Russians are crazy about used iPhones. Have you bought yourself one?

In the first quarter of 2022, free classifieds sites record an unprecedented influx of users who want to buy a used smartphone. It is reported by Kommersant with reference to representatives of the platforms.

Since the beginning of 2022, sales of handheld smartphones have increased by 16% compared to the same period last year, according to the source. Basically, people are looking for devices on three sites with ads – Avito and Yula, as well as on VKontakte Ads. At the same time, most Russians want to buy an iPhone, a little less often Samsung smartphones, and even less often Xiaomi. These three brands account for as much as 82% of all sales at Avito. As for Yula, the number of ads for the sale of smartphones increased by as much as 30% from January to March.

According to Avito’s analytical calculations, the average purchase price of a smartphone on the secondary market is about 20,500 rubles. Russians spend significantly more on iPhones – an average of 28,300 rubles.

It is worth noting that now the prices for Apple equipment in retail, if not returned to February levels, then seriously approached them. This was facilitated by the strengthening of the ruble. However, Apple is still not resuming the supply of new devices, so we can soon expect a new price increase for what is still on the market. A study by the Mobile Research Group confirms this.

Experts predict another worrying prospect – an increase in the number of fraudulent activities in the sale of smartphones “from hand”. In Russia, the system for checking used devices is not developed, there are practically no specialized paid laboratories, and in fact, a device can be checked only at trade-in points or in bona fide buying networks. In this regard, in the near future, the number of schemes for the sale of faulty or blocked smartphones by unscrupulous sellers may increase.