[E-Daily Reporter Shin Yeong-bin ] Data shows that while the volume of transactions in South Korea’s used smartphone market declined in the first half of this year, the total transaction value increased. This is attributed to growing demand for models from two to three generations ago—driven by rising prices of new smartphones—as well as an increase in transactions involving premium models.

According to the “2026 First-Half Used Phone Distribution Status” report released on the 7th by UPM, a B2B used phone trading platform company, the total number of used phones purchased on the UPM platform from January to June this year was 2,925,067 units, with a total transaction value of 995,128,910,000 won. UPM is a company that operates a domestic B2B trading platform for used phones, inventory management solutions for used phones, and big data services for used phones.

UPM cited the simultaneous occurrence of a decline in transaction volume and an increase in transaction value as the most notable characteristic of the used smartphone market in the first half of this year. According to the company, while total transaction volume decreased by about 10% year-over-year, transaction value increased by about 10%. This is analyzed to be due to the growing share of premium models, which drove up the overall transaction value.

Price hikes for new products due to rising semiconductor costs also appear to have impacted the used phone market. The company explained that as the cost of the latest smartphones became more burdensome, models from two to three generations prior—which do not differ significantly in performance—began to attract attention. Consequently, more consumers are opting for used phones, which are relatively more affordable and have proven reliability, rather than purchasing new models.

By model, the SamsungElectronics(005930) “Galaxy Buddy 3” ranked first in transaction volume for the first half of the year. A total of 80,162 Galaxy Buddy 3 units were traded, with an average purchase price of 84,086 won. This is believed to be due to increased demand for device upgrades two years after its launch, combined with its basic specifications—including an FHD+ Super AMOLED display, a 50-megapixel camera, and a 5,000mAh battery—which have positioned it as a model offering excellent value for money. The Galaxy A24, which ranked third in trading volume, is seen as following a similar trend.

Premium models also ranked high in terms of transaction volume. The Galaxy S24 Ultra 256GB ranked second in transaction volume with 79,342 units traded. The average purchase price was 668,579 won. The iPhone 17 Pro 256GB ranked fifth with 57,484 units traded, and its average purchase price was 1,646,538 won. While Samsung models dominated in terms of volume, high-end iPhone models drove up the average transaction value.

By brand, Samsung products accounted for 71.23% of the total, with 2,083,603 units traded. Apple accounted for 27.33% with 799,475 units. In contrast, in terms of transaction value, Apple recorded 524,460,990,000 won (52.7%), while Samsung recorded 468,892,750,000 won (47.12%). Samsung held the advantage in volume, while Apple held the advantage in price per unit.

The average purchase price for used Samsung products rose to 270,000 won in March of this year and has since stabilized in the 220,000 won range. UPM analyzed that since early this year, SamsungElectronics has been actively implementing strategies to defend its residual value, thereby narrowing the price gap with Apple.

Yoo Sang-hyun, CEO of UPM, said, “The used phone market in the first half of this year was characterized by simultaneous growth in demand for value-for-money models and an increase in transactions for premium models amid the economic downturn,” adding, “As launch prices for the latest models rose due to soaring semiconductor prices, models from two to three generations ago—which offer similar performance—began to attract attention.”