European Used & Refurbished Smartphone Price Index 2026
We track consumer prices — what platforms charge to sell and what they pay to acquire — updated monthly.
Three indexes for the European secondary market
Staying competitive in the European secondary smartphone market requires knowing how prices are moving — not just what today's listings show. Every month, we collect and analyse consumer listing prices (VAT included) from 30+ platforms across key European markets.
Three indexes, three pages. The Resale Price Index tracks what platforms charge to sell Grade B used smartphones. The Buyback Price Index tracks what platforms pay when buying them. The Resale–Buyback Spread is the difference between those two indexes — it shows how the gap between resale and buyback prices is contracting or expanding relative to January 2026, not the absolute margin per device. Together, they tell you whether it is getting easier or harder to buy and sell used smartphones in Europe.
Spread over time
Resale vs Buyback: January 2026 = 100
Hover to compare months
Grade B (good working condition, light signs of use) · Same 10 phones tracked every month: iPhone 12 256GB, iPhone 13 256GB, iPhone 14 256GB, iPhone 15 256GB, iPhone 16 256GB, Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 128GB, Samsung Galaxy S22 128GB, Samsung Galaxy S23 128GB, Samsung Galaxy S24 128GB, Samsung Galaxy A54 128GB · 30+ platforms · January 2026 is the starting point (= 100) · Read the full methodology
Resale Price Index
What the market charges to sell
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Buyback Price Index
What platforms pay to acquire
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Monthly snapshot
Resale–Buyback Spread
May 2026
Resale prices were nearly flat (-1.0 points) — the smallest monthly drop since the series began and the clearest sign of stabilisation. Buyback offers continued their recovery (+1.3 points) across all three markets. Resale is down 10.3% from January; buyback offers are down 7.9%, meaning buyback has held up better in relative terms.
Operator recommendations
- The resale index (89.7) has fallen further than the buyback index (92.1) since January — resale prices are down 10.3% while buyback offers are down 7.9%. Both indexes started at 100; the spread (-2.4 points) shows how their relative trajectories have diverged, not the absolute platform margin.
- April saw a sharp buyback reset (the second-largest monthly drop in the series), driven by aggressive repricing from CompaRecycle in France — particularly on older Samsung models. Germany and Italy buyback platforms were broadly stable in April.
- May was the smallest monthly resale decline since the series began — a first deceleration signal. Whether this marks a genuine floor will become clearer in June.
Apr 2026
Resale prices continued their gradual decline (-1.3 points). Buyback offers fell sharply (-4.2 points), the second-largest monthly drop in the series, driven by steep CompaRecycle FR cuts on older Samsung models. Germany and Italy buyback offers were broadly stable.
Mar 2026
Both indexes kept falling but at a slower pace than February. Resale fell 2.3 points, buyback 1.6 points. The sharp post-holiday repricing appears to have run its course. No independent France resale data was available in March.
Feb 2026
The sharpest drops of the series — resale fell 5.7 points, buyback 3.4 points — as post-holiday supply entered the market across all three countries. Amazon FR data (7 of 10 models) showed iPhone prices above the DE+IT average, partially cushioning the resale decline.
Jan 2026
Starting point. Both indexes begin at 100. Resale and buyback prices were in line at this point.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the RecommerceIQ European Used & Refurbished Smartphone Price Index?
It is a set of three monthly price trackers for the used smartphone market in Europe: the Resale Price Index (what platforms charge to sell Grade B devices), the Buyback Price Index (what platforms pay when buying them), and the Resale–Buyback Spread (the difference between those two indexes). All three are rebased to January 2026 = 100, so the spread shows how the gap between resale and buyback prices is changing relative to that starting point — not the absolute margin per device.
What is the resale–buyback spread and why does it matter?
The spread is the difference between the Resale Price Index and the Buyback Price Index — both rebased to January 2026 = 100. It does not show the actual margin per device. It shows how the gap between resale and buyback prices is evolving relative to January 2026: a widening spread means resale prices are falling faster than buyback offers (or rising faster), compressing or expanding the relative margin buffer. A narrowing spread means the two indexes are converging.
How often is the index updated?
Monthly. Each update adds one month to all three time series and includes market observations, commentary, and operator recommendations.
Which countries are covered?
France, Germany, and Italy — the three biggest markets for used and refurbished phones in Europe. Each country is given equal weight in the index.
Are prices consumer prices including VAT?
Yes. All prices tracked are consumer-facing listing prices and buyback offer prices as displayed on platforms, which include VAT. The index reflects what end consumers pay or receive, not trade or B2B prices.
What is Grade B condition?
Grade B — labelled "Good condition" by most European platforms — means the phone works fully but shows light signs of use: minor scratches or scuffs on the body or screen. It is the most widely bought and sold grade in Europe, which makes it the most useful price reference across platforms.
How it works
Methodology
How we calculate it
Each index tracks the typical price for the same 10 Grade B smartphones across 30+ monitored platforms in France, Germany, and Italy. Each country is weighted equally. We set January 2026 as the starting point (= 100) — a reading below 100 means prices have fallen since then, a reading above 100 means they have risen.
The 10 phones we track
iPhone 12 256GB, iPhone 13 256GB, iPhone 14 256GB, iPhone 15 256GB, iPhone 16 256GB, Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 128GB, Samsung Galaxy S22 128GB, Samsung Galaxy S23 128GB, Samsung Galaxy S24 128GB, Samsung Galaxy A54 128GB.
What Grade B means
Grade B — labelled "Good condition" on most platforms — means the phone works fully but shows light signs of use: minor scratches or scuffs. It is the most widely traded grade in Europe.
Countries covered
France, Germany, and Italy.
Where we look
We track prices across 30+ platforms, including marketplaces, direct-to-consumer shops, buyback tools, and recommerce specialists. Only publicly visible prices are used — we do not have access to actual transaction data.
The resale–buyback spread
The spread is the gap between the resale price index and the buyback price index. Because both indexes start at 100 in January 2026, the spread shows how the gap between resale and buyback prices is changing relative to that baseline — not the actual margin per device. When the spread widens, resale prices are falling faster than buyback offers (or rising faster), meaning the relative margin buffer is shifting. When it narrows, the two indexes are converging.
What this does not tell you
These indexes show listed and offered prices — not what devices actually sold for or how many changed hands.
How often it updates
Once a month. Each update adds one month to all three series.
Need the data behind the index?
The index shows market direction. RecommerceIQ gives you the full picture — price by model, grade, and country — updated daily.