December 17, 2007 3:59 AM PST
Cell phone usage is on the rise in the Philippines. More than 53 million people are expected to own a cell phone in the Philippines by the end of 2007, according to a recent study by CD Castro Consultancy, an independent Philippines-based consulting firm focused on telecommunications. Cheap handsets are in especially high demand. As a result there is a big market for second-hand and used cell phones.
This kiosk at the Greenhills Shopping Center in Manila buys and sells used cell phones. On average a basic second-hand phone costs 800 to 1,500 pesos ($19 to $35). And a trade-in for my Samsung BlackJack could have scored me about 5,000 pesos or $119, I was told. Not bad, considering I got the phone for $99 from AT&T after a rebate.
Photo by Marguerite Reardon/CNET News.com
