Video exposes what really happens to your old iPhone when you trade it in
What actually happens between trade-in and refurbishment?
A video has exposed behind the scenes of what really happens to your old iPhone after you trade it in.
When you upgrade to your iPhone to the latest and greatest model, you probably don't think much about where your old device ends up. In 2022 alone, 73.5 million used and refurbished phones were shipped throughout North America.
But the journey of a second-hand phone is more interesting than you'd expect, especially when it comes to where Apple iPhones go after being traded in.
In a new video, The Wall Street Journal investigated the afterlife of traded-in phones.
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When they asked major carriers like T-Mobile and Verizon for details, they weren't very forthcoming and so the journalist visited a warehouse in New Jersey owned by US Mobile Phones (USMP).
This warehouse receives tens of thousands of iPhones from cellular carriers and Apple.
The journalist selected an iPhone 11 with 128GB to track through the entire process.
Data erasure
The first step is wiping the devices clean of previous customer data.
"We take the phones, we start connecting them [...] to these computers that are all running special software to remove any potential customer information from the devices," a worker at the warehouse explained.
Testing and cleaning
Next, the phone undergoes extensive testing to check everything from the screen, buttons and camera, to the speaker, flash, digitiser and wireless capabilities works properly.
Then comes the cleaning phase, where the staff use microfibre cloths, sponges and hand sanitiser to thoroughly clean the device.
Grading
This process involves someone 'looking over the device and assigning it a grade, so they know how to price it.'
The staff inspect the front and back glass, the device housing, and check for any scratches or damage. Any damages would result in a lower grade and reduce the price point of the smartphone.
Kitting
The final stage involves placing the device in a 'kitting box' ready for the customer. Here, the phone is packed with a charging cable and wrapped in protective packaging to prevent damage during shipping.
USMP has a sister company called 'Back in the Box' that sells refurbished phones directly to consumers on sites like Amazon and Back Market, the WSJ reported.
According to the company, they price refurbished phones about '20-30% below retail price,' leaving room for a '10-15% profit' margin.
For the journalist's iPhone 11, Back in the Box purchased the phone from a carrier for $250, and after refurbishment, listed it on Back Market for $350.