When a consumer no longer intends to use their purchased mobile phone and passes it on to a friend or relative, or deposits it in a recognised take-back scheme, the mobile phone is referred to as a ‘used phone’. Today, across the world people are adapting to a new approach which is becoming quite popular with the general public that is mobile device trade-in. This new concept is still at an initial stage in some countries but rapidly growing in some communities. Many people see the advantage of this scheme and usually use it. Many phone companies today use mobile phones trade in for cash. If consumers want to sell their phone, now not only they can sell online but also have their mobile phones trade in for cash. Once these phones traded business may take the used phones and reuse it or break it down to pieces and use it.
Most reused mobile phones are sent to developing countries. While reusing mobile phones seems to be the most environmentally friendly way to lengthen their lifecycle, there is a concern over the disposal of mobile phones in developing countries. One issue is the risk of phones being discarded in countries that lack the necessary recycling infrastructure for end-of-life electronic equipment. Having a mobile phone you no longer use but you’re just holding on it because what if you, your family member or a friend might need a spare, if the new and present mobile phone crashes. It may seem as a good idea. But the quicker you sell it or give it away the longer reuse life span period it has. The price of a used phone will vary significantly, depending upon the model type, its age and appearance.
Some companies, who use these trade-in techniques, send the mobile phones to developing countries, so the people there can benefit from it. The advantage of giving away old mobile phones helps you in three ways. It helps empty and clears all the old devices at home, it can help, benefit and make some person life easy and you won’t feel responsible for throwing away the phone to waste or polluting the environment. Some mobile companies not only use trade in but also an exchange and trade-in approach. This is where the consumer hands over the used mobile phone to purchase a new model mobile phone; here the customer does not pay the full amount of the new mobile phone rather only a balance amount, because a used mobile phone is trade in for the other balance amount.