Back Market Releases Survey on Smartphone Performance Consciousness

Back Market Japan, operator of one of the world's largest marketplaces for refurbished electronic devices, has announced the results of a survey regarding smartphone performance consciousness among 1,000 Japanese men and women aged 20-60. Among the 1,000 respondents, 568 owned the latest models, while 432 used older devices. The survey defines "latest models" as those currently being sold by manufacturers and their predecessors, including the iPhone 17/16 series, Galaxy S26/Fold7/Flip7, Pixel 10/10a, Xperia 1 VII/10 VII, AQUOS R10/R9 pro, arrows Alpha, OPPO Find X9, and Xiaomi 17 Ultra. Refurbished products are defined as used devices recovered, inspected, cleaned, and repaired by experts, ensuring all functions work normally.

In recent years, smartphone prices have soared alongside technological advancements. The survey highlights that while users are satisfied with their current devices for daily tasks, they are not fully utilizing the potential of their terminals, leading to questions about cost-performance. Furthermore, it reveals that consumer selection criteria are shifting from cutting-edge technology toward utility and ease of use.

Survey Summary - Over 40% of users paid 100,000 yen or more for their current smartphone. - Approximately 90% are satisfied with their current devices for daily activities like SNS, web searching, and video streaming. - About 80% report having features they have never used, highlighting the gap between high functionality and real usage. - Approximately 40% feel negatively about the balance between their usage and purchase price. - Smartphone selection is shifting to "ease of use" over "latest features," with less interest in AI or advanced camera capabilities compared to size and storage.

Over 40% paid 100,000 yen or more When asked about the purchase price of their current smartphone, "120,000 yen or more (26%)" was the most common answer, with 41% of respondents having purchased a high-end device costing over 100,000 yen.

~90% satisfied with current devices for daily use To the question, "Are you satisfied with the performance/functions of your current smartphone?" 94% replied "satisfied" or "somewhat satisfied." In daily scenarios such as SNS, watching videos, and cashless payments, many feel their current specs are sufficient, indicating that even non-latest models can comfortably handle routine tasks.

Even among those using non-latest models, 94% expressed satisfaction, demonstrating that there is almost no difference in perceived satisfaction regarding standard operations between latest models and older ones.

80% have features they never used When asked about their understanding of their smartphone's functions, 81% answered that there are features—such as AI functions (e.g., auto-translation, image editing) and advanced camera features (e.g., night modes, pro settings)—that they know exist but have never used. Furthermore, 86% admitted there are features they are still unaware of, and 71% believe these "unknown/unused features" are unnecessary for them.

Even among owners of the latest models, 82% felt there were features they were unaware of, showing that even those with cutting-edge devices do not fully grasp their functionality. This suggests that the features manufacturers compete to develop are far exceeding the daily usage habits of average consumers.

~40% dissatisfied with the price-to-usage balance Amidst rising prices, 39% of users feel that their current usage habits do not match the purchase price of their devices.