ABOUT ECOLOGY, THE RIGHT-TO-REPAIR AND REFURBISHED MOBILES
I think it goes without saying that we are in favor of the reparation. This is marked not only by our way of life and our profession, but also by the environment (and the economy). When we talk about refurbished phones the truth is that we are fans. As technicians we know the incredible feeling when finishing a job and the mobile is like new, and nothing is better than if it can leaves us a profit in between. According to IDC, the market for refurbished phones is expected to grow by 13% annually until 2024 globally. There is a clear pattern, where people no longer want to buy new mobiles and opt for cheaper options (which are considered just as good). There is a favorable outlook for the industry, where people tend to repair and recycle a lot. Nobody wants to pay +/- € 1000 for a new mobile phone anymore, when there’s more options on the market. And the truth is that the fault is not only the economy and the recession due to COVID-19. Technology, although it has advanced by leaps and bounds in certain aspects, in terms of mobile phones it has become a bit stagnant. And, if we compare a mobile phone from 2021 with one from 2019, in usability, user experience and memory they are very similar. People realize these similarities, and luckily for us, it is no longer considered “cool” to have the phone of the year. "As long as it helps me to make calls, send WhatsApps and take an occasional 'decent' photo, I don't care if the cell phone is from 1999," Jorge says, laughing. Lara, a 19-year-old university student, tells us: “The truth is that I always break my cell phones because I am very careless. I always drop them and end up with a broken screen. Look, I bought this 2 months ago… ” showing us her mobile phone (almost brand new) with a big break in the screen. “Imagine if I bought a mobile of the year. It is not only what the device costs me, but also the repair ”. Overall, the refurbished cell phone industry looks set to continue to grow long. And experience tells us that the most used brand for this purpose is usually the iPhone. In the stores that sell them, for example one of our clients from Barcelona, Alexphone, we can find all models, from iPhone 5 to 12. We invite you to visit their website where you can be inspired and who knows? Maybe and you even go out with a new mobile. As we said at the beginning, we are fans of repair and refurbishment, so go for it! The more of us who change our minds, the bigger our industry will become (and I say ours, because it belongs to all of us: Technicians, suppliers, clients, etc). Also, I think it goes without saying, how happy we make the planet with less pollution.
