Refurbished Device Prices Are Falling in Q2 2026. Here's Why.

Refurbished device prices are dropping across Europe. Enterprise laptops and older smartphones are appearing on the secondary market in higher volumes than usual. Two converging forces are behind it, and understanding them helps anyone working in the circular economy make sense of what they are seeing.

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Why Refurbished Device Prices Are Dropping in Q2 2026

Two significant things happened in the past six months that are now hitting the secondary market at the same time.

First: Windows 10 reached its end of life in October 2025.

End of life means Microsoft stopped releasing security updates for Windows 10. For businesses, running unsupported software carries compliance and security risk. So across Europe and the US, companies accelerated the refresh of their PC fleets, buying new machines and retiring the old ones into the ITAD channel.

ITAD (IT Asset Disposition) is the process of securely collecting, wiping, grading, and reselling or recycling old IT equipment from businesses. When large corporate refresh cycles happen, they inject significant volumes of enterprise-grade devices into the secondary market within a relatively short window.

That wave is arriving now. Enterprise laptops from brands like Dell, Lenovo, and Microsoft, workhorses of the corporate world, are appearing in higher quantities across European resale platforms simultaneously.

Second: US tariffs are reshaping global device demand.

Since early 2026, the US has applied a 15 per cent global surcharge on most imports, plus a 25 per cent tariff on semiconductors and their derivatives. This makes new electronics meaningfully more expensive for US buyers, pushing demand towards the refurbished market.

The knock-on effect for Europe is a supply dynamic shift. Some inventory that would typically flow into US channels is redirecting elsewhere. Combined with increased domestic US demand for refurbished devices, European supply is facing different pressure than it did twelve months ago.

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What Is Driving the Volume Increase

The Windows 10 end-of-life cycle is the primary driver. Enterprise refresh cycles are well-documented phenomena in the ITAD industry. When a major operating system loses support, organisations that have delayed upgrades tend to act within a concentrated timeframe.

The devices entering the market now are typically three to five years old. They are functional, well-maintained machines that were used in professional environments. Models like the Dell Latitude, Lenovo ThinkPad, and Microsoft Surface lines are standard issue across European corporate IT departments.

This type of supply surge is different from the gradual trickle of consumer devices. It tends to be concentrated by model type, condition grade, and region, because large organisations often standardise on specific hardware.

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What to Watch in Q2 and Q3

Supply waves linked to corporate refresh cycles are temporary. As the Windows 10 replacement cycle works through its peak, the volume of enterprise devices entering ITAD channels will begin to normalise.

On the demand side, tariff uncertainty in the US may continue to redirect buyers towards refurbished alternatives globally. If that demand grows faster than supply normalises, it could create upward pressure on prices later in the year.

Three developments worth watching:

• Whether the US Section 122 global surcharge (currently 15 per cent) is extended beyond its expected July 2026 expiry
• Inventory levels for enterprise laptop models across major European resale platforms
• Corporate IT refresh announcements from large employers in Germany, Netherlands, UK, and France. These signal future supply entering the ITAD channel.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why are refurbished laptop prices changing in 2026? The primary driver is the enterprise IT refresh cycle triggered by Windows 10 reaching end of life in October 2025. Companies replacing their PC fleets are sending large volumes of used hardware into ITAD channels at the same time, increasing supply across the European secondary market.

How do US tariffs affect the refurbished device market in Europe? US tariffs on electronics imports raise the cost of new devices for US buyers, increasing demand for refurbished alternatives in the US market. This shifts global supply and demand dynamics, with some effects flowing through to European inventory levels and pricing.

What is the ITAD industry? ITAD stands for IT Asset Disposition. It covers the secure collection, data wiping, grading, remarketing, and recycling of used IT equipment from businesses and organisations. The global ITAD market is estimated at USD 18.6 billion in 2026, driven by data security requirements, sustainability commitments, and the growing value of refurbished hardware.

Where can I track refurbished device market trends across Europe? ITADpricing monitors the secondary device market across 26-plus countries and 95-plus sources daily. Join the waitlist at itadpricing.com to get early access when we launch.

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About ITADpricing

ITADpricing is building the most comprehensive refurbished device price intelligence platform in Europe. We track pricing, availability, and market trends across the secondary device market, so ITAD operators, resellers, and procurement teams always know what is happening before they make decisions.

Join the waitlist at itadpricing.com.