Consumers Trade Up for AI: Assurant Reports Record $1.59 Billion Returned in Third Quarter Through Mobile Trade-In Programs
46 Percent Growth Year-Over-Year Driven by Accelerated Adoption of AI-Enabled Devices and Expansion of the Secondary Market
The record growth in value and the decline in average device age supports Assurant’s earlier forecast that consumers would accelerate adoption of newly released smartphones with personalized, functional AI capabilities. With major carriers reporting increased global shipments of flagship devices in the third quarter, newer, high-value devices are entering the trade-in ecosystem, advancing growth in the secondary market.
“This year is shaping up to break records for total value returned to consumers through trade-in programs,” said
Year-to-date, trade-in programs have returned a total of
Additional Q3 Highlights:
- 5G devices dominate: For the fifth straight quarter, Apple’s iPhone 13 and Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G were the brands’ most frequently turned-in devices from trade-in and upgrade programs. For the first time, all top-five models were 5G-enabled devices.
- Shift toward newer models: All top-five trade-ins came from the iPhone 13 and 14 generations for the first time, replacing older models like the iPhone 11 and 12, which had ranked in the top five since 2021 and 2022, respectively.
- Circular economy impact: As more advanced 5G devices with better processors, cameras, and batteries enter the secondary market, higher-value inventory is fueling growth of the circular device ecosystem.
The Assurant Mobile Trade-In and Upgrade Industry Trends Report provides insights into the state of the secondary device market, including trends that are delivering record value to consumers, according to Assurant and industry data. The full Q3 2025 report is available for download here.
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About Assurant
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Media Contact:
Louis Masses
Director,
Louis.masses@assurant.com
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