Only seven per cent of parents are purchasing devices from a refurbished mobile phone website, with just 15pc gifting a second hand phone from a relative or friend to their child.
A study published by refurbished mobile phone website Swycha showed fewer parents are giving their children second hand phones as 46pc of children ask for a specific model to keep up with new trends.
Research revealed 71pc of UK parents bought a brand new phone for their child in the last two years, with 39pc paying over £200 upfront for their child’s phone.
A third of those surveyed said they pay over £50 a month for their child’s mobile phone contract, while only 14pc of children are using a pay-as-you-go sim card.
Of the 2000 surveyed, 43pc said they bought their child a new mobile phone even though they couldn’t afford it, instead of gifting second-hand devices.
Swycha chief executive officer Tom Newbald said: “From our research it’s clear to see that as a parent right now, it’s increasingly hard to buy affordable, yet quality phones for children and still manage all of the other costs that are skyrocketing.
“More parents are buying brand-new devices as opposed to opting to buy a refurbished mobile phone for their children from alternative websites.”