A refurbished/Used iPhone offers one a cheaper way to own an iPhone and get into the Apple ecosystem. es often cost much less than the retail prices of brand-new ones. In fact, owning an iPhone presently has become easier than ever before especially when buying older models. While this is arguably one of the best ways to get into the Apple ecosystem and associate yourself with this prestigious and most valuable brand, it has its drawbacks and calls for one to become meticulous when making a purchase. In this article, I am going to outline some of the risks associated with buying pre-owned iPhones as well as establish a comprehensive buyer’s guide.
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Company Background: Apple
Apple is a multibillion company based in Cupertino, California, United States. According to the latest report in NBCNEWS posted on August 19, 2020, Apple became the world’s most valuable company crossing the $2 trillion market capitalization mark. The $2 trillion valuations represent 10% of U.S GDP, signifying the significant contribution this company has on the U.S economy. It has a ubiquitous iPhone and an ecosystem that is self-sustaining.
Apple is a luxury brand offering a plethora of high-tech devices as well as services. However, this comes at a cost. Apple products are often quite expensive, way much beyond the purchasing power of a significant number of global consumers, especially in the growing country. While this is true, people using Apple devices, especially iPhone has increased among this populace thanks to the emergence of preowned and refurbished sale of these devices.
Free Tips: Buying a refurbished/used iPhone
Buying a used or refurbished iPhone can often be challenging, especially if you don’t have the right parameters for assessment. Rontech offers you this free guide to help with you used/refurbished iPhone purchase. Make a successful purchase by following this free comprehensive guide.
Check if the iPhone is original
There are very many iPhone counterfeits that can be had to distinguish from the original without some form of verification. These devices often look like the real iPhones, except that they are just android devices running on iOS skin and have the same iPhone design. So, how can you confirm that this is an original apple device and not a counterfeit??? Apple offers a great platform to check the serial of your apple device. Go to Check your service and Support Coverage and input the serial number of the device. You should see a valid purchase date.
Check the Activation Lock status of the device
When buying a used/refurbished device, you should ensure that the device isn’t linked to someone’s Apple ID. Thus, ensure that FMI (Find my iPhone) is turned off in the device. Read more about activation lock on this iPhone activation lock. It is important to note that just by checking the FMI OFF isn’t always enough since the device can still be linked to the original owner’s account, thanks to the latest development in iPhone activation lock bypass. Therefore, check the iPhone iCloud (activation lock) status .
Check the iPhone sim lock status
While the device might have passed the above tests, it is important to check whether it is locked or unlocked. This helps to determine whether the iPhone can be used with any sim card. You can put a sim card on the device and check if calls and texts go through. Alternatively, check the official sim lock status of the device .
Check the battery health
Checking the battery health of the device is vital in determining its possible usage hours you can get. I always recommend battery health of 85% and above, although 80% is still considered optimal. You should check the battery health by using the guide below. settings>battery>tap battery health
Conduct basic checks
Perform other basic checks such as making calls to ensure the mouthpiece and earpiece are working fine, test speakers, vibration, and screen sensitivity in case it has been replaced with a third party one. for iPhones that support True Tone display i.e. iPhone 8 upwards, the true tone feature should be available. In case the feature is unavailable, it means that the screen has been replaced. Take precaution with replacement screens.
