Refurbished Phones And Laptops Are Heading For Their Best Year Ever As Memory Prices Push New Devices Out Of Reach

Something is shifting in how Indian consumers buy electronics and it has everything to do with what is happening to new device prices. Industry analysts now expect 2026 to be a breakout year for India’s certified pre-owned electronics market, as the memory chip crisis triggered by AI infrastructure buildout pushes the cost of new smartphones and laptops to levels that an increasingly large share of the market cannot justify.

Prices of smartphones across 21 brands rose between 8% and 12% on average between January and May 2026, according to a joint study by Trakin Tech and Techarc. On the laptop side, RAM prices have already risen roughly 2.5 to 3 times from their 2024 levels, with laptop prices expected to climb by up to 35% through 2026 as a result. Entry-level laptops that previously sold in the ₹30,000 to ₹35,000 range are already moving closer to ₹45,000 pushing budget-conscious buyers including students, home users, and first-time buyers out of the new device market entirely.

“India’s refurbished electronics market is experiencing a quiet but significant shift. As prices climb across devices, driven by global memory cost inflation, a growing segment of Indian consumers is beginning to view refurbished devices not as a workaround but as a deliberate choice.”~Business Standard

Apple Is The Biggest Winner, Refurbished iPhones And MacBooks Surge:

The organised refurbished smartphone market in India is projected to grow by approximately 12% in 2026, even as shipments of new smartphones are expected to decline. The overall used and refurbished smartphone market in India is forecast to reach approximately $10 billion by the end of the year. Globally, the refurbished electronics market is expected to nearly double from $68.24 billion in 2026 to $136.40 billion by 2033, with Asia Pacific identified as one of the fastest-growing regions.

Apple is expected to be one of the biggest commercial beneficiaries of this shift. Refurbished iPhones and MacBooks are witnessing particularly strong demand as consumers seek premium brand experiences without absorbing the full cost of new flagship pricing. The logic is compelling: a certified pre-owned iPhone 16 available for ₹45,000 looks significantly more attractive when the new iPhone 17 is priced at ₹80,000 or above.

A Techarc survey of 5,958 active smartphone buyers found that 54% of intended festive season demand may not convert into purchases if prices continue to rise at the current pace — a finding that underlines just how much pricing headroom the new device market has consumed in the first half of 2026.

“RAM prices have surged 2.5x to 3x in 2026. New smartphone prices are up 8-12%, laptops up to 35%. Result: India’s refurbished device market set for its best year ever. Certified pre-owned is no longer a compromise — it is a strategy.”~Cashify

32-Point Quality Checks And Grade Certification: How Trust Is Being Built?

The refurbished market’s ability to absorb this demand surge depends on whether it can maintain the trust of first-time pre-owned buyers who are switching because of price, not necessarily because they are already committed to the category. Platforms that once operated in a largely unregulated grey market have been building standardised processes over the past several years to close the trust gap with new devices.

Mandeep Manocha, Co-founder and CEO of Cashify, told Business Standard that every device on the platform goes through a 32-point quality inspection covering display, battery, cameras, speakers, microphones, sensors, and build quality before being listed for sale. A clear grading system typically running from Grade A (near-new) through to Grade C (visible wear, fully functional) allows buyers to make informed choices about the condition and price trade-off they are comfortable with.

Although smartphones continue to be the key volume driver, platforms are rapidly expanding into refurbished laptops, cameras, wearables, and gaming consoles, broadening their appeal beyond the smartphone upgrade cycle to any category where new device prices rise faster than consumer income.

“Laptop prices in India could rise by up to 35% through 2026 as RAM prices surge 2.5-3x due to AI infrastructure demand. Entry-level laptops that sold at Rs 30,000-35,000 are already moving to Rs 45,000. Refurbished is the new smart buy.”~91mobiles

No Relief Until 2027: What Buyers Should Know Before Waiting?

For consumers hoping the price environment will improve before making a purchase, the outlook offers little comfort. IDC expects DRAM and NAND supply growth in 2026 to come in well below historical norms at 16% and 17% year-on-year respectively as chipmakers continue to prioritise the high-margin server memory demanded by AI infrastructure projects over consumer-grade modules. Prices could continue rising for the next six to seven quarters and may not ease until the second half of 2027.

The root cause, which is the widespread development of AI infrastructure by corporations like Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Amazon using up memory supplies that would otherwise go to consumer devices, is not a transient disturbance. It represents a structural reallocation of worldwide memory production capacity that will require years to achieve equilibrium. Platforms are currently rushing to establish supply chains and customer trust in order to seize this multi-year opportunity for the reconditioned market, which is not simply a 2026 momentum.