What Should You Know Before Buying An Old/Used iPhone?
Buying a used iPhone can be a hit or a miss.
It is the surest way to save some bucks on one side, while it can also cost you an arm and a leg if you fail to choose the right one.
In this article, we will guide you on how you can buy the awesome high-quality used iPhone without breaking the bank.
It is a fact that,
More than 1.5 billion iPhones have been sold since 2007, and Apple is making constant efforts to introduce new models and features to increase sales.
But still,
The huge price tag of iPhones makes them totally out of range for most people.
If you want to buy the iPhone but are tight on budget, buying the used one can be the smartest option.
To make things easier, we have done deep research and found a few things that you must consider before buying a used iPhone, so you will never go wrong.
Let’s have a look at those couple of things you should keep an eye out for!
Is The Used iPhone You Are Buying Reliable?
Before making a purchase, you need to ensure that you are getting a certified iPhone, not a stolen one, and not a replaced, reported, insurance claims iPhone. To achieve this goal, do not hurry for a good deal without knowing the reputation and credibility of the sellers.
You are almost safe when you buy the used iPhone from the well-reputed store or the legit seller, however, it is strictly advised to ask the seller to provide proof of purchase. Ensuring that you are buying the original product from a reputable seller always keeps you on the safe side and prevents you from losing your money.
The good news?
Apple also provides electronic receipts, so you can confidently ask the seller to provide you with the original receipt. Having a device receipt helps in reselling the product and extending the warranty of the product. It also prevents you from buying the stolen iPhone.
Is The iPhone You Want To Buy Is Carrier-Locked?
Knowing the carrier status of your iPhone is super important!
Remember that carrier-locked iPhones are cheaper than carrier-unlocked iPhones.
Carrier-locked iPhones are the ones that only work with the original network and prevent the device from connecting to any other network. Although there are various ways through which you can unlock your phone and make it compatible with other mobile networks, you will have to pay for the unlocking service.
Let’s get to the point!
If you want to know whether or not the pre-owned iPhone is locked or unlocked, you should find out the device’s IMEI number. In most cases, the sellers already have the information about the IMEI number, but in case they do not know, you can use an online free tool.
With an IMEI number, you can easily call your carriers and ask them whether or not your iPhone is carrier-locked or unlocked.
Make Sure The Pre-owned iPhone Isn’t Stolen
It is no secret that iPhones have highly advanced security features, but unfortunately, they are still the target of thieves who have developed ways to unlock them. So you should be very careful if you are going to buy an iPhone from the individual seller, instead of a company.
Here are the few steps that you should follow to figure out the legitimacy of the iPhone you are going to buy.
- Go to the “Settings” of the iPhone.
- Move to “General”, then choose “About”.
- You will find an IMEI number and another next to it. Make note of this 25 digital number right after the IMEI number.
- Go to the internet, open the CITA Stolen Phone Checker website, enter the 25-digit number and press the “Submit” button.
- If you get the green signal, it shows that the device is not stolen, while the appearance of the red signal is the clear indicator that the iPhone under consideration is stolen and the owner has already reported it.
However, this may not be the reliable option always, because this website only tells about the “reported stolen” IPhones, and cannot tell if the iPhone is stolen but the owner has not reported it yet.
Check The Battery Status & Hardware
Like all other phones, iPhones also lose their capacity to charge with time, so while buying a used iPhone, you must check the battery status. It is even more important if the iPhone has an older model.
To check the health of the battery, you can simply go to the “Settings” and look for the battery health in the “Battery” option.
If you are satisfied with the battery, make sure to check the other hardware as well. Damage, dents, cracks or any other scars can be easily identified by the detailed visual check. The screen should be scratch-free, and the touch feature of the device should be working properly (touch screen and touch ID). Take your time in checking the phone’s buttons, including the mute switch and home button and all other things like WIFI, Bluetooth, GPS, touch id, fingerprints, and other functions of the device to ensure that they are working correctly.
Any hardware problem can further cost you money, so pay special heed to check everything before making an informed decision about the purchase.
Final Verdict
No matter what is your reason to buy the used iPhone, you should never compromise on the quality of the product and the credibility of the sellers. Make sure that you have a high-quality product in your pocket that is worth every penny.
Here it is worth mentioning that just as the buyers are super conscious about their purchase of the used iPhones, the sellers also want to have secure payment procedures and inspection processes.
