If someone gives you their old Android phone, it won’t be because of love

What do Android and iPhone owners do with their old smartphones? | Image Credit – CIRP

CIRP, which previously reported that 33 percent of iPhone buyers retain their phones for three years or more and only 21 percent of Android owners stick to a new device for that long, has now revealed that even after a long ownership duration, Apple smartphones sell for more money than Android phones.

According to CIRP’s new survey, more iPhone than Android owners turn their used smartphones into money. 41 percent of iOS users trade in their old devices and fewer than 20 percent dispose of them ( recycle or donate them or end up breaking them or having them stolen).

In contrast, only 17 percent of Android users sell or trade in their old devices and 30 percent discard them.

A vast majority of Android owners – 53 percent – either pass their device down to a friend or family member or keep it as a backup. Only 40 percent of iPhone owners do the same.

CIRP concludes that there isn’t much to be gained from monetizing (selling or trading in) an Android phone, which is why most owners prefer other options. iPhones, on the other hand, can be sold at a much better price, even after years of use, which is why most of them don’t end up in the hands of a friend or family member.

So even though iPhone owners don’t upgrade their devices as frequently as Android users, they make money off them when they do. But hey, Android users strengthen bonds by gifting their old devices to loved ones.