10 things to check when buying a second-hand Apple iPhone

iPhones are famous for their ecosystem and snappy performance. One can even consider buying an iPhone to get something different from Android. With the new iPhones recently launched by Apple, people would consider picking the previous version first. We must check on things to check when buying a second-hand Apple iPhone

The prices are skyrocketing, electronics are expensive and require various checklists before purchase. The following is a must keep checklist when buying a second-hand Apple iPhone online or offline. There are several questions and checks that you can ask the seller before committing to a purchase.

• Table of Contents

  Purchase proof

Ask the seller to provide the original receipt. With this, you can check two major aspects. The first one being the owner and the other being the warranty status. Once getting the receipt, check if the owner’s name matches the receipt and purchase date. 

This will also help you to check the warranty status of the iPhone. If the seller is not able to provide you with a receipt, deny the purchase. Don’t even let the good condition of an iPhone tempt you as the device can have major security issues.

• IMEI number

To check if the device specs match the receipt, you go to Settings > General > About to find the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number. This can confirm that the seller and the device are genuine or not. Alternatively, you can ask the seller to dial *#06# on their dial pad to get the IMEI information.

IMEI is mentioned on the phone’s box as well. Make sure it matches too. One can also open the web and visit IMEI.info, to know about the product by entering IMEI on the site.

• Serial number

Apple issues serial numbers as well apart from IMEI to all its devices for warranty validation. The serial number can be found at Settings > General > About. With the serial number, users can find out when the device was manufactured. It can be also used for checking the device specs match and warranty status. You can visit Apple’s website to check the coverage. 

• In the second-hand iPhone check for physical damage

Smartphones are already over abused devices. And any damage on the iPhone can be pretty expensive to repair. Make sure to check the rim of the phone as well to check for dents or scratches. If the smartphone has any type of skin, cover or tempered glass installed. Ask the seller to remove it to confirm there is no smartphone damage in the second-hand iPhone.

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• Service records

If the buyer claims that there was repair work done on the iPhone, make sure to ask for service records. These service records will confirm if the repair was done from an authorised service centre. Repairs done in an unauthorised service centre means the parts in the device are no longer authentic. 

Low-quality parts, LCD for example, can affect the visual experience and can also affect the battery in a negative way. There will be a drastic difference in speed and backlights as well, which can be spotted easily if the screen has been replaced with a low-quality one.

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• Do the Touch Test in the second-hand iPhone

Make sure the touchscreen is working properly along with checking the physical buttons as well. The best way is to open the camera application and ask the seller to perform gestures like swipe, zoom and tap. 

The older iPhones and the new SE 2 have physical Touch ID. Ask the seller to demonstrate these as well and keep an eye on the responsiveness of the device. If it has Face ID, ask the seller to give the demo of it as well. It becomes a must-have things to check when buying a second-hand Apple iPhone

• Microphone, camera and speaker test

Water damage can cause the microphone, camera and speaker to malfunction. Initially, these damages cannot be spotted but gradually increase over time. To check it, play something at maximum volume and listen carefully for any distortion. 

Put the call on vibrate to check the motor as well. Open the recording application and try to record one or two-line and play back the recorded voice. 

Also, check in the camera application if the camera is working as well as the camera is able to keep the focus on the object. This applies to the front as well as rear cameras.

• Port check

With various open ports in the iPhone, they become prone to dust or water damage especially the earlier models. Check the ports by plugging in the phone charger and notice if the phone is charging or if there is any delay in charging speed. If the iPhone has a headphone jack make sure you plug in a good quality earphone to check the output.

• Battery health in the second-hand iPhone

Unlike Android phones, Apple lets its users check the battery health natively in iOS. Battery being the backbone of the phone is an essential part of your smartphone. Poor battery life can result from abusive usage or bad charging practices. To check it go to Settings>Battery>Battery Health. It is an important aspect as the batteries have a limited charging cycle. For example, if the battery of the phone is 80%, it has already completed its 500 charge cycles.

Read Also: 10 things to check when buying a second-hand Android smartphone

• Hardware testing

A very important test when purchasing a second-hand iPhone. This test is important to check for clones in the market. With advances in technology, clones have become hard to detect but there is an easy way to check the internals of the iPhone. Download CPU-x from the Apple store and it will determine the hardware the phone is running on with extra information as well. Also, make sure the device is not selling for way too cheap as it is an alarming signal that it may be a Chinese knockoff of the phone. These are 10 things to check when buying a second-hand Apple iPhone.

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