How Many iPhones Are Being Discarded?

Horace Dediu at Asymco takes a look at number of iPhones being discarded in a new report.

"Since we have installed base change data and we have activation data we should be thus able to derive the number of iPhones being "discarded" or put out of use every quarter as the difference between activations and change in installed base."

Dediu generated the chart below to determine the discard rate. The green, dark blue and orange areas are given inputs and the light blue area representing discarded phones is derived.


This is an interesting (new) piece of information. What it suggests is that at least in the US the discard rate, i.e. number of phones being discarded over number of new phones is about 50% (56% on average over seven quarters.)

Hit the link below to continue reading Dediu's analysis.

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