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Samsung will soon sell used flagship phones at deep discounts

Published Aug 22nd, 2016 8:55AM EDT
Samsung Refurbished Smartphone Sales
Image: Zach Epstein, BGR

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For a leading smartphone company like Samsung, the only thing better than getting a customer to purchase a flagship smartphone is getting two different customers to purchase the same flagship smartphone.

As Samsung seeks new ways to boost earnings as the high-end smartphone market becomes a far less reliable source of growth, a new report sheds light on one of the new programs the company plans to implement. Smartphone buyers in the US and other markets continue to flock to newer installment plan options that let them make low monthly payments and trade in their phones each year for new models. Now, it appears as though Samsung is getting ready to launch a new program that will see it refurbish and sell all those used phones.

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Reuters reporters Se Young Lee and Miyoung Kim stated in a new report on Monday that Samsung will launch a new program as soon as next year that will see Samsung resell used premium smartphones that have been traded in as part of the company’s upgrade program.

“The South Korean technology firm is looking for ways to sustain earnings momentum after reviving its mobile profits by restructuring its product line-up,” the report said. “As growth in the global smartphone market hits a plateau, Samsung wants to maximize its cost efficiency and keep operating margins above 10 percent.”

The report cites just a single anonymous source at Samsung, but Reuters obviously has a solid track record. Details are scarce, however — the reporters couldn’t determine what type of discounts Samsung plans to offer or even in which markets the refurbished phone program might become available.

Samsung’s plan to sell refurbished flagship phones seems like an obvious move, but the report does note that there is a risk involved. If smartphone shoppers have the option of purchasing used phones under warranty directly from Samsung at deep discounts, it could cannibalize sales of new smartphone models to an extent.

Zach Epstein
Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 10 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.