price comparison
In recent months, demand for used equipment has climbed in Russia. End of March data show that used smartphone demand rose by 44%, while supply declined by 46%. The average price for used smartphones also increased by about 10%.
The emergence of major platforms such as MTS, Svyaznoy, Yandex.Market, and other large retailers offering secondhand devices expanded the supply. Yet, when comparing the cost of new devices to used ones, the price gap narrows considerably.
For instance, in the MTS online store a used Honor 50, a popular model in Russia, can be bought for 31.6 thousand rubles. In contrast, a new unit is listed at Beeline stores for around 35 thousand rubles. A critical caveat for buyers is that used smartphones typically come with a 90-day warranty, whereas new devices carry a one-year warranty.
With the Honor 50, the premium for a new device appears modest. The difference grows for higher-end models.
In the Svyaznoy online store, the new 256 GB Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra from the previous year is priced at 93 thousand rubles. Meanwhile, the average price for a used S21 Ultra on Avito is about 65 thousand rubles. That amount can secure a 512 GB version. For the same money, one can also find new gray-market 512 GB models, for example from the UAE.
There are hundreds of stores selling used gadgets on AliExpress. Some devices there cost roughly the same as on Avito; for example, a 512 GB Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra also averages around 65 thousand rubles.
However, a used Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 costs about 49 thousand rubles on AliExpress, 74 thousand rubles on Avito, and 76 thousand rubles on the Svyaznoy website. Meanwhile, new models available in TMall with Russian delivery run about 85 thousand rubles, with retail averages around 90 thousand rubles in Russia.
Used market issues
Market analyst Eldar Murtazin, chief at Mobile Research Group, noted in an interview with socialbites.ca that the main issue with used smartphones is the lack of long-term warranty and the risk of device failure.
“There are several challenges in selling used smartphones today. First, where do these phones come from? The swap program, once supported by manufacturers, offered buyers a discount when purchasing a new phone. There were several levels: the ‘buy’ price or the barter price subsidized by the manufacturer, ” the expert explained.
According to Murtazin, it is now difficult to acquire devices from the public under an exchange program because platforms like Avito allow sellers to command higher prices.
“Consider MTS, which purchases smartphones in foreign markets — these are not Rostest devices. And if you browse the ‘Used’ section on the MTS site, you’ll see that used smartphones can be quite expensive, sometimes approaching new prices. Moreover, such devices carry shorter warranties, and most importantly, when they fail, the user is left to deal with problems alone.”
additional appendices
Alexander Myasnikov, creator of the YouTube channel Polza NET, told socialbites.ca that buyers of used smartphones should anticipate additional costs.
“The first and foremost thing a buyer should understand is that a smartphone may require finalizing and repair. If you’re using Avito, you need to thoroughly inspect the device and warn the seller that it may take around half an hour,” he said.
A used smartphone can differ significantly from a new device. For instance, the battery may wear down, some components may deteriorate, and screen issues such as imperceptible “broken pixels” can appear. Dust can accumulate inside, potentially causing overheating and future malfunctions.
Therefore, purchasing a used smartphone often means budgeting for independent diagnostics and, possibly, repairs.
Myasnikov also cautions against buying from large networks like Yandex.Market, Svyaznoy, or MTS because major stores may not be as responsive in collecting feedback as individual sellers on Avito, where gadget resale is a business activity.
Alternative
Another option in the used market is refurbished devices — used units that have undergone checks and non-working parts replacement. These gadgets typically have the entire body rebuilt and may arrive with original accessories. Refurbished smartphones on AliExpress can be much cheaper than new ones, but they are often older models. For example, a Google Pixel 4 from 2019 might cost about 13 thousand rubles, while a used unit on Avito could be at least 20 thousand rubles.
“The best alternative to a used phone from China is a refurbished model,” says Myasnikov.
He explains that refurbished devices are generally more reliable than purely used ones because they use new parts and have been tested. Both options aim for stable device operation.
“If the goal is saving money, looking at newer models on a budget can be a smarter move. A new device offers a 100% working unit and a guarantee that refurbished or used devices cannot provide.”