Demand for Used Smartphones Rises Sharply in Kazakhstan, Experts Warn About Data Risks

Interest in used and even non-functional mobile phones has increased significantly in Kazakhstan, with buyers now actively purchasing damaged devices as well, according to reports from 31 Channel.

In several cities across the country, vehicles equipped with loudspeakers have been seen urging residents to sell old and broken phones. Repair shops have also reported a rise in advertisements seeking second-hand devices. Buyers say they are primarily interested in components such as motherboards and memory modules.

According to Zhaxylyk Musatayev, a repair specialist with more than 13 years of experience in electronics repair, the second-hand device market is divided into two main segments. One group collects old phones to extract valuable materials, including traces of gold, while another focuses on usable microchips and motherboards. He noted that sourcing spare parts for many smartphone models has become both difficult and expensive.

Recovered components are later used for repairs or to assemble refurbished devices for resale. Depending on their condition, such phones can be valued between 500 and 10,000 tenge.

At the same time, cybersecurity experts are warning consumers about the risks of personal data exposure when selling old devices. Cybersecurity specialist Yevgeny Pitolin emphasized that smartphones store sensitive information, including access to financial services, documents, and personal data.

He noted that many users mistakenly believe that performing a factory reset completely deletes all information. In reality, data is not immediately erased from memory and may still be recoverable using specialized software.

Experts recommend several precautionary steps before selling a phone, including signing out of all accounts and removing saved passwords, backing up important files, unlinking the device from personal accounts, disabling “Find My Device,” and performing a factory reset.

These measures, they say, significantly reduce the risk of personal data falling into the wrong hands.