The rapid and widespread adoption of smartphone technology has been one of - if not the - major tech stories of the 21st century. But with ever ‘smarter’ phones, prices continue to leap. The latest Apple model, the iPhone 14, is retailing at around 4-5 times the reported average monthly Sri Lankan salary.

Recent import restrictions, rapid inflation and general economic struggle mean that access to good quality smartphones is ever-more difficult for many in the country.

That’s in the context of much of daily life moving to digital platforms with smartphones the obvious and easiest route to engagement. The pandemic accelerated the trend with functions of education, retail and medicine embracing an online interaction with students, customers and patients.

RePackd, a new initiative by Daraz is addressing those challenges, providing a platform for the easy, confident and reliable exchange of used smartphones and other electronics.

Within Daraz, RePackd provides sellers with access to a market right across Sri Lanka and has the teams and network to provide a seamless experience in terms of delivery and customer service.

Using market-leading technology to analyse the functionality of every used smartphone RePackd guarantees the quality of every device listed for sale. Its software checks over 70 aspects of a phone’s operation and offers Service Guarantees and easy-return policies that make buying a used smartphone an attractive option.

For sellers, RePackd absorbs all the hassle of listing the device, corresponding with buyers and delivery. It advises on the safe and complete removal of data and undertakes a comprehensive data-wipe to be sure all parties are protected.

As the smartphone market grows, so too does its environmental impact. An average smartphone will produce 85 kilograms of carbon emissions in its first year of use. The bulk of those emissions come in the phone’s production with the mining for materials required also causing significant environmental damage.

To reduce this impact and to improve accessibility one solution is to better deploy the tens of thousands of pre-owned mobile smartphones either discarded to landfill each year or stashed, well before the end of their useful life, in rarely-opened drawers.

As individuals, many of us are wrestling cost-of-living challenges but the need for a good reliable smartphone doesn’t go away. RePackd is providing a solution that both supports sellers and lets buyers manage costs more effectively without resorting to risky, unreliable tech.