Can your phone last 10 years? Back Market and iFixit want to make it happen – here's how

The Trump administration’s indecision over implementing tariffs has caused market turmoil, panic buying, and price increases across the tech market. While some companies appear to have won a break from the White House for tariffs on consumer electronics, this situation won’t last forever. So, could secondhand tech be a solution to exorbitant prices? 

On Wednesday, refurbished electronics marketplace Back Market announced a partnership with device repair provider iFixit “to address the culture of fast tech and overconsumption,” the companies said in a press release. iFixit DIY maintenance kits and tutorials will be available on Back Market, which will, in turn, promote its refurbished tech within iFixit communities. Users can also access diagnostic tools on the Back Market app to check their devices’ health and stay ahead of maintenance needs. 

Also: There’s a quiet PC boom happening – thanks to Windows 10 and the tariffs

Devices on Back Market, which range from laptops and smartphones to vacuums and gaming consoles, are verified refurbished, meaning they are inspected by “industry professionals“, according to Back Market’s quality breakdown page. The reseller guarantees that its smartphones, for example, will have “minimum 80% battery health with 100% charge capacity.”

Refurbished devices also come with a one-year warranty and can be up to 70% cheaper than new ones. An iPhone 15 Plus, normally $799, goes for $571 at the time of writing, a price you can reduce further if you’re trading in an old device.

The two companies also aim to combat e-waste and limit carbon emissions. “Back Market and iFixit are also calling on consumers to extend the lifespans of their smartphones from 2.5 to 5 years, and for manufacturers to extend their support of device software to 10 years to ensure more devices stay in circulation longer and don’t end up in landfills,” the press release said. 

Also: Why I bought a $5,300 Apple Mac Studio in the midst of tariffs news – and don’t regret it

Back Market said that using an iPhone 13 for five years and replacing its battery, instead of getting a new phone after two to three years, which is its average life cycle, can cut the device’s annual carbon emissions by 49%. If the device is made viable for 10 years, that reduction goes up to 68%. The company calculated these results using data from Apple reports, an ADEME emissions study, an analysis of Fairphone 5, and an emissions calculator from the US EPA.

A United Nations report predicts global e-waste will increase to 82 million tons, up 32% from current numbers, during the next five years. E-waste leaks hazardous materials, like lead and other metals, into waterways and soil. These hazardous materials can adversely impact human health. 

The initiative reiterates the differing priorities of device manufacturers and the repair community. Last year, iFixit ended a partnership with Samsung over concerns that the tech giant was not focused on improving repairability and sustainability. In one example, as ZDNET’s Adrian Kingsley-Hughes reported, “iFixit said it had developed an upcycling and device reuse initiative, but Samsung never implemented the program.”

Both iFixit and Back Market are involved with the Right to Repair movement, focused on reducing consumer costs and waste by investing in and advocating for repairability, which begins with how tech companies design their phones. 

Also: Want an entire tech repair shop of tools in a single messenger bag?

For example, if a manufacturer glues a phone battery in place, repairers can’t easily or cost-effectively replace it and risk damaging the device, despite good intentions. 

Yet maintaining or repairing your current device is almost always more cost-effective than replacing it, especially amid unpredictable, tariff-induced price fluctuations.

“With software support, accessible repair tools, and trade-in services, devices can stay in circulation for a full decade,” said Back Market CEO and co-founder Thibaud Hug de Larauze in the press release. “The entire system — from manufacturers to telco providers — must stop pushing premature hardware upgrades and start enabling long-lasting tech.”

Back Market also announced it will donate $100,000 “to support state-by-state Right to Repair legislative efforts in the US.”