Who we are:
Early Upgrade was founded in 2009 and has developed as a leading player across the secondary lifecycle of mobile devices, components, and consumer electronics, with a core expertise in value-add forward distribution, parts reclamation, refurbishment, and IT Asset Disposition programs. We service schools, corporations, trade-in programs, other ITAD organizations, and wholesale and e-tail customers globally, out of our 95,000 square-ft R2v3 and NAID AAA certified headquarters in Jacksonville, FL.
Products
cellphones tablets Computers
Fully tested, fully functional, devices ready for end consumers
bulk electroncis AND SCRAP by the
pound or unit
Stock up to resell working devices and electronic scrap
cellular accessories and charging cables
Round out your kits with premium oem accessories
Services
DATA
DESTRUCTION
We patented the first and only table top physical data destruction tool for cellphones, laptops, and tablets. What used to take 8 minutes per device and resulted in total loss of value, can now be done in 8 seconds with retained value on usable parts.
See it in action TheDataDrill.com.
Things we care about
Carbon Neutrality and Carbon Credits Project
Early Upgrade is a circular economy company committed to responsible recycling through patented re-use technology.
In addition to our commitment to electronic re- use, we are proud to announce we have offset our Carbon Footprint!
Now we can offer “Carbon Credits” as compensation for our clients' used electronic assets & waste.
Feeding Neighbors via GleanersDispatch.org
A hungry person or family in our area does not have a sign on their forehead that says they are hungry, rather they may appear to be “ just fine”.
We partner with Gleaner's Dispatch to challenge hunger by bringing relief to people on fixed but inadequate incomes: Senior Citizens, Disabled, Single Parents, the Under-Employed or Unemployed and between jobs.
Cultural Diversity and Career Advancement
Many families that have immigrated to the United States are here for the life, liberty and happiness that we call the American Dream.
We are proud that some of our best and our brightest employees are making their dream a reality.
We support those who show capabilities in our industry to establish themselves in a career, find financial stability, progress in language development and cultural assimilation, and to advance their career both at Early Upgrade and beyond.
Grading Guide
The Grading Guide is key to our products meeting your expectations. Take time to review the fine print of what's what.
grading GUIDE FOR DATA BEARING DEVICES
GRADE A+
Like New - A new device out of or with opened box/packaging.
GRADE A
A used device which is in excellent cosmetic condition with very light scratches or marks on the housing or glass. Grade A refurbished devices are in near-mint condition, they will be at an excellent cosmetic level and will show next to no signs of previous use. A refurbished Grade A phone will have very minimal amounts of scuffing on the case. On our Grade A device, there will be they typical signs of light usage (e.g., slight marks on the keys) but you should not expect to see any scratches, chips or significant blemishes.
GRADE B+
A used device which is in very GOOD cosmetic condition with light scratches or marks due to wear and tear. Refurbished Grade B is the second highest quality you can expect from our refurbished device. You may notice some light scuffing on the bevel or light scratches on the body. The device has been fully tested for functional issues, such as bad buttons, cameras, etc., and is fully functional.
GRADE B-
A used device which is in very GOOD cosmetic condition but may include scratches on the screen that are visible while the back-light is on. Dings or dents on the corners, bezel and back may be visible. The digitizer and LCD are not damaged. The device has been fully tested for functional issues such as bad buttons, cameras, etc., and is fully functional.
GRADE C
A used device which is in FAIR cosmetic condition with heavy marks or distinctive scratches from use. Refurbished Grade C is the lowest quality of a refurbished phone. They show the signs of heavy or even excessive usage. You will see noticeable cosmetic issues with refurbished Grade C devices including more significant scratches and signs of wear and tear on the case or lid. The device has been fully tested for functional issues such as bad buttons, cameras, etc., and is fully functional.
GRADE D
Power up Good LCD CRACKED digitizer (The device powers up and boots to the home screen, NO ICLOUD LOCK stays powered up when disconnected off of the charger. The device is fully data wiped and tested for key functionality; such as masking a test call but may have other peripheral functional issues in addition to having cracked screen. LCD has no issue, digitizer touch screen may or may not work and there are cracks on the front glass, back glass may be cracked. Non iPhone devices may or may not come with back and battery unless otherwise stated. These devices are sold for repair.
FUNCTIONALITY grading
Hardware Functional:
These units are tested to be fully functional. Devices may show various signs of use including potential dings and dents. Any cosmetic wear does not affect the use of the item.
Tested for full functions/data wiped.
Key Functions Working
A subset of the oriinal functions of the device that an ordinary user of the device expects to function are verified working through manual or automated tests. All missing parts or cosmetic damages will be listed for each item.
Tested for key functions/data wiped.
GRADING GUIDE FOR ACCESSORIES
Condition: New
Packaging: Retail / Bulk
New Condition Merchandise. May come in Original Packaging or in bulk packaging. Please see listing details. Some packaging may be damaged or show signs of wear but 100% new merchandise.
