Categories: TechTutorials

How to check a used iPhone before buying?

A latest generation iPhone is expensive. For all those who cannot afford one, it is always possible to buy a used one. Especially since each time a new model comes out, that is to say several times a year, the price of the old ones drops significantly.

There are several ways to get a used Apple smartphone. In specialized stores or on second-hand sites like Leboncoin. Possibly, some social networks have sections for resale. This is the case, for example, with the giant Facebook.

In any case, you should never trust a stranger who sells you his cell phone. An iPhone is worth gold, and dealers know it very well. And since it would be a shame to buy a model that does not or does not work well, we have made a list of the reflexes to have in order to check your phone.

First, check out the activation lock status

It would be a shame not to be able to use your iPhone after purchasing it. This kind of situation exists and occurs relatively often. In question : the arrival of activation lock with iOS 7. But what are we talking about here?

This feature was introduced by Apple to prevent iPhone thefts from becoming a source of income for thieves. In fact, thanks to it, it is quite possible to locate the device wherever it iseven after theft or pick-pocketing. Also, it is possible to block it from a distance.

So, to know if the iPhone in your hands is not a stolen smartphone, you have to ask the seller to do several manipulations. First of all, make sure with him that it is possible to unlink iCloud account from device.

Thanks to the dedicated online service set up by Apple, it is with disconcerting ease that we can check whether the cell phone is blocked or not. It will simply take enter iPhone serial number or IMEI to check if the activation lock is working.

Last thing: ask the salesperson to reset the iPhone in front of you. To do this, “Settings> General> Reset> Erase content and settings”. If this same person pretends for one reason or another, it is because there is eel under the rock!

Roughly speaking, what to remember about the status of the activation lock of an iPhone:

make sure it is possible to unlink the iCloud account from the device;
check if the cell phone is blocked or not thanks to the serial number;
also, ask the seller to reset the iPhone in front of you.

Then you have to check the unlocking of your used iPhone

Checking her new Used iPhone logically continues with the unlocking. For the most knowledgeable and seasoned, this may seem obvious. However, this reflex is not for a large number of users, Apple or others.

It is a very simple and very quick manipulation to do. In front of your dealer just take your current SIM card and enter it in the iPhone of your dreams. Two possibilities: either everything works, and the smartphone is unlocked; either it does not work and in this case, it will be necessary to change operator and mobile plan.

It is also necessary to check the concordance of the IMEI

You can not stop progress. Indeed, and even if it may sound crazy, it is quite possible to “Create” an iPhone from HS parts other smartphones of the same brand. So, to be sure that the cell phone that we have in our hands is not a carcass rehabilitated by who-knows-what malicious person, there is a trick.

In fact, just take a look at the IMEI side. Roughly speaking, the International Mobile Equipment Identity is a number that allows a precise identification of a smartphone

. This may be used to know its origin even if it is mainly used by operators of a mobile network to identify the mobile in order to authorize it or not to connect to it.

So, to check the match of your used iPhone, it’s really simple. First, we find the IMEI number: “Settings> General> Information> IMEI”. Then, we look at the same number on the shell of the smartphone in your hands, on the back of the device. If the two are the same, everything is okay on this level. Otherwise, be careful!

Check the warranty status of the used iPhone

When buying a second-hand iPhone, it makes sense to look into the warranty of the device. Indeed, one can really never know that it has been the life of the smartphone since it left the factory. It must be said that many users are not very careful with their belongings, and because a cell phone is fragile, it is better to cover its back with the warranty.

Many resellers inflate the price of their iPhone for the simple reason that it is still eligible for a warranty: Apple Care. Apple really thinks of everything: the warranty is one of them. The American brand has set up a page on its website allowing, thanks to the serial number or the IMEI, to verify the validity or not of the warranty of the iPhone.

By doing this manipulation, you will be able to know when the smartphone was purchased, and mechanically find out if the warranty is still effective. However, it should be noted that this check can be done in the iPhone browser.

Finally, it’s time to check the number of battery charge cycles

Whether it is a used iPhone or a refurbished device, know the number of cycles of a device allows you to better visualize your life expectancy. It is interesting to take into consideration that the inside and the outside of a smartphone are two completely different things. Indeed, it is quite possible to change a shell inexpensively to give the impression that a cell phone is new.

If you buy a smartphone through a site specializing in refurbished iPhones, the withdrawal period after receipt of the package allows you to do some research. In the event that there is a problem, it will always be possible to return it at no additional cost. So, to check the number of battery charge cycles, the iBackupBot utility is what you need!

iBackupBot is available and compatible on Mac and PC. It is a utility that allows you to find out the number of battery charge cycles. To use it, all you have to do is download the program to your computer, connect your iPhone and open iBackupBot. In the left column, on the lower part, we select the device in question. Then, in the main window, we click on “More Information”. The trick is played: you can now know the number of charges of your second-hand iPhone in the “CycleCount” line.

In short, here are all the reflexes to have to check your second-hand iPhone: