Refurbished iPhone Buying Guide 2023
Gone are the days when refurbished devices or iPhones were looked down upon or considered something only desperate individuals will fall for; nowadays there is a huge market and audience for refurbished devices especially iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks. That is because despite being used for a few-odd years, Apple products have the ability to be repaired, maintained, serviced, and return to work for another two to three years. This gives people the confidence to go for refurbished iPhones but not all devices that are claimed as refurbished or repaired are as good as some of their owners will claim.
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So, how do you reduce this confusion? How do you recognize a useful device from a fake product? For starters, read this blog and let your mind make a sound and thorough decision by obeying the steps below. From Apple warranty checks to Apple IMEI checks, these steps will help you land at the right device and save you from spending your money on the wrong purchases. Because let’s be fair – not everyone has the ability to buy new or refurbished devices every alternate day. Thus, the research has to be thorough and fool-proof.
Check List for Refurbished Apple Devices buying:
1. IMEI Number
First things first, the IMEI (international mobile equipment identity) number along with the proof of purchase is a simple – yet effective – method to check whether the device is authentic, has been purchased in a legit way, and from where the purchase was made.
To check the IMEI number, go to Settings > General > About and you can see the IMEI number clearly being written. The IMEI number should match the proof of purchase given to you by the seller/reseller.
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2. Serial Number
Second, the serial number describes the condition of the existing warranty (if any), end of warranty, and everything else that you need to check about the device being insured or not. Apple warranty checks determine whether the device is relatively new