Used iPhone 6 market sluggish as prices tumble on customers’ quest for newer versions
London-used iPhone 6 now sells for N60K
USED IPHONE 6 MAR KET AT the Lagos Computer Village has shrunk on sales amid customers’ quest for newer versions, which has sent prices older versions tumbling down. business a.m. investigations reveal that there has been a massive drop in prices of London-used iPhone 6 as customers strive to purchase the newer iPhone 7.
Specifically, as of the week ended September 7, the average unit price of a London-used iPhone 6 traded between N52, 000 - N60, 000 as against N65, 000 - N70, 000 traded in the previous weeks.
Phone dealers at the market said the drop in the price of iPhone 6 would continue apart from buying capacity since many customers are looking for upgrade and are gradually shifting towards purchasing the iPhone 7, one of the most trendy iPhone devices in the Nigerian market.
They said most Nigerians who currently use iPhone 7 had stopped using the iPhone 6 as of last year while the current iPhone 6 users are struggling to purchase the bigger and higher version.
London-used iPhones are second handed smartphones im- ported from countries like the U.K. and U.S usually at a lower price than brand new iPhones. Right from the inception, it appears that majority of the Nigerian customers do not bother much about getting new iPhone devices, phone dealers said.
London-used smartphones share similarities with a brand new smartphone. They are almost as neat as a branded new device. However, they do not come in packs as they do not have chargers, user manual, earpiece or any other accessories.
A London-used iPhones are better off when compared to Android devices because they are directly from abroad, according to phone dealers.
The price of the London-used iPhone 6 will continue crash just as the majority of the Nigerian customers had anticipated a few months ago. Historically, the prices of iPhones move downwards after 2-3years of its official launch.
«These devices (iPhones) come once in a while but have been steady. I get them from the U.S and I sell to other resellers once I get them.
This week is awesome especially for iPhone 6 customers due to the price. I sold iPhone 6 as low as N52, 000 compared to other higher prices I have sold them in the past.
I don’t like iPhone; I would have kept one for myself. I prefer a Samsung device. I supplied all the iPhone 6 I imported from abroad without wasting much time,» a phone supplier told business a.m.
business a.m. investigations reveal that a brand new iPhone 6 was price tagged at N110,000 on Jumia website which is slightly higher than the prices most shops at the computer village market sold the device. While indigenous e-commerce website, Konga had no form of information or price tag on the iPhone 6.
However, the market perfor- mance in terms of sales and patronages of services such as repairs and fixing of gadgets such as computers and laptops were sluggish.
Richard Opara, a computer dealer and hardware specialist said the economic situation is still affecting patronage. « At the moment, it just seems as if nothing is happening especially this week. That is why I mostly do not bother coming to the office early enough,» said Okpara.
However, business a.m. findings, irrespective of the slow market performance, reveal that smartphone engineers were busier than computer specialists.
“The service and maintenance of PC usually superseded the sale of PCs but both have been slow this week. Schools are resuming from next week and the purchasing power and spending spree seem to be under control but hopefully things take shape,” he said.
According to market dealers, the demand for fixing or smartphones repairs are usually higher than computer or laptops repairs due to the higher number of individuals who use smartphones compared to computers.
The service and maintenance of PC usually superse the sale of PCs but both have been slow this week. Schools are resuming from next week and the purchasing power and spending spree seem to be under control but hopefully things take shape