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Samsung Plans To Sell Refurbished High-End Smartphones In 2017 (reuters.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the take-one-down-and-pass-it-around dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd plans to launch a program to sell refurbished used versions of its premium smartphones as early as next year, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The world's top smartphone maker will refurbish high-end phones returned to the company by users who signed up for one-year upgrade programs in markets such as South Korea and the United States. Samsung would then re-sell these phones at a lower price, the person said, declining to be identified as the plan was not yet public. The person declined to say how big a discount the refurbished phones would be sold at, which markets the phones would be sold in or how many refurbished devices Samsung could sell. It was not clear to what extent the phones would be altered, but refurbished phones typically are fitted with parts such as a new casing or battery. Refurbished phones could help vendors such as Samsung boost their presence in emerging markets such as India, where high-end devices costing $800 or so are beyond most buyers. Samsung's refurbishment program, details of which the person said could be finalized as early as 2017, could help the firm generate revenue from dated high-end smartphones returned by users upgrading to newer versions.

4 of 84 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Obviously. . . by Salgak1 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Duly noted. We're still using S3s, which we bought refurbished for 89.95. . . . Still see little point in paying the Bleeding Edge Tax. . .

  2. Re:Really? by Teun · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Spot on, this could/should mean they'll offer OS updates for a couple of years more.

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    "The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
  3. Gee, I wonder.... by jenningsthecat · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Will Samsung 'update' the software in the refurbished phones so they can push ads to them, the way they did with their 'smart' TV's?

    --
    'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
  4. You know I could get in to something like this by Sycraft-fu · · Score: 3, Interesting

    But only if they'd start releasing OS updates for their older hardware. Given that Samsung drops support after just 18 months, I don't think I'd want to buy a refurb since it is going to get updates for, at most 6 more months. If I am going to get something with no updates, I'd want it for actual used market prices, which is to say really cheap.