Refurbished mobile phones flying off shelves in pandemic

Delayed availability of new handsets and laptops due to supply-chain constraints and lower disposable cash due to the pandemic have pushed local demand for refurbished phones to new highs, with market trackers estimating the sales of such devices to roughly double in 2021, compared with 2019.

Jayant Jha, CEO of web marketplace Yaantra, told ET that refurbished phones in the ₹4,000-6,000 bracket get “stocked out in less than 30 minutes”. “Refurbished smartphone surge is higher than laptops and over the last one year, dependence on the handsets has grown manifold. We aim to reach 750 towns/cities in the next 12-18 months from 450 now,” said Jha, who heads the online platform that repairs and sells handsets.

Refurbished smartphones are handsets owned by someone else and then have been restored and sold in a working condition by a reseller. Like a new phone, these also come with warranty and payment options.


While the pandemic has propelled sales of smartphones with students and India Inc depending on handsets like never before, logistics issues like closure of ports and chipset shortages are leading many customers to buy refurbished phones rather than wait for a new launch of devices or even a costlier laptop.

Research firm IDC said that consumers are now not opting for a ₹30,000-worth laptop or ₹10,000-15,000 priced tablet. As per IDC estimates, compared with 20-30 million refurbished mobiles sold in 2019, around 40-48 million units are likely to be sold in 2021.