8 Ways to Check if your iPhone or Android is Refurbished or Brand New

At a time when smartphone prices keep soaring to new heights every year, many users prefer buying a refurbished phone over a new one. If bought from a reputable seller, refurbished phones can be just as good as new ones. Some even come with a warranty period. A lot of users may even find it hard to differentiate between a new phone and a refurbished unit. While this may be good news if you purchased the latter, it can be slightly disconcerting for new phone buyers. After all, there are a lot of shady sellers out there. Luckily, there are several ways you can check if your iPhone or Android smartphone is refurbished or brand new. Here are the 8 best ways to go about it.

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How to check if your iPhone is refurbished

Refurbished iPhones are far too common these days. Apple retails refurbished iPhones in its own online store. If you find the regular iPhone to be too pricey, you can get a pretty good deal on a refurbished one. Apple even changes the battery and the outer shell and makes sure all broken parts are either fixed or replaced before retailing a refurbished iPhone. On top of that, you even get a warranty of 1 year. Other sellers may not offer a warranty on the iPhone, but usually ask for a lower price than the official Apple Store. Here is our list of the best places to buy a refurbished iPhone.

Check the Model Number of the iPhone

Wondering whether your iPhone is refurbished or not? It is actually quite easy to find that out. All you need to do is look at the model number of your iPhone. Here’s how you can do that.

Step 1: Go to Settings.

Step 2: Select General.

Step 3: Select About.

Step 4: Check the first letter of the Model Number.

If it starts with M, your iPhone is brand new.

If it starts with F, your iPhone is a refurbished unit provided by Apple or a third-party seller.

If it starts with P, your iPhone is a personalised unit with an engraving.

If it starts with N, your iPhone was issued as a replacement unit by Apple for a faulty iPhone.

Check Parts & Service History

Your iPhone keeps a record of refurbished, repaired, and serviced parts. If you want to confirm that your iPhone is refurbished, simply check this record. Here’s how.

Step 1: Go to Settings and select General.

Step 2: Tap on About.

Step 3: Select Parts & Service History.

Step 4: The refurbished and serviced items will be listed on the following page.

Check your iPhone’s Serial Number

Step 1: Go to Settings and select General.

Step 2: Tap on About and navigate to the Serial Number.

Step 3: Note down the serial number of your device.

Step 4: Go to the device coverage page on Apple’s website.

Step 5: Enter your iPhone’s serial number and the on-screen CAPTCHA.

Step 6: Hit Submit.

Step 7: If the website says your iPhone has not yet been activated, your device is brand new.

Check the Battery Health

Most retailers, including official Apple retail outlets, change the battery packs of refurbished iPhones before selling them. However, in some cases, that might not be the case. To confirm whether your iPhone is a new model or a refurbished unit, check its battery health. A new iPhone or a refurbished unit with a new battery pack will always have a 100% battery capacity. However, refurbished units with old battery packs will have a significantly lower battery capacity.

Step 1: Go to Settings and select Battery.

Step 2: Tap on Battery Health & Charging.

Step 3: Check the Maximum Capacity field.

How to check if your Android phone is refurbished

There are a couple of ways to find out if your Android smartphone is refurbished or brand new. Older smartphones display their RTN information upon dialling a code. Newer smartphones typically do not have this feature. Here are some methods that will cover every Android phone.

Use a dial code

This is one of the best methods to check if your Android smartphone is refurbished or not.

Step 1: Open the dialer app on your phone.

Step 2: Dial ##786# (##RTN#) on the keypad. If this code doesn’t work, dial ##786#*#.

Step 3: Scroll down and check the Reconditioned Status. If it says Yes, your phone is a refurbished unit. If it says no, your phone is brand new.

Use a third-party app

Newer Android smartphones make it harder to check if they are refurbished or not. However, there are certain third-party apps that will do it for you. Samsung users can download the Phone INFO+ app to check the refurbishment status of their device. This is a paid app, which isn’t ideal, but it gets the job done. Launch the app and tap the hamburger menu on the left. Select ‘Refurbishment Check’ and the app will let you know if your device is refurbished or brand new.

Check the IMEI number 

If you purchased your phone from a shady seller and are now afraid they may have slipped you a stolen phone under the guise of a new one, you can easily find out its status by checking the IMEI number. Go to the About Phone section in the Settings app to find the IMEI number of your phone. Here are some easy ways to find the IMEI number of your smartphone. Now, go to imei.info and check if your device has any history of being stolen. If nothing shows up, your phone is likely brand new.

Make sure the IMEI number is consistent

There are several ways to go about checking the IMEI number of your Android phone. When a phone gets refurbished, the seller may flash its IMEI, leading to inconsistencies in the numbers listed on the device packaging and the device itself. Use the method mentioned above to find out the IMEI number of your phone from the device settings. Next, dial *#06# to check the IMEI number. Finally, check if these two numbers match the number listed on the retail package.

Should you buy a refurbished phone?

If you don’t want to splurge a lot of money on a flagship smartphone, buying a refurbished unit is the right move. Premium smartphones offer anywhere between 5 to 7 major OS upgrades, depending on the manufacturer. If you’re buying a refurbished model that’s only a couple of years old, you can still get a lot of mileage out of it. The dropoff in performance isn’t super big.

Apart from the year of production and remaining software coverage, you should also do a basic hardware check while buying a refurbished smartphone. This means running an app like TestM or Phone Doctor to get an assessment of the core hardware of the device. You should also manually check the cameras, display, and speakers of the phone. This is why we recommend buying refurbished smartphones from physical retailers rather than online outlets.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I find out if my iPhone is brand new or refurbished?

Go to Settings>About and find out your device’s model number. If it begins with an F, it means your iPhone is refurbished.

How do I check if my Android smartphone is refurbished?

Dial ##786# on your phone’s dialer to check its reconditioned status.

How do I check my iPhone’s parts and service history?

Go to Settings>General>About, and tap on ‘Parts & Service history’.

How do I check my iPhone’s battery capacity?

Go to Settings>Battery>Battery Health & Charging, and check the ‘Maximum Capacity’ field.

Which is the best place to buy a refurbished iPhone?

Apple’s official refurbished outlet is the best place to buy a refurbished iPhone since it will be equipped with a new battery and body casing. Apple also offers a 1-year warranty on refurbished iPhones.

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Conclusion

This is how you can check if your iPhone or Android smartphone is refurbished or brand new. While buying a smartphone, make sure you check the date of manufacturing of the device. If a long time has elapsed since the date of manufacture, it is possible that the phone may be refurbished. To avoid this, always buy electronic goods from reputable sellers only.