First of all, relax, I'm not announcing an exclusive executive swapmeet.  The market for used cell phones has ramped up to a whopping $11 billion as of 2016[1].  That's a big number by itself, especially since the market scarcely existed just ten years ago.  By comparison, everything sold in every category by everyone worldwide on Ebay, new or used, was $84 billion total in 2016[2].

Unless you are actually a senior exec and can offer your device, refurbished, to other employees then you have a couple options to pass along your once-glorious smartphone.  Most of us in the US still sell back our devices to our carriers or directly to manufacturers.  In other countries, especially Europe, (and for slightly older phones) people turn to sites akin to Ebay and Craigslist for quick cash.  Or you could do what I do and strip everything down, install a paint app, remove the wi-fi password, and give the phone to your three-your-old.

Finally, I'd like to mention a gem in our greater Orlando, FL area: Computers Plus Cell Phones[3].  Having a local shop that offers up-front prices means you get even quicker cash and an honest human face.  Full disclosure: their owner is a good friend of mine.  You can even get a quote online before heading to one of their stores[4] and compare to your carrier's deal.

* Ismail Jones is a freelance web and mobile developer, owner of Azizah Solutions, and software architect at Cerner Corporation.

Sources:

[1] https://www2.deloitte.com/lb/en/pages/technology-media-and-telecomm...

[2] https://investors.ebayinc.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=1009166

[3] https://computerspluscellphones.com/

[4] http://buyback.computerspluscellphones.com/

Views: 116

Comments are closed for this blog post

Happy 10th year, JCertif!

Notes

Welcome to Codetown!

Codetown is a social network. It's got blogs, forums, groups, personal pages and more! You might think of Codetown as a funky camper van with lots of compartments for your stuff and a great multimedia system, too! Best of all, Codetown has room for all of your friends.

When you create a profile for yourself you get a personal page automatically. That's where you can be creative and do your own thing. People who want to get to know you will click on your name or picture and…
Continue

Created by Michael Levin Dec 18, 2008 at 6:56pm. Last updated by Michael Levin May 4, 2018.

Looking for Jobs or Staff?

Check out the Codetown Jobs group.

 

Enjoy the site? Support Codetown with your donation.



InfoQ Reading List

AWS Distributed Tracing Service X-Ray Transitions to OpenTelemetry

AWS recently announced that AWS X-Ray is transitioning to OpenTelemetry as its primary instrumentation standard for application tracing, with the AWS X-Ray SDKs and Daemon moving to maintenance mode.

By Renato Losio

Docker Releases Desktop 4.50, Adds Free Debugging Tools and AI-Native Enhancements

Docker recently announced the release of Docker Desktop 4.50, marking another update for developers seeking faster, more secure workflows and expanded AI-integration capabilities.

By Craig Risi

Azure Virtual Desktop Goes Fully Hybrid with Arc-Enabled Servers

Microsoft's Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) now supports hybrid environments, enabling on-premises Arc-Enabled Servers to act as session hosts. This integration enables customers to run virtual desktops in their data centers while leveraging cloud management tools. The update enhances flexibility, compliance, and operational integrity across various industries.

By Steef-Jan Wiggers

Kubernetes Community Retires Popular Ingress NGINX Controller

The Kubernetes SIG Network and the Security Response Committee has announced the retirement of Ingress NGINX, one of the most widely deployed ingress controllers in the ecosystem. Best-effort maintenance will continue until March 2026, after which there will be no further releases, bug fixes, or security updates, according to an announcement made at Kubecon NA 2025.

By Matt Saunders

Introducing Evalite: The TypeScript Testing Tool for AI Powered Apps

Evalite is a TypeScript-native eval runner designed for AI applications, enabling developers to create reproducible evals with rich outputs. Featuring first-class trace capture, scoring, and a user-friendly web UI, Evalite enhances testing ergonomics and iteration speed. Open-source under MIT, it seamlessly integrates with any LLM, ensuring complete data control and fostering rapid development.

By Daniel Curtis

© 2025   Created by Michael Levin.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service