With every advancing year, the price of new Android smartphones is skyrocketing. We can see that the newer android flagships are becoming so expensive. Hence, if you want to own flagship and cannot afford to buy a new flagship. It’s wise to consider a second-hand phone, as it will cost you much less than buying a new one. Here are 10 things to check when buying a second-hand Android smartphone.
-
Ask for a purchase receipt
The basic and first step to check the authenticity of the buyer is to ask for the bill. From the bill you get to know many details of the buyer and if the Smartphone is stolen or not. You can check it by asking the seller to show you a valid purchase receipt. If the seller refuses to do so, refuse to buy.
-
Cross-check the IMEI
If the seller shows the valid purchase receipt and you think he/she is speaking the truth. The next step is to ask them for the original retail box of the device. In the device cross-check the IMEI number with IMEI written on the box. All you have to do is type *#06# in the dialer of the phone and it will produce the IMEI number.
-
Check for physical damage
As most people in this world use a smartphone, it is the most abused technology on the planet. And there is a good chance that the smartphone you are planning to buy could have gone through some good physical abuse as well. This extra wear and tear might have decreased the lifespan of the device.
Hence, it is important to inspect the device from each and every angle. If you are sure about buying the phone make sure to peel off any stickers or skins which can be hiding some nasty dents and scratches underneath. Also, be sure to remove the tempered glass as well if it’s not transparent. To check for cracks or scratches on the screen.
-
Ask for the original charging brick and data cable
Smartphone companies put a lot of standard quality products inside the smartphone box for the sake of brand reputation. The accessories are tested multiple times to ensure quality. If the seller doesn’t have it, both the charging adapter and data cable try to negotiate to cover up the cost of you buying it.
Read Also:Top ways to fix Microsoft Teams sign in error
-
Keep an eye on battery drain patterns
Depending on the usage pattern a general Lithium-ion battery in a smartphone lasts for around two years. If the smartphone is quite old it’s better to keep an eye on the battery percentage. Unlike the iPhone there is no battery health option in Android thus one has to manually calculate it. The battery is the backbone of a smartphone making it a crucial thing to check before being a used Android smartphone.
-
Ask for any repairs phone has undergone
One of the important aspects of buying a used smartphone. Ask the seller if the phone has undergone many repairs. If yes, ask for any receipt of parts changed as some of the recent changes may be covered in warranty if done by the company’s service centre.
If the seller denies any repairs, check closely on the phone’s edge, frame and display connection. An unprofessional screen replacement can be easily spotted. It is advised to stay away from the phones with lots of repairs as it surely won’t last long for you as well.
-
Test if all the components work
It’s important to check each and every aspect of the device patiently if you’re buying it second hand. As soon as you get the in-hand experience of the phone check if the Power and volume rockers work by vigorously pressing them. Connect the cable to the charging port and test if the device is charging. Click some pictures from the front and rear cameras. Make sure the proximity sensor works by making calls.
Ambient light sensors can be checked by switching on automatic brightness and covering the phone’s top. Play some good quality music to check the phone’s bottom-firing or front-firing speaker.
-
Check for the phone’s information with IMEI
It’s important for one to check if the IMEI number has not been tampered with or the mobile is not some Chinese knock off. Just head to imei.info and enter the IMEI number of the phone and match the details from the box and the website. Also if you live outside India, one can check the warranty claims as well.
Read Also: Apple announces free repairs for these ‘defective’ iPhones
-
Check phone’s hardware
To double-check the above step and to ensure that it is not a duplicate phone download CPU-Z from the play store and check all the hardware mentioned there. This hardware check will spot a fake or clone Android phone with ease. It gets usually difficult with Samsung devices as the company sells their product with different chipsets in different countries. A lot of fake clones are powered by ancient Mediatek (MTK) processors.
-
Other hardware checks
Many smartphone companies like OnePlus and Samsung offer diagnostic applications to check multiple aspects like speakers, screens or even the shows the warranty claimed on the devices previously. One can download Samsung Memeber on Samsung smartphone or OnePlus Care on OnePlus phones to check it. These applications can come in handy to check the smartphone before you buy it.
These are 10 things to check when buying a second-hand Android smartphone. If all the checks are successful you can surely consider buying that smartphone. We also advise you to take the phone to the respective service centre for getting an expert eye on it. Also, do not buy the phone if there is even a slight bit of doubt in your mind.
For the latest gadget and tech news, and gadget reviews, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. For newest tech & gadget videos subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also stay up to date using the Gadget Bridge Android App. You can find the latest car and bike news here.
