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The smartphone business rarely dwells on the past and virtually always focuses on the newest and best products available. Because of this, the tech industry rarely (if ever) thinks about what happens to the older devices that users abandon when they decide to upgrade.
What should we do with our old devices then? This was specifically the focus of the most recent CIRP survey (Consumer Intelligence Research Partners). Normally, the majority of the latter’s surveys focus on Apple products, but this time, Android devices have been included as well.
Results demonstrate that older iPhones and Android smartphones had radically distinct destinies, which were initially documented by 9to5Mac in a special post. 43% of iPhone owners, according to the source, traded in their earlier gadgets. Only 14% of Android users did the same, in contrast. This discrepancy’s most likely cause is that Apple devices often have greater trade-in values than their Android rivals.
Another intriguing development is that 54% of Android users choose to keep their previous devices. Only 23% of people who use iPhones fall into this category. Also, 13% of respondents gifted their iPhones to friends or family, 13% sold their previous phones, and 6% decided to recycle them.
It will be intriguing to watch how these interactions change over time. Since smartphones have improved so much, they can now live considerably longer than the typical two years. Finding a suitable method of handling outdated (but usable) equipment will consequently become more and more crucial.
The figures are 4%, 11%, and 9% for the Android group, respectively. 8% of consumers in each group stated that their previous smartphones had been either stolen or damaged.