The gang at Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) has long tracked the market for used smartphones. And they know that Gen Z’ers have always liked used iPhones.
In their quarterly survey of smartphone buyers, which complements their quarterly survey of Apple customers, CIRP include subjects that acquire either a new or used smartphone. The survey of Apple customers includes only subjects that buy new gear.
So, when Business Insider reported that Gen Z customers have begun to buy used smartphones more than before, and this should concern Apple, the CIRP gang looked at their actual data. They confirm that Business Insider has a point, but the data probably shouldn’t alarm Apple.
“Overall, about 13% of smartphone users that acquired an iPhone in 2024 acquired a used one,” says CIRP. “This represents a bit of an increase over recent years. Similarly, about 12% of customers acquired a used iPhone in 2019. As we can see, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the market for used iPhones dramatically. Customers with stimulus funds or working from home used the pandemic as an opportunity to buy new phones. It took a couple of years for the used iPhone marketplace to return to its earlier condition.”
Younger customers do tend to buy used iPhones more. Sixteen percent of US iPhone buyers aged 18-24 years old acquired a used iPhone in 2024. However, these younger customers have always gravitated towards used smartphones. A higher percentage of these younger customers bought used in 2019 and 2020, too.
“This should not surprise anyone,” says CIRP. “Younger customers likely have less cash to spend on new smartphones. They are also likely to be more tech savvy and thus able to make an informed decision about their need for the newest phone model’s latest features. Younger customers may even be more committed to reducing their impact on the environment by purchasing used products when possible.”
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