Used smartphones are increasingly appearing on eBay, being offered at inflated prices of thousands of dollars – just because TikTok is pre-installed. Despite the lifting of the TikTok ban in the USA, the app remains missing from US app stores, and a return date remains uncertain.
This is what eBay currently looks like: Used smartphones are increasingly appearing on eBay with TikTok installed, listed at high prices. These smartphones, equipped with the popular social media app, are sometimes listed for a price of $50,000. Even though such exorbitant prices are the exception, most listings fluctuate between $2,000 and $5,000. As an example, an Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max (via idealo.de), which you can buy for around €1,200, is being offered on eBay in used condition (with TikTok) for $5,000.
What lies behind the prices? The reason for these prices is that TikTok is not accessible to new users in the US stores. Those who have deleted the app or buy a new device cannot currently download TikTok anymore. Sellers on eBay have recognized this and are offering used phones with the pre-installed app. Buyers can thus continue to use TikTok without relying on the uncertain return date of the app.
The idea is that sellers do not reset their devices to factory settings, but only log out of their Google or iCloud accounts. TikTok remains installed on the device, and buyers can continue to use it. Sellers are thus trying to take advantage of the current situation and profit from the desperation of some buyers.
Why is this also a problem? The ban on TikTok is not 100% off the table. The decision on whether TikTok will be permanently banned in the USA has yet to be made. So, anyone who has bought a phone for thousands of euros because of the TikTok app may not be able to use the app after a permanent ban in the USA, no matter how much the user ultimately paid for the smartphone.
The TikTok Ban and Legal Uncertainty
How did this situation arise? The reason for this market is the recently imposed TikTok ban in the USA. A law was passed there that banned TikTok unless ByteDance (the company behind TikTok) sold it to a US company. TikTok temporarily disappeared from app stores, but an Executive Order postponed the ban (via Gamestar.de). However, the app remains inaccessible to new users. While existing users can continue using TikTok, there is no way to reinstall the app.
The uncertainty caused by the TikTok ban, concerns about security risks, and calls for a company sale have contributed to the future of the app in the USA remaining unclear.
Whether the phone even has a future has recently been questioned by Mark Zuckerberg, the head of Meta (Facebook): He not only declared the end of the phone but also introduced a successor: Mark Zuckerberg announces the end of the phone and introduces a successor.
