Despite the global smartphone market experiencing its weakest second quarter in more than a decade, Apple’s iPhone continued to record year-on-year growth, highlighting sustained consumer demand for premium devices. While overall shipments declined across the industry, Apple strengthened its position by attracting buyers looking for long-lasting, high-performance smartphones. This trend also reinforces the value of devices that retain their performance over many years, making them well suited for resale and refurbishment.

The durability of premium smartphones plays an important role in the circular economy. As iPhones remain desirable long after their initial purchase, they continue to hold strong residual value in the secondary market, allowing devices to be refurbished and resold instead of being discarded. This helps reduce electronic waste while making high-quality technology more accessible to a wider range of consumers.

Growing demand for refurbished premium devices is encouraging manufacturers, retailers and trade-in providers to invest further in device recovery and refurbishment programmes. Extending product lifecycles not only supports more sustainable consumption but also reduces the need for new raw materials, reinforcing the environmental benefits of the circular economy.