are sold or exchanged than Android phones. Consumers report that Android phones are being recycled or lost, broken or stolen or placed for later use compared to iPhone phones rather than iPhone phones.
During the quarter ended June, CIRP analyzed smartphones to understand the life cycle of older iPhones and Android phones. CIRP tracked the age of the previous phone for many years and saw the trend of consumers holding a phone for a long time.
“Most recently, we found that people had previous phones on average averaged more than three years, a few years less than two years ago,” say the study’s authors.
Most phones that are withdrawn from use are in good condition, with usable screens and batteries that will last for a day or most days. As a result, many of the previous phones are sold or exchanged, sent to a friend or family member, or placed for future use.
In general, about 80% of older phones have a screen that is “perfect” or “scratched, but usable” in good condition. 84% of shoppers who own an old iPhone report a “perfect” or “scratched, but usable” screen, compared to 76% of shoppers who own an older Android phone.
60% of older phones have a good battery that lasts “a day or more” or “most days”. Unlike the screen, 30% of shoppers with an older Android phone report a battery that lasts a full day or more, compared to 23% of buyers with an older iPhone.
The study found some significant differences between the iPhone and Android phones
Nearly a third of iPhones have been converted to a new phone compared to 10% of Android phones. In contrast, almost half of Android phones are placed by consumers for later use compared to 29% of iPhone phones.
“Most retired phones still have some functional life (…),” said Mike Levine, CIRP’s partner and co – founder. “Many of them are kept in reserve or given to a friend or family member. However, resale and exchange supports iPhones greatly. Consumers trade or resell iPhones more often than Android phones. We look forward to the opportunity to use the iPhone with a higher residual value.
Also, 24% of Android phones are reported to be recycled or lost, stolen or damaged, while only 17% of iPhones are recycled, lost, stolen or broken.
Based on 2,000 lessons in the United States who purchased a new or used smartphone in the twelve months ending June 2021.
According to a study conducted in Romania by the used electronics online store Repo, nearly 22 million unused mobile phones are stored in Romanian homes. It is analyzed in 27 countries (24 in Europe: Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, Estonia, England, Portugal, Denmark, Austria, Romania, Slovenia, France, Italy, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Bulgaria, Latvia, Greece, Switzerland, Belgium, , Croatia, Netherlands, Poland, Canada, USA and New Zealand are included in the overview), which reveals the high number of unused and stored mobile phones Do not take the recycling route lightly.