eli5 What do phone manufacturers do with the old phones when we exchange it for a new device?

Question

As mentioned in title

In: Engineering

Answer 1

Numerous things. They refurb them and sell them, they use them as warranty/insurance replacements. And sometimes they donate them to charity or organizations. If they are super old (like how sometimes they have the “trade in any phone for this deal” deal) They will send off the old phone for recycling.