Condition: A
Packaging: Bulk
Cosmetically, these products are in GREAT condition with minor or little signs of wear. No chips, rips, tears or signs of any physical damage. All products have been fully tested and are fully functional. Viable for Kitting or resale purpose. May contain Retail packaged items deem open box.
Condition: B
Packaging: Bulk
Cosmetically, these products are in GOOD condition with normal to above average signs of wear. No chips, rips, tears or signs of any physical damage. All products have been fully tested and are fully functional. Viable for value kitting, replacement or resale purpose. May contain Retail packaged items deem open box.
Condition: C
Packaging: Bulk
Cosmetically, these products are in GOOD/FAIR condition with heavy signs of wear. No chips, rips, tears or signs of any physical damage. All products have been fully tested and are fully functional. Best value for fully functional products. May contain Retail packaged items deem open box with ripped or damaged packaging.
Condition: Overstock
Packaging: Retail / Bulk
New condition merchandise with a small percent of customer returned merchandise that passed an in-depth inspection and was deemed viable for resale. The merchandise will be in Original Packaging. Some Packaging may be damaged.
Connect with us
main office
4843 Victor Street
Jacksonville, FL
USA
(904) 446 0764
CERTIFICATIONS
Data Destruction
Take me to TheDataDrill.com.
The first and only table top physical data destruction tool for cellphones, laptops, and tablets.
40% of devices in our industry go to a facility without being properly wiped, and are at risk of a data leak and massive fines.
Consumers and employees can sue your organization if their data was improperly handled and leaked.
In 2022, the average cost of a data breach in the US was $9.44 million.
Improper dismantling of batteries can cause fires and increase physical liability.
Prohibitive labor costs can override the implementation of proper erasure and disposal of devices.
It takes about 8 minutes to destroy 1 cellphone with an internal battery - with The Databot it's 8 seconds.
Multiply that by thousands of devices and you will save 100's of thousands of dollars on labor annually.
Now you can destroy devices properly in house at a fraction of the cost. Plus, we will pay you $4.00 / pound for cell phones - $1.00 / pound for tablets or fair value.
The Databot will pay for itself 10 fold - whether that is measured based on mitigating the risk of a data leak or a fire, reducing the cost of labor, or with us buying your destroyed devices back from you.
Parts Reclamation
Harvest, Reclaim & Return Programs
For assets that you ultimately need to retain for chain of custody, Early Upgrade offers a unique solution to still enable value reclamation on these assets under an R2 Certified process.
Early Upgrade will use its in-house team of technicians to reclaim potentially valuable parts from devices such as LCDs, cameras, housings, etc., and return whatever material our clients need to maintain custody of, such as motherboards or hard-drives.
Early Upgrade will then report back a value re-capture report for our clients to share in the financial upside. For unique projects at a given scale, Early Upgrade can even perform custom parts reclamation programs at our clients’ locations.
Components we trade in, include but are not limited to:
- LCDs
- Motherboards
- Batteries
- Housings
- Screens
- Camera Modules
- Speakers/Mics
- Charge-ports
- IC Chips
- RAM
- Cables/Wires
- PSUs
ITAD Reclamation
We use parts reclamation as a tool to sustainably provide higher pricing for mobility and similar asset classes than other ITAD processors and down-stream collectors. From our strong origins in mobility and our own mobility refurbishment operation, we look to put as much of these components back into use – allowing us to continually and consistently pay more for e-scrap than other collectors.
Downstream Component Purchasing
We are always looking for opportunities to purchase already reclaimed parts by the piece, pound or gaylord depending on the product. If you have material accumulating or being put through a non-monetized channel, please reach out to us to see if we can help develop a new revenue stream for you.
IT Asset Disposition
ITAD as a One-Stop Revenue Center
At Early Upgrade we have two main philosophies that guide our IT Asset Disposition service offering.
- First, we want to challenge the traditional IT Asset Disposition Landscape that largely centers around charging clients for the secure removal of their old, un-used and damaged assets, and instead turn this into a revenue center for clients.
- Second, we want to provide a one-stop solution that intakes all potential IT assets under one data secure, R2 Certified, umbrella.
Early Upgrade focuses on the re-use and re-marketing of all material first and foremost, with a second layer of value extraction built into our business model through our team of refurbishment technicians and technical parts harvesters.
We are dedicated to working harder on our end, to lower expenses and increase pay-outs on your end.
Our goal is always to provide you a recovery on your assets wherever possible – and the maximum possible recovery you will see in the market, at that.
For unique asset classes or programs where that is not possible, to greatly reduce any cost burden versus traditional ITAD alternatives.
Data Security & Accountability
We provide all customers a full manifest of the materials collected for their program, based on their specific needs; including full serialization and certificates of data destruction.
