Mobile customers continue to hold onto devices longer as they look to manage device cost and extend product value, according to Assurant’s Q2 Mobile Trade-In and Upgrade Industry Trends Report.
The overall trade-in market returned $1.43 billion to US consumers through trade-ins and buybacks. That’s up 7% from the $1.34 billion returned in Q2 2025 but down from the $1.63 billion consumers got in the first quarter of this year.
The Georgia-based device protection and services company found customers are using their devices longer. The average age of a traded-in device last quarter was 3.96 years, up slightly from the previous quarter. The iPhone crossed the four-year threshold for the first time, with the average iPhone age hitting 4.03 years, up from 3.68 years in Q1.
A number of factors could account for that, including financial pressures and building anticipation for an expected flip iPhone later this year, which may compel some Apple fans to hold out for that model. Customers may also look to maximize trade-in value, company leadership said.
“Consumers are getting more life out of their smartphones than ever before, but trade-in timing matters,” said Biju Nair, executive vice president and president of global connected living at Assurant. “As component costs continue to put pressure on new device prices, trade-in programs play an increasingly important role in helping consumers offset upgrade costs.”
Customers clinging to devices longer may have played a role in trade-in values increasing. Assurant found iPhone trade-in values climbed 11% quarter to quarter, while Android values went up 3%. Values also remained high for newer-generation wearables such as the Apple Watch Ultra 3 (average trade-in value $341) and the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Classic ($230).
This upswing could help consumers cash in. Overall, iPhones retain about half their value after a year, according to SellCell, while other models lose about half their value within a year. So fewer trade-ins and higher prices could help customers offset the cost of a new device when they decide to exchange; new phone prices have climbed by around 20% this year.
The $3.06 billion returned to consumers through half the year has 2026 about on pace to match 2025, when Assurant reported a record $6.4 billion went back to customers. Company leadership expects numbers to remain high into 2027, as shortages in DRAM and other components will force OEMs to keep the prices for new devices high.
“Strong demand for high-quality refurbished smartphones continues to support healthy trade-in values and a robust secondary market,” said Emily Herbert, senior analyst at Counterpoint Research, which helped with the report. “Trade-ins have become an increasingly important part of the smartphone ecosystem, making newer devices more affordable for consumers while supplying the inventory needed to support the refurbished market.”
The used-device market is expected to continue growing. Mordor Intelligence predicts the number of shipments, which was 315 million in 2025, will hit 430 million by 2030.
Apple’s iPhone 13 was the most turned-in device, Assurant found, while the Galaxy S23 Ultra was tops among Android devices.
