Demand for premium refurbished devices in Hungary has surged this August, with customers ordering twice as many smartphones and five times as many laptops as they did during the same period last year, according to marketplace Rejoy.hu.
The trend reflects both economics and practicality. With a new iPhone 16 starting at nearly 400,000 HUF ($1,100), students (and their parents) are finding that the same money can buy an entire refurbished Apple ecosystem: a solid iPhone 13, a MacBook Air M1, and even an Apple Watch SE.
iPhones lead the charge
The refurbished iPhone 13, priced under 150,000 HUF ($410), was Rejoy’s best-seller in early August. The iPhone 12, already dipping below 100,000 HUF ($270), came in second. The iPhone 13 Pro rounded out the top three.
On the Android side, the Samsung Galaxy S23, launched just two years ago, has already entered Rejoy’s top 4 sellers, thanks to its premium performance and camera setup at sub 150,000 HUF prices.
Rejoy saw an explosive fivefold increase in MacBook orders compared to last year. The MacBook Air M1, Apple’s first laptop with its in-house silicon, is the most sought-after model. Among tablets, the iPad 9th gen (10.2-inch) continues to be a student favorite.
Why students choose refurbished
A Rejoy survey found that nearly half of Hungarian students consider new Apple products too expensive, while 85% have bought or would buy refurbished devices. Most use their phones for 2–3 years before replacing them, with battery degradation being the biggest motivator for upgrades.
Rejoy.hu is a refurbished-device marketplace operating under Flip Technologies, a Romanian startup founded in 2019 by three young entrepreneurs. Backed with €10 million from eMAG Ventures, the company has expanded beyond Romania into Bulgaria, Hungary, and most recently Greece.
