This web page was created programmatically, to learn the article in its unique location you possibly can go to the hyperlink bellow: https://www.tbsnews.net/features/panorama/new-gadgets-grow-costlier-buyers-turn-pre-owned-market-1501676and if you wish to take away this text from our website please contact us [ad_1] As rising costs of recent devices pressure family budgets, Bangladesh’s second-hand market is booming. However, whereas it gives inexpensive entry to premium merchandise, it additionally forces consumers to compromise on high quality, reliability, and longevity 29 July, 2026, 08:30 pm Last modified: 30 July, 2026, 02:40 am The commonest pre-owned gadgets are iPhones and Samsung flagships. Photos: Mehedi Hasan"> The commonest pre-owned gadgets are iPhones and Samsung flagships. Photos: Mehedi Hasan At Bashundhara Shopping Complex, Rafique Ahmed was in search of a used iPhone 15. A scholar at Pabna University of Science and Technology, he had travelled from Pabna to Dhaka together with his father as a result of a brand new one was past the household's attain. "I am buying a pre-owned phone because it is half the price of a new phone, but the quality is almost the same," Rafique stated. His father, Abdus Sobhan, was much less enthusiastic however candid in regards to the economics of the acquisition. "We are a middle-class family, and my son has always wanted this phone. But we cannot afford a new one, so we are buying a pre-owned device," he stated. "I am not a fan of buying used things, especially gadgets, but our financial situation leaves us with little choice." Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel However, the selection comes with nervousness. Whether the standard is actually the identical as Rafique believes stays a query. "When buying second-hand, what I need the most is luck," Abdus Sobhan stated. "We are no experts. The phone could perform poorly and break down within a month or two, and there would be nothing we could do. There is no warranty or guarantee here." That trade-off between affordability and threat is driving a world market. According to Global Market Insights, the worldwide used-electronics market might attain about $153 billion this yr. As shortages of laptop reminiscence push up the costs of sport consoles, smartphones, and computer systems, second-hand gadgets have gotten more and more engaging to budget-conscious consumers. Bangladesh additionally displays that shift. Abdullah Al Mamun of Like Telecom in Bashundhara stated the store sells each new and used telephones. "We are one of the biggest sellers in the market. The second-hand phones we sell are mostly checked by our experts and then cleared for sale," he stated. "Sometimes second-hand phones do turn out to be faulty, but we provide customers with a 10-day replacement warranty. If anything goes wrong within those 10 days, we replace the phone." The commonest pre-owned gadgets, he stated, are iPhones and Samsung flagships. "Prices vary depending on their condition," Mamun stated. "If we have replaced the battery or the glass, the price is different. A phone with 95% battery health and a body in good condition is an excellent device and would retain 75–80% of its original value." Facebook has additionally remodeled the commerce. "We list all our pre-owned phones, as well as new ones, on Facebook Marketplace," Mamun stated. "It is a great platform. Most of our pre-owned phone customers find us there. Back in 2017 or 2018, we used to sell through our Facebook page, but now almost all our business comes through the marketplace." Social media has additionally enabled person-to-person buying and selling. Shahriar Alam, a scholar at Daffodil Polytechnic Institute, purchased an SSD and RAM by means of the platform. "The prices of new SSDs and RAM shot up after the tariff hikes and the Iran war," he stated. "So buying second-hand was the best option, and so far, the products have worked really well. I bought them from someone who was upgrading his PC through Facebook Marketplace." For laptops, Multiplan Computer City Centre on the capital's New Elephant Road is a serious vacation spot. Niloy Biswas, a first-year scholar at Dhaka University, went there after failing to search out one inside his funds elsewhere. "I need a laptop for study purposes, and my budget is very tight, so one of my seniors suggested I come here and buy a pre-owned one," he stated. "I previously went to Alpona Plaza and visited a few shops, but none had anything within my budget." Niloy had additionally searched on-line for a shopping for guidelines. "I'll go through that. If everything checks out and it fits my budget, then I'll buy it," he stated. Prices [of iPhones] differ relying on their situation. If we've got changed the battery or the glass, the value is completely different. A telephone with 95% battery well being and a physique in good situation is a superb system and would retain 75–80% of its unique worth. Abdullah Al Mamun, Salesman, Like Telecom Al-Amin Hossain got here to purchase a laptop computer for his son. "My son is in his first year of college. He needs a laptop, but our