How do you dispose of your old cell phone?

Since Apple launched the "Trade-in" campaign, mobile phone recycling has once again attracted everyone's attention. Then I learned that some official mobile phone recycling channels currently have very low prices; some private mobile phone recycling channels have slightly higher prices, but there is a risk of personal information being leaked. In this case, as mobile phones are being updated and replaced at an increasingly rapid pace, how to dispose of old mobile phones has become a common problem faced by everyone.

Current situation: The recycling price of used mobile phones is low

In the era of mobile Internet, the speed of mobile phone replacement is getting faster and faster. According to a report by Qihoo 360 last year, about 50% of users change their mobile phones every 18 months, and 20% of users must change their mobile phones within a year. Under such circumstances, users have more and more old mobile phones.

How to dispose of these old mobile phones? The reporter learned through interviews that "selling unused mobile phones" has become the choice of many people. It is understood that there are various mobile phone recycling companies on the market, including mobile phone brand manufacturers, traditional Internet companies, private recycling and mobile phone scalpers. The recycling market is mixed. However, they have one thing in common: the recycling price is low.

The reporter obtained the calculation method given by several mobile phone recycling companies and concluded that the recycling price of an 80% new iPhone 4S without any damage is 500 to 800 yuan, and the recycling price of an iPhone 5 is about 1,000 yuan. Some mobile phone brands offer even lower recycling prices, such as the official recycling price given by Apple: the recycling price of iPhone 4S is about 500 yuan; the recycling price of iPhone 4 is about 250 yuan.

Many netizens are unwilling to pay such a low recycling price. After the official recycling price of Apple was released, many "Apple fans" complained that it would be better to sell it to "scalpers".

As for the reason for the low recycling price, Wang Yanhui, secretary-general of the China Cellphone Alliance, told China News Service IT Channel that it is mainly because this is an industry with very small profits and the recycling cost is relatively high.

Risk: Improper handling of old mobile phones may lead to personal information leakage

Selling old mobile phones to scalpers or private recycling may be a bit more expensive, but is it safe? The answer is no. Yesterday, CCTV reported that the old mobile phones sold by users can be restored through some "data recovery" software. This information includes text messages, photos, videos and other highly personal information. Yesterday, China National Radio also quoted experts as saying that even if the factory reset function built into the mobile phone is used, it is impossible to completely delete all the information.

Wang Yanhui said that this is actually the same as a computer hard drive. The delete function is not a real "deletion" but a temporary "forgetting". "Only when a larger file is stored repeatedly and the entire storage space is completely overwritten can it be considered a real deletion. In this way, even if the data is recovered, what is obtained are the recently stored insignificant large files."

In order to protect personal information, some people think of destroying and discarding old mobile phones. Wang Yanhui said that from the perspective of environmental protection, this approach is not appropriate because some parts of mobile phones are particularly polluting.

"In addition to wanting to obtain the data in used mobile phones, more mobile phone recycling companies want to obtain the chips in used mobile phones." According to Wang Yanhui, there are two final destinations for these used mobile phones. The first is to be disassembled and then recycled for precious metals and some parts; the second is to obtain mobile phone chips.

"These used mobile phone chips will become the core components of copycat mobile phones. After a series of assembly, they will flow into the market again. At present, this type of chip has become a stable mobile phone chip supplier for copycat mobile phones." Wang Yanhui said.

Industry insiders suggest that regulation is urgently needed

In view of the difficulties faced in disposing of old mobile phones, Xiang Ligang, a well-known observer of the communications industry, said that from the perspective of safety and technology, professional recycling by terminal manufacturers is a better solution, but it requires certain policy support.

It is understood that, except for a few brands, most mobile phone brands have not launched the recycling business for used mobile phones. Even Apple, which has launched this service, has a low recycling price and also imposes multiple conditions such as "non-jailbroken" and "licensed", so netizens are not very enthusiastic about it.

Wang Yanhui said that for the disposal of used mobile phones, on the one hand, the development of related enterprises should be promoted, and on the other hand, supervision should be in place. "In addition to supervision on information security, environmental protection should also be taken into consideration. The disposal of used mobile phones should also be included in the scope of the Regulations on the Recycling and Disposal of Waste Electrical and Electronic Products (hereinafter referred to as the Regulations)." Wang Yanhui suggested.

It is understood that the scope of implementation of the "Regulations" implemented in my country in 2011 covers refrigerators, televisions, air conditioners, washing machines, computers, etc., but mobile phones are not yet included.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.