New releases prompt increase in mobile recycling
Wednesday, June 5, 2013 - 13:11:31
The last few months have been particularly packed with new smartphone announcements and releases, which is why figures published last week show that more Brits are selling their old mobile phones than ever before.
Phones Review reports that the iPhone 5 remains the most valuable handset sold for recycling. This is unsurprising, given that it was launched just nine months ago, but also suggests that Apple owners are choosing to sell their phone well before their contract has expired, perhaps to upgrade to an Android-based alternative like the Samsung Galaxy S4.
Around 1.3 million has been paid out to people selling iPhone 5 devices, while there was a marked increase in activity over the course of the last month, as people sold their old Galaxy S3 handsets to upgrade to Samsung's aforementioned follow-up.
The Galaxy S4 has already sold over 10 million units internationally, while its closest rival, the HTC One, has shifted five million units to date.
The popularity of Android handsets like these is clearly playing an important role in shaping the mobile recycling market in the UK, although the prestige and saleability of the iPhone range is helping to keep prices buoyant.
What matters most for mobile phone manufacturers is customer loyalty. It does not matter if people are selling their old phones after a year, as long as they are upgrading to a new device from the same company, or at least running the same operating system.
With Apple users starting to sell the iPhone 5 in just a few short months and no next-gen iPhone on the horizon until at least September, it could be that this range is finally seeing user loyalty sapped by the allure of Android and the lack of true innovation offered by its releases.
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