This is how the companies that offer you second-hand iPhones work: is it better than buying them out of the box?

The evolution of the second-hand mobile phone market has always been difficult to predict. The speed with which technology was becoming obsolete until recently could impede its development; but now that phones have a somewhat longer useful life and the market is more stable and mature, the business of giving a second life to the current terminal is beginning to make more and more sense. In fact, nowadays, unless a great revolution occurs, it may be more advisable to buy a mobile phone from the previous year than a new one. After all, the jumps in technology are not that great from year to year, but the prices do drop considerably. There is more to see the few differences between an iPhone 13 and 14 or between Samsung’s recent foldables, the Z Fold and the Z Flip, and their predecessors. There is only one problem with the second-hand market, trust between the parties, the raison d’être of companies like Swappie or Backmarket, which act as an intermediary between buyer and seller to ensure that the technological product meets minimum quality standards. And most importantly, offer a guarantee to the buyer, just as if it were a new device. The same as when we go to a dealership to buy a used vehicle. This first company is a specialist in second-hand iPhone, the key to its business is that Apple continues to offer iOS updates for the terminal so that they can refurbish it and sell it, that is, they cannot offer a phone that Apple no longer supports. Depending on the state of the terminal, and its age, we can find up to a 40% discount. The purchase process is extremely simple, we have tested it; we choose the terminal, its characteristics, the state in which we want the iPhone, which can be “excellent”, “very good” or “satisfactory”, and in two days it arrives at home. We ask for the excellent condition, or what is the same, practically new, and certainly if we examine it, it will be difficult for us to find any brand. In the “satisfactory” state, the iPhone may show the typical wear and tear, but it will also allow us to save a few euros. The “very good” condition is just what is in the middle, we can be lucky and that the use is not even noticeable, or that it is closer to “satisfactory”. This is how they prepare the mobiles When the terminals arrive at Swappie at its Helsinki plant they go through a meticulous process, and although in the era of industry 4.0 it could be assumed that everything is highly automated, it is quite the opposite, hundreds of people are responsible to carry out the quality process of the new terminals. Newly arrived phones are charged and turned on first, at the same time a software is responsible for erasing the content, although all phones come empty, it is a security measure to protect the privacy of sellers. In a second process, manual testing is done, from a list of 60 steps, all the points of the touch screen, the microphone, buttons or speakers, among others, are tested to verify that everything works perfectly. In the event that they have to be repaired, they go through a third process, where the most common is the battery change in phones over three years old, or the screen if it is cracked. An entire army of people painstakingly checks all mobile phones, each employee can check up to 100 iPhones a day, once finished, they are polished with an electric toothbrush, packed and sent to their new owner. When we asked why only iPhone, at Swappie they answered us that the reason is because they are more easily repairable and have greater durability, a six-year-old iPhone can be a totally viable terminal for anyone. This has reached such a point that there are terminals that go through the Swappie circuit twice, that is, they are sold, and return to Swappie looking for a third owner. Obviously many buyers buy the phone in Swappie because they save a lot of money compared to a new terminal, but there are others, and this is becoming more and more relevant, who are aware of the circular economy and sustainability, a new phone has a footprint 78 kilos of carbon we save the planet every time we put a used phone back into circulation. The favorites of the Spanish The CEO of Swappie, Sami Marttinen, knows that everything depends on trust, the customer has to know that he is not in danger with a refurbished phone, and it is a fear that is not easy to overcome, that is why they put So many quality checks. Swappie has only grown, it has gone from 400 employees in 2020 in the middle of the pandemic to 1,200 in 2022, its current plan is to continue expanding and reach new markets in Europe. MORE INFORMATION news They don’t create virtual reality glasses that will kill you if you lose in a video game news No mobile ‘renting’: advantages and disadvantages of renting an iPhone instead of buying it They arrived in our country in 2021, together with the Czech Republic and Poland. According to Fanny Nyman, Swappie’s head of operations for Spain, each market is different, while in northern Europe sustainability is the main motivation for buying second-hand, in the south it is a more accessible entry point for iPhone, although distrust in refurbished ones is high. That is why the struggle is to convince the Spanish of the quality of their iPhone. The favorites of the Spanish are the iPhone 8 and 11, but also the iPhone 7 as the first phone for children.