It’s amazing just how fast the mobile phone market changes. When mobiles first came out, they were the size of bricks and weighed about the same! Since then the market has grown at a phenomenal rate and the advent of 3G, and more recently 4G and digital near-saturation means that it is now common to see people permanently attached to their iPhones or Android smartphones. Their usage has changed too. Having initially focused upon telephone calls on the go, usage has now evolved to include the app market and internet access on the go. A wide range of advanced facilities allow us to keep in touch, shop, bank, calculate, find directions, learn and entertain.
Making Use of That Old Phone Kit
But what about all the old kit that still lying around our homes? Let’s be honest – most of us have bought into each new trend and then been amazed as to how quickly our accessories and former handsets have become outdated. Even a handset that looked relatively new and modern a couple of years ago now often looks quite clunky – or even ridiculously small, during the phase when technology simply aimed to be as miniaturised as possible, rather than rich in applications.
Rationalising Phone Accessories
It isn’t hard to see how so many accessories become redundant. That expensive Bluetooth hands-free kit you bought a couple of years ago may well be languishing in the cupboard, replaced by the built-in Bluetooth in your latest car. Similarly, with battery life improvements, many of us will now find that the USB charger we bought for the laptop is now a white elephant.
Selling Online
Most of these products end up gathering dust, but with the advent of online recycling sites, many people are now opting to sell outdated iPhone accessories and even the handsets themselves.
Few of us enjoy simply wasting things and throwing them away, but until recently the options for recycling some of our old accessories were limited to online auction sites or car boot sales. Today’s online recycling sites allow us to sell these old iPhone accessories, together with a range of items commonly found in the home. These include DVDs and CDs, technology and even clothes.
The Joys of Automation
Recycling sites are simple to use and fast too. The process is largely automated; you simply register for a free account which allows you to determine how much your items are worth. If you decide to sell, then you follow some simple instructions for packaging your items and print off the paperwork. Thereafter, the recycling firm will come and collect your kit at a time and place to suit, using a courier service, or in some cases you can drop the package off at a local collection point. You are kept updated throughout the process by email. Once your order has been accepted and processed, you will be paid by your method of choice: either by cheque or direct payment into your bank account. The money can be donated to charity if you are feeling generous.
Ron Jones writes regularly on technology topics and has recently explored the best way in which to sell outdated iPhone accessories and a range of old music CDs and DVDs online.