If you’ve been using your smartphone for a few years, it may be time to get a new one. Most smartphone manufacturers offer major OS upgrades for 2-3 years, after which you need to get a new device to stay on top of things. Once the security patches stop coming in, it is advised that you switch to a new device. If you don’t want to spend a whole lot of money on your new phone, you can always choose to sell your current device. In this article, we bring you the top 7 things to keep in mind before trading in or selling your phone.
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Table of Contents
Create a backup of your personal data
The first thing you should do before trading in or selling your phone is create a complete backup of all your personal data on the device. This may be a bit trickier than you think. Start with the media on your phone. You can choose to back them up on an external storage device like a memory card, hard disk, or even a pen drive. If you don’t have a lot of media on your phone, we’d suggest using an online storage service like Google Drive or Dropbox.
Once that is taken care of, start backing up your contacts. This is an essential part of the process since manually saving contacts on your new phone can prove to be an arduous task. Your phone contacts can be stored in a VCF file. After that, go through all your instant messengers and make sure all your chats and conversation media are backed up. Read this article to find out how you can back up your WhatsApp messages.
Next, you need to back up the miscellaneous data on your device. This includes documents, files, music, ebooks, and other stuff. Go to your phone’s file manager and back up all your downloads.
If you get a new phone before selling your current device, you can use its default file transfer interface to restore your data from your previous phone. Using this interface will also help you restore all your apps on the new device.
Remove your memory card
If your current device has a memory card slot, remember to make sure its empty before you sell it. People often forget to pull out the memory card before switching to a new device. You may also want to take out the card before performing a factory reset of the device. This preserves all your data and ensures that the new owner does not get access to your personal stuff. Newer smartphones come with a hybrid SIM card slot, which means your SIM card and memory card are housed in the same tray. This makes it easier for users to remember to pull out the micro SD card.
Perform a factory reset
Once your data is backed up and you have pulled out the memory card from your device, it’s time to perform a factory reset. Resetting your phone to its factory settings clears all the data on your device and logs out all the accounts you are signed into. Your phone will be restored to the condition it was in when you pulled it out of its retail box for the first time. Here’s how you can perform a factory reset on your Android device.
Step 1: Go to Settings, scroll down and select General Management.
Step 2: Tap on Reset.
Step 3: Select Factory data reset.
Step 4: Scroll down and tap on Reset.
Make sure the accessories are intact
If your phone came with additional stuff like a power adapter, USB charging cable, or even a soft cover, make sure you put them in the retail box while selling your phone. If those accessories are still intact and in usable shape, you can sell your phone for a higher price. Most smartphones these days do not come with a power adapter. So, you can easily bump up the selling price if you have it in the retail box. If your smartphone is still under warranty, make sure you include the bill in the package as well. Phones that are under warranty can fetch a higher price than regular phones with no warranty cover.
Check your phone’s model number
Your phone’s model number is different than its model name. The former is an alphanumeric string while the latter is the name that is used to market the phone. A phone can have several model numbers but only one model name. This is because its specifications and internal components may vary from region to region. For example, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (model name) has several model numbers – SM-S918B, SM-S918B/DS, SM-S918U, SM-S918U1, and more. While trading in your phone, you need to know the exact model number for your device. This makes it easier for the buyer to give you an estimation of the value of your device.
Here’s how you can find the model number of your smartphone.
Step 1: Go to Settings.
Step 2: Select About Phone.
Step 3: The model name, model number, and the serial number of your smartphone will be displayed in the following page.
Step 4: In some smartphones, you may have to open Regulatory Information in the About Phone section to view the model number.
Give it a good wipe
If you use a solid case or a soft cover on your smartphone, chances are that its back panel has patches of dust or grime. Take off the cover and clean the back panel with isopropyl alcohol. Use a microfibre cloth to wipe the back clean and let it dry out for a bit. If the screen protector for the display has scratches on it, peel it off and install a new one. These small changes can bump up the value of your device.
Get a price estimation from online resellers
Before selling your smartphone to another party, it is always a good idea to check its value online. Online platforms like OLX give you an accurate estimation of the resale value of your device. We’d also suggest looking up the model number of your smartphone on different platforms to gauge what other sellers are asking for it. A thorough market research can get you the best price possible for your device.
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Conclusion
These are the top 7 things you need to keep in mind before trading in or selling your phone. We’d also suggest checking out the exchange offers for new flagship devices instead of selling your phone to another buyer. These offers can earn you significant discounts on products that would otherwise be out of your budget. Last week, Flipkart was offering huge exchange discounts on iPhone 14 Plus. You can read more about it here. Keep a watch on our website for such offers!
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