EE has introduced an Early Phone Swap option allowing eligible Flex Pay customers to exchange their existing handset for a new or refurbished device before their current agreement ends. Around one million customers could be eligible to upgrade up to 12 months early, with the trade-in value of their existing phone used to settle the remaining balance on their device agreement.

The scheme could have an important impact on the secondary device market because phones are returned relatively early in their lifecycles rather than remaining with consumers until they are no longer useful. Working handsets can then enter EE’s refurbishment and resale channels, creating another opportunity for them to reach a second owner instead of becoming electronic waste.

EE is also expanding its Flex Pay offering to include refurbished devices, including handsets from its “Very Good” refurbished range. By combining flexible financing with earlier trade-ins and access to refurbished products, the operator is making reuse more closely integrated into the traditional mobile upgrade cycle.