The study involves data on the number of iPhone owners either selling or trading their devices compared to owners of Android units.
The official iPhone 13 announcement is just hours away, and a new report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) on Monday revealed some interesting information on “what is happening to old smartphones”.
The research firm surveyed some 2,000 smartphone users in the United States.
Based on the survey, CIRP found out that used iPhones are typically in better condition when compared to used Android smartphones. More than 65% of iPhones that were used for an entire year still have a good display, while that number drops to less than 60% for Android phones.
It’s a different story when it comes to the battery conditions though. After just a year, around 23% of iPhone users said that their device’s battery lasted only a full day without charging, whereas 30% of Android users said their device still works okay for a whole day without any charging.
CIRP notes that the longer a smartphone is used, then the longer it takes to replace it with a new one, “Most retired phones are in good condition, with usable displays and batteries that last all or most of the day. As a result, many previous phones are sold or bartered, given to a friend or family member, or kept for possible future use.”
For those who upgrade their smartphones every year, what do they exactly do with their old ones? CIRP says that fewer than 10% of iPhone or Android users tend to sell away their old phones. While most Android users choose to simply keep their old devices, almost 30% of iPhone owners are giving them away in exchange programs.
Most people are aware that iPhones tend to hold their value better compared to Android units, so it is highly possible that that’s the reason why iPhone owners are more willing to sell or trade off their devices rather than keep them.