Slower smartphone sales growth may boost recycling incentive schemes
Wednesday, December 16, 2015 - 09:39:42
Mobile manufacturers and network providers alike are set to increase the number of recycling schemes they offer customers, in order to encourage more people to trade in their old devices and receive an upgrade in return, according to a new IDC report.
This is as a direct result of smartphone sales growing by only 9.8 per cent over the course of 2015, the first time that growth has dipped into single digits in the past eight years. And so businesses are concerned that the market is starting to hit a plateau, meaning that they are looking for new ways to stimulate sales.
Rapid growth was possible in the past because the proportion of people who owned smartphones was low and convincing people that the time was right to upgrade was not difficult. But now companies like Samsung and Apple are facing the prospect of smartphone ubiquity, which makes incentivising recycling schemes all the more important.
Report spokesperson, Anthony Scarsella, said that as well as making trade-ins more appealing to customers, the major manufacturers are also going to be releasing devices which combine premium designs and features with lower price points than their predecessors.
Many rumours circulating at the moment suggest that Apple is gearing up to release the iPhone 6C next year during the same event at which its second smart watch is destined to arrive. Apple has also recently rolled out a full recycling scheme, which lets people get rid of their old iPhones in exchange for money off an upgrade.
But if manufacturers want to be competitive in the recycling market then they may need to improve the amount of money offered for old phones, since in many cases, comparing the prices of third party schemes will net users a better payout.
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