financial situation does not allow us to spend Tk1.5 lakh or Tk2 lakh," he stated. "I have heard that you can get the same products second-hand for about two-thirds of the original price. So here I am." After telephones and laptops, cameras entice a major variety of consumers within the second-hand market. Baitul Mukarram, Bangladesh's largest digital camera market, has greater than 200 retailers promoting new and used cameras, lenses and different images gear. Sharif Haque, supervisor of Camera World, stated newbie photographers with restricted budgets make up the biggest buyer group. "We buy and sell cameras, lenses, accessories and all kinds of photography gear," he stated. "If you want a full-frame mirrorless camera, the body could cost around Tk1.5 lakh to Tk2 lakh," Haque stated. "A pre-owned one can cost around Tk1 lakh. The money you save can be used to buy a lens and other accessories. Pre-owned lenses are in even greater demand. If a new lens costs Tk30,000, a used one can cost Tk15,000 to Tk20,000, or even less if you find a good deal." Lower costs, nonetheless, don't get rid of uncertainty. Muhammad Samee, a former Samsung software program engineer, warned in opposition to equating used gadgets with factory-sealed ones. "We definitely do not recommend buying refurbished or used gadgets," he stated. "When a gadget is sold through our shops, we know its quality is intact and that it has not been tampered with. But with a pre-owned device, you never know, and that creates a major risk to its longevity." After telephones and laptops, cameras entice a major variety of consumers within the second-hand market."> After telephones and laptops, cameras entice a major variety of consumers within the second-hand market. Humayun Ahmed, a retailer at IDB Bhaban who has been within the enterprise for 25 years, sees each side. "Buying a used gadget instead of a new one can save you a significant amount of money," he stated. It can even present entry to premium options, as flagship gadgets depreciate over time and ultimately grow to be rather more inexpensive. Buying used, nonetheless, is "a little bit tricky". Humayun suggested consumers to examine the system for dents and scratches, test the ports, buttons, display screen and lifeless pixels, and ask how previous it's, as a less-used system typically performs higher whereas an older one ought to price much less. He additionally really useful evaluating the specs with their precise wants relatively than selecting a tool primarily based on specs alone. Buyers also needs to take a look at the digital camera completely, together with picture, video, time-lapse, slow-motion, panorama, flash and selfie modes, and assess charging pace, battery life and whether or not the battery proportion drops unexpectedly after reaching a sure degree. Finally, they need to take a look at calls, Wi-Fi, cellular knowledge, audio system and sensors; analysis model-specific points reminiscent of inexperienced or pink show strains, motherboard failures or faulty cameras; test how a lot software program help stays; and evaluate the asking worth with prevailing market charges, together with the value of a brand new system the place obtainable. Buyers ought to confirm {that a} system shouldn't be stolen, keep away from suspicious Facebook accounts and unusually low-cost gives, hold a document of the vendor's identification when shopping for from an unknown particular person, affirm any guarantee utilizing the serial quantity, ask what incident led to earlier repairs and which elements had been changed, and test that the equipment match the marketed situation. They also needs to hold the unique field, which can assist if the telephone is misplaced. Humayun suggested iPhone and MacBook consumers to test battery well being within the settings, whereas iPad consumers can join the system to a PC and use 3uTools. Android consumers could have to depend on screen-on time and the vendor's account of the system's efficiency. "As taxes on imported gadgets continue to rise, buying a used gadget at this moment could be an economical decision," he stated. "You are not only saving money, but you are also helping the environment. Giving a gadget a longer life means potentially less e-waste and a more sustainable future." Some merchandise, nonetheless, are poor candidates for the second-hand market. Consumer specialists on the US PIRG advise warning when shopping for giant televisions, closely used printers and second-hand smartwatches. Television screens are fragile, printers put on down over time, and wearables will be broken by sweat. Refurbished AirPods and different wi-fi earbuds may stay linked to a earlier proprietor's account, stopping the Find My characteristic from working correctly. The principal query is how a lot helpful life a tool has left. Batteries deteriorate, repairs grow to be costlier, screens will be tough to exchange, and producers ultimately cease offering software program updates. Apple, Samsung and Google now present round seven years of software program help for his or her smartphones. 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