Would you buy a used phone? How to build consumer confidence in refurbished devices

Refurbished smartphones are one of the fastest-growing segments of the device ecosystem – outpacing new-device growth in recent years and playing an increasingly critical role in operators’ and manufacturers’ strategies and sustainability commitments. Yet despite rising demand, refurbished devices still represent less than 10% of the total mobile phone market in most countries. This leaves significant commercial value unrealised. 

The GSMA Global Consumer Survey shows that nearly half of consumers worldwide are open to buying refurbished for their next device – an opportunity worth billions in potential revenue for MNOs, OEMs, marketplaces, refurbishers, and retailers. 

So what’s holding the market back? Confidence. Consumers still worry about quality, reliability, battery life and after-sales support with refurbished options. Overcoming these barriers is key to scaling device circularity – and to capturing the full economic and environmental benefits of the refurbished market. With this in mind, stakeholders across the refurbished phone value chain are exploring potential solutions to boost consumer confidence in refurbished phones.  

This session will bring together thought leaders from across the value chain – refurbishers, mobile operators, and phone manufacturers – to explore: 

• What consumers really think: behaviours, expectations, preferences, and concerns that stop them choosing refurbished 

• What actually builds confidence: longer warranties, grading consistency, product labels, and certification of refurbishment processes, and the roles of key stakeholders across the value chain in setting quality benchmarks. 

• How regulation and technology are reshaping the market: from eco-design regulations to AI-powered automation and digital product passports. 

Join us to learn how cross-industry collaboration and new quality-assurance approaches can unlock refurbished-device adoption at scale—supporting stronger revenues, lower churn and a more circular mobile ecosystem.