Apple’s latest price increases across its iPhone lineup could push some Indian buyers towards refurbished devices, boosting demand for older premium models. For India’s smartphone buyers, the latest iPhone launch has changed the price of more than just the newest iPhone. Apple has raised prices across its lineup, including existing models such as the iPhone 17, iPhone 17e, iPhone Air and iPhone 16. That leaves consumers with fewer lower-priced options within Apple’s current range.
Refurbished smartphone platforms are already expecting more activity around older iPhones following the latest launch. Cashify expects the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 to see stronger supply as consumers upgrade, while ControlZ expects the iPhone 13, iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 to see the biggest increase in trade-ins. Higher buyback values could also encourage more consumers to sell their existing phones rather than keep them as secondary devices.
That makes the latest iPhone launch an important test for India’s refurbished market. If new iPhones become more expensive, more buyers could look at older premium models in the secondary market. But the extent of that shift will depend on how many devices enter the market and what happens to their prices.
What exactly is the secondary smartphone market?
The secondary smartphone market is the broader market for phones that have already been sold once and are being sold again. It includes direct peer-to-peer sales, local retailers, informal second-hand dealers and organised refurbishers.
A used phone and a refurbished phone are therefore not necessarily the same thing.
In a peer-to-peer transaction, a buyer may purchase a phone in its existing condition. An informal retailer may inspect and resell it, but the extent of testing or repair can vary. An organised refurbisher typically puts the device through a defined process of inspection, testing, repair where required, grading and, in many cases, warranty support.
The distinction matters because “second-hand” describes the ownership history of the phone, while “refurbished” describes what happens to the device before it is resold.
Faisal Kawoosa, chief analyst at Techarc, said refurbished smartphones still account for less than 20 per cent of total second-hand smartphone sales in India. With consumers increasingly considering premium devices in this market, he said there is a greater need for assurance around device performance and ownership history. Buyers also need to know that a phone is not stolen or has not previously been involved in a crime. Kawoosa pointed to the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) as useful in this regard.
Why Apple’s price increases could push buyers towards refurbished phones
The important change this year is that Apple has raised prices across its lineup rather than only making the newest Pro models more expensive.
For consumers who were considering a new iPhone but were already looking below the flagship models, the higher prices of the iPhone 17, iPhone 17e, iPhone Air and iPhone 16 change the calculation. There are now fewer ways to buy a new iPhone at a lower price within Apple’s current lineup.
That could push some consumers towards the secondary market.
Kawoosa said the iPhone’s aspirational value remains strong, but the price increase could put it out of reach for some potential buyers. “They will now look for iPhones in the second-hand market,” he said.
His June research found that 7 per cent of respondents considering buying a smartphone this festive season said they would opt for a second-hand device if prices continued to rise. Since then, Kawoosa said, prices have increased further. He expects the second-hand smartphone market to grow another 5 per cent in volume.
Where will the refurbished phones come from?
A rise in demand for refurbished smartphones needs a corresponding supply of used devices. Those phones have to come from consumers selling or exchanging their existing devices.
India’s smartphone replacement cycle could limit that supply. Navkendar Singh, associate vice-president at International Data Corporation (IDC) India, said the replacement cycle is now around four years or more. IDC expects India’s smartphone market to decline from about 152 million units in 2025 to around 125 million this year.
If people are keeping their smartphones for longer and fewer new phones are being sold, fewer devices will naturally reach the secondary market.
“If they’re not buying, where are they selling?” Singh said.
Singh, therefore, does not expect the latest iPhone launch to create a larger supply shock in the refurbished market than previous launches. Higher prices could make some buyers postpone upgrades, keeping those devices with their existing owners for longer.
There is a counter-effect, however. Consumers who do upgrade will have more reason to extract value from their existing phones, particularly when the new device they are buying has become more expensive.
Nakul Kumar, co-founder of Cashify, expects trade-ins to play a more central role in this process. He said the resale value of an older iPhone could become an important part of the upgrade budget, while exchange bonuses, instant buybacks and financing could help bridge the gap between purchase intent and the actual cost of upgrading.
Which iPhones could see more supply?
Kumar expects the strongest increase in supply to come from the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 series. These are among the devices most likely to be held by consumers due for an upgrade while still having enough resale value to make a trade-in financially attractive.
The iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 are also expected to contribute significant volumes because of their large installed base in India. Kumar said the iPhone 13 was both the most-bought refurbished iPhone and the most-traded-in model on Cashify in 2025.
ControlZ expects the iPhone 13, iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 to see the biggest increase in supply.
It expects “trade-in volumes for these three models to rise meaningfully, likely a double-digit percentage increase, over the first couple of months after the new lineup goes on sale”.
More supply does not necessarily mean lower refurbished prices
More devices entering the market would normally put downward pressure on prices. Both Cashify and ControlZ, however, expect demand to absorb much of the additional supply.
ControlZ expects refurbished iPhone prices in the Rs 30,000-45,000 range to increase by 10-15 per cent following the launch. The company expects higher buyback prices to bring more devices into the organised channel, while stronger demand absorbs the inventory.
“Higher buyback prices are the single biggest driver of organised-channel selling in India,” ControlZ said.
The company does not expect a significant price drop because supply and demand are likely to increase together.
Kumar expects prices to adjust more gradually. More trade-ins could bring prices down, but higher new-iPhone prices could encourage more buyers to consider refurbished devices and limit the correction. He expects prices to soften gradually over the next two to three quarters rather than fall sharply across all four generations.
The Rs 20,000-45,000 segment could get newer
Kumar expects Rs 20,000-45,000 to remain the core price range for refurbished iPhones in the near term, but the models occupying that range could change.
The iPhone 13 has been an important model in this segment. It accounted for 6.93 per cent of buybacks on Cashify but 15.5 per cent of refurbished demand in 2025, according to Kumar.
Kumar expects the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 to increasingly occupy a similar position over the next two to three quarters as more supply enters the market. The iPhone 16 is expected to remain in the premium bracket for longer.
ControlZ expects Rs 40,000 to become the sweet spot for refurbished iPhones after the launch. It expects the iPhone 16 to retain its price relatively well initially, while the iPhone 13 could see the “steepest cushioning of price” as more units become available.
Why trust will matter more
As refurbished phones move into higher price bands, buyers are likely to demand more assurance about what they are purchasing.
Kawoosa said premium second-hand smartphones can cost Rs 30,000-35,000 or more. At those prices, consumers want assurance about device performance and whether the phone has been stolen or previously misused. This is where organised refurbishers can have an advantage.
Manufacturer-backed refurbishment could add another layer of trust.
Samsung has brought current-generation Galaxy S26 devices into its Renewed programme in India. Singh said manufacturer-backed refurbishment is important and consumers have greater confidence when the original brand is involved.
“Manufacturer-backed refurbishment is obviously important,” Singh said.
Kawoosa said both manufacturer-backed programmes and third-party refurbishers have a role. Brands have a wider network, while customers can also have greater confidence that replacement parts used during refurbishment are original.
Samsung’s move could also put pressure on Apple to consider a similar approach in India, Singh said.
Organised refurbishing will not replace India’s informal market
Even if demand for refurbished smartphones rises, organised refurbishers will continue to operate alongside offline retailers, informal dealers and peer-to-peer transactions.
Singh said peer-to-peer sales and offline retailers remain significant contributors to the secondary market, particularly for Apple and some premium Android devices.
Kawoosa also expects trade-ins to remain relatively small in India. He said users are more likely to exchange their phones at trusted local retailers if they believe they can get better value there.
Parallel-market imports could also absorb some demand. Kawoosa said new smartphones imported from markets such as Hong Kong and sold below the official maximum retail price (MRP) could appeal to consumers who want a new device without paying the official price.
A bigger role for refurbished smartphones
Apple’s latest pricing could give India’s secondary smartphone market a stronger role in the upgrade cycle, but the extent of that shift will depend on both demand and supply.
The price increase across Apple’s existing lineup means consumers are no longer looking at a cheaper new iPhone in the same way as before. Some may decide that a used or refurbished device offers a better balance between price and the features they want.
At the same time, India’s longer replacement cycle means there may not be enough new supply of used phones to satisfy every potential buyer. That could keep prices for desirable refurbished iPhones relatively firm even if demand increases.
The market could consequently grow without becoming dramatically cheaper. The more important change may be that refurbished smartphones become a more deliberate choice for consumers who want a premium device but find the price of buying new increasingly difficult to justify.
