Second-Hand Phone Use A 'Problem' In China

A Reuters article offers a lot of interesting facts and data regarding the second-hand (used) mobile phone market in China, illustrating that a used phone can work as well, but cost 200-300 Yuan (US$25-35) less than a similar new model. The problem is, the re-use of old phones is being cast as a problem in this article. Apparently, we're to feel sorry for the likes of phone vendors Motorola and Ningbo Bird because the market actually wants to use their product for more than the prescribed 18 months, thus reducing sales of new phones. We could similarly cry a river for the oil industry as hybrid cars come to market, or the aluminium industry since they have been racked by tin can recycling. That the Chinese are extracting more value from the phones is great. The only reason they have a system in place to re-use phones is because they don't yet live in the throw-away society that the West has become. I'm definitely no angel, either, particularly when it comes to mobile phones and tech gadgets. Without getting too political about this, let's just say we might all be better off if we thought twice before sending things to the landfill. (Looks like this may be our theme for today. Read MIke's post below.

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