Best Guide: Factors to check before buying a used iPhone

The iPhone is one of the most valued smartphone devices out there but they don’t come cheap in Ghana. Unlike other premium smartphones that get price cuts on a timely basis, iPhones rarely go on sale or get price cuts. However, there are offers for iPhones from select accredit Apple shops, small phone shops, ICT shops, and sakawa boys. In our part of the world, contract phone purchasing is not common.

But if you do not want to pay a hefty sum for an iPhone, then you can consider buying a used iPhone. Well, used iPhones could be your best bet as you will be able to strike a good deal. However, you need to consider a few aspects before you upgrade to a used iPhone as there are some notable factors you need to watch out for.

Activation Lock

Before you decide to buy a used iPhone, make sure you do not land up buying a stolen phone. Apple prevents stolen iPhones from being activated with its theft protection system – Activation Lock. Until a year back, it was possible to check if an iPhone was used by some other user by entering the IMEI number on the Activation Lock status tool on the website. Now, this tool has been removed and it has to be checked manually on the specific unit of iPhone. You can check it by heading to Settings -> General Reset -> Erase All Content and Settings and begin the setup or from the ‘Set up your iPhone’ option. If another user has used the device, then you will be asked to enter the previous owner’s Apple ID and password. You can ask the seller to erase the content and remove their account from icloud.com.

Warranty

The next important factor you should check for is the warranty on the iPhone. Check if the device is still under warranty by heading over to the Apple website and enter your device’s serial number. If the iPhone is under warranty, then you get an extended AppleCare coverage too. This is not a big deal for users in Ghana.

Water Damage

The notable aspect of iPhones is the Liquid Contact Indicator that lets you check for any liquid damage. When buying a used iPhone, you need to check if there is no water damage as this issue is not covered by warranty. The iPhone 5 and above models have the LCI positioned inside the SIM card slot, so remove the SIM card tray and check for a red spot or strip to know water damage.

Battery Condition

With iOS 11.3, Apple came up with a new feature that shows battery health. The new battery health indicator will be at its maximum capacity, which is 100% in new iPhones. With use, the capacity diminishes as the battery health degrades. If the battery health has reduced to a great extent, then you need to know that the battery will have a low capacity. In that case, you can avoid buying this unit or replace the battery before using it.

Hardware

Besides the battery health, you need to check for the other hardware aspects of the iPhone. Make sure there is no major hardware damage such as cracks or dents. The screen is free from scratches, no issue in 3D Touch functioning and no dead pixels. The camera app should work fine with the flash. Also, take a test of the Lightning port, headphone jack, call quality and connectivity aspects.

Box and Accessories (Optional)

When you buy a used iPhone, you need to check if the retail box and accessories that are bundled in it are intact. There should be a power adapter, earpods, lightning cable, and lightning to 3.5mm adapter on the latest iPhones. Besides these factors, you need to make sure that you buy the used iPhone from a reputed seller and inspect the device in person to make sure you get a good deal.

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