We have in-house software solutions to clear high-value commodities such as mobility products, as well as traditional hard-drive and chip destruction.
We are dedicated to finding a custom solution for any specific concerns a customer may have.
Based on your program needs, we can dedicate a custom secure steel cage in our facility for any of your product that is still going through data sanitization, or for any high-value product that has not yet fully transferred to our possession.
Geographic Reach
Early Upgrade is headquartered out of Jacksonville, FL in a 95,000 square foot facility, but services clients across North America, with a strong background in global reverse logistics.
We will work with you to arrange a custom logistics strategy to best service your program, reduce costs, and maximize recoverable yields. For many asset classes, including all mobility product, Early Upgrade will cover all associated freight costs.
We cater to a diverse group of corporate and business customers from Fortune 1,000 companies to regional businesses searching for an effective solution.
We are adept at handling industries with heavy compliance regulations such as healthcare and financial services, as well as those with largely distributed asset bases.
Education Sector Specialists
With our origins in the mobility sector, Early Upgrade is a top solutions provider for School Districts & Universities.
With some of our core refurbishment and re-marketing operations focused on the asset classes coming out of these organizations such as iPads, MacBooks, iMacs and Chrome books, we are highly confident we can provide you with the maximum possible return on these assets, along with the value-added services you may require such as laser etching removal of asset engravings.
Device Refurbishment
Refurbishment
At the core of Early Upgrade’s operations is its in-house technical and refurbishment department, based in our Jacksonville headquarters. We have a team of 20 technicians and growing working on level 1 through 3 repairs and parts triage and reclamation activities.
This hub enables us to both pay out maximum value for buy-back and recycling product as an ITAD Service and down-stream recycling provider, and also ensure our forward customers that the products we re-market and distribute for re-use are functioning fully as guaranteed.
Device Reverse Logistics
Early Upgrade’s roots are in the mobility industry. We deeply understand the mobile reverse logistics eco-system, from trade-in through triage, refurbishment, and re-marketing and distribution.
Through our years of working closely with direct trade-in programs, manufacturers, carriers and logistics channel partners, we have developed a variety of solutions and services to our partners in the mobile space.
Wholesale Handset Distribution
Early Upgrade is a large scale value-add re-distributor of used Smartphones, Tablets & Computing Equipment.
We combine our extensive reverse logistics relationship with our refined triage process to offer a consistent selection of smartphones & tablets to our customers, consistently, across all top manufacturers and compatible with all major carriers.
We distribute globally to six continents, servicing mobile device wholesalers, e-tailers, retailers, MVNOs, insurance carriers and custom implementations.
We look to set ourselves apart with the breadth of mobility product we stock – from flagships to mid and low level devices, whether just released or several generations aged, in a variety of cosmetic conditions based on your needs. We always have tens of thousands of devices in-stock to fill your sourcing needs.
Corporate Device Buy-Back
Whether as a stand-alone mobile buy-back program or a more integrated ITAD partnership, Early Upgrade can offer the highest direct from corporation buy-back pricing in the Industry.
We offer a data secure R2 Certified solution to decommissioning your old mobility product and reclaiming top value.
With mobility being our core practice focus, we in-take, QC, re-furbish and re-market your devices ourselves, leaving more residual value for our clients.
Please reach out to us with any smartphones or tablets your company is looking to decommission – we provide up-front price estimates on all product.
3PL and Device Processing Services
Early Upgrade has a wide footprint throughout the second life mobile market industry, and through this, has developed adaptable reverse logistics processes to reclaim devices from a single consumer to a Fortune 500 company.
By mastering inventory management and processing for our in-house operations, we have evolved into an efficient third party logistics processor for a variety of programs.
Services Offered Include:
- In-bound device aggregation and tracking for distributed reverse logistics programs
- Forward drop-shipping for large-scale device distribution programs
- Device QC and Functionality Testing
- Device Cosmetic Grading Asessment based on custom criteria
- Parts harvesting
Device Recycling
Early Upgrade seeks to provide a one-stop solution to all of our partners, so that they can maximize value through the least amount of effort. In fulfilling that goal – we actively purchase a wide variety e-Scrap and traditional components for recycling.
We focus on providing competitive up-front quotes for product that is already sorted – and likewise – are happy to sort un-manifested product ourselves and provide transparent sort and settle reports.
We actively seek deals of all sizes with easy loading bay access into our 95,000 square foot facility.
We actively seek all sorts of e-Scrap including but not limited to:
- Smartphones & Cellphones
- LCDs
- Motherboards & IC Chips
- Tablets
- Laptops & Chromebooks
- PDAs & MP3s
- Batteries
- Networking Equipment
Municipalities & Government Entities
For Municipalities and government agencies looking for a reliable and R2 Certified e-recycler to manage their district contracts, we would be eager to discuss the logistics support we can provide in partnering with you on your program. Please e-mail us directly at escrap@earlyupgrade.com.