These Are the Top Reasons Why 70% Americans Don’t Sell Their Older iPhones

A recent CNET Phone Resale Value Survey conducted in 2024 reveals that most smartphone owners are hesitant to part with their unused devices. The survey found a few big hurdles stopping people from getting into the used smartphone market.

The main reason is money—33% of people say reselling just isn’t worth the hassle. Privacy concerns ranked as the second most significant factor, with 31% of participants expressing worry about their private data remaining on devices.

The survey identified several other reasons:

• 26% of respondents worry about the data removal process
• 21% don’t know where to resell their devices
• 19% report having damaged or non-functioning phones
• 16% are unaware of smartphone resale opportunities
• 14% find the process too complicated
• 11% believe their phones aren’t durable enough for resale
• 2% identify as phone collectors

Not wanting to resell has a big impact on the environment. A 2024 UN report says 62 million metric tons of phones and devices were tossed in one year, and that could jump 33% by 2030.

Manufacturers are stepping up the privacy game with new features. Android 15 now has stronger factory reset protection, and iOS 18 brings FaceID app locks and other privacy perks as your phone will automatically restart if it stays inactive for more than 73 hours, triggering a “Before First Unlock” (BFU) state.

Despite these improvements, consumer hesitation persists, with approximately 70% of American smartphone owners never having sold or traded in their unused devices.