"Trade in three old phones for an iPhone" goes viral, reporter investigates the truth

Recently, the market for recycling old mobile phones has been booming, with prices continuously rising. The topic of “three old phones can be exchanged for one iPhone” briefly trended on social media. Some merchants even claimed that the recycling price for broken phones that were previously worth only a few dozen yuan has now surged to several hundred yuan. Do old mobile phones really hold such high value? Is this price increase a common phenomenon, and what factors are driving it?

Not All Categories Are Rising; Significant Differences Exist in Price Increases

On social media platforms, some merchants have posted videos claiming that some broken phones are in terrible condition, with recycling prices that used to be 10 or 20 yuan now rising to around 500 yuan. As long as the motherboard inside the phone is not broken, these damaged phones can be exchanged, with three to five broken phones directly trading for one iPhone.

Old mobile phones have transformed into hot commodities. Currently, recycling professionals on social media platforms have begun to use this as a selling point and post promotions. A reporter’s field visit revealed that the current increase in recycling prices for old mobile phones is not a universal trend across all categories; there are significant differences in price increases based on brand, model, and configuration.

The reporter visited multiple official second-hand platform recycling points in Beijing and found that the recycling market for old mobile phones is not experiencing a general price hike. One staff member stated that the so-called price increase mainly targets certain older phones’ CPU chips. Another recycling platform’s staff member also confirmed that the system pricing has not fluctuated significantly, and there is a discrepancy between the high recycling prices circulating online and the actual recycling prices.

There Is Some Improvement in Mobile Phone Recycling Recently, but the Extent Is Limited

While the official recycling platform’s prices have not been significantly affected, what about individual merchants’ recycling of phones? One merchant told reporters that the recycling of old mobile phones has indeed seen some improvement recently, but the extent of change is limited.

In the price list provided by the merchant, the largest increase for one model went from 70 yuan to 170 yuan, while the majority of models saw an increase of around 40 to 50 yuan.

Digital product reviewer Mr. Tan told reporters that the increase in recycling prices for old mobile phones is due to the overall upward trend in memory and chip prices, with some second-hand phone recyclers finding channels for selling storage and chips. Compared to Apple phones, Android phones have higher hardware compatibility and versatility, resulting in relatively larger price increases.

Digital economy scholar Liu Xingliang further analyzed that the increase in recycling prices is not just hype by merchants but the result of multiple factors, including changes in the global supply chain and market supply-demand imbalances. The core driving force is the shortage of storage chips triggered by the explosion of the AI industry.

Liu Xingliang: Traditional storage has been compressed, supply has tightened, and prices naturally rise. Old phones contain a large number of disassemblable storage chips, which suddenly turn old phones into “mines.” Now, recyclers look at the capacity of the memory and the model of the chips rather than whether the phone can be used; even if it won’t power on and the screen is broken, as long as the motherboard is intact, it has value. Essentially, the prices of components have been reassessed. The market has amplifying effects and emotional bubbles, which is why there are extreme claims like “three old phones can be exchanged for one iPhone.” There is indeed an increase, but it’s not so exaggerated; many high prices are only for specific models.

Liu Xingliang reminds ordinary citizens to first view the recycling prices of old mobile phones rationally and not to blindly follow trends. The claims circulating online that “all old phones can skyrocket” or “easily turn into thousands of yuan” are unrealistic, so do not hold overly high expectations. Secondly, choose legitimate recycling channels while ensuring personal privacy and security.

(Source: China Central Radio and Television Station)

(Source: Great Wall Network)