Life Extension of Electronic Products: A Case Study of Smartphones

Smartphones account for a large and growing portion of global electronic waste, and the life extension of electronic systems-particularly by refurbishment-is a viable solution for reducing this waste stream. In some secondary markets, sales of refurbished smartphones have begun to outpace sales of new smartphones. However, there are concerns over the resulting reliability and, in some cases, the safety of such products. This paper explores the environmental, reliability, and safety impact of extending the life of electronic systems, with a focus on smartphones. We find that smartphones undergo varying levels of refurbishment that consumers are often not aware of, the environmental advantages of refurbished devices are often outweighed by the disadvantages, and that refurbished electronics will never be as reliable as new products. It is thus necessary to create standards for smartphone refurbishment and to capture and analyze lifetime environmental and usage data to enable the assessment and prediction of the reliability of refurbished devices and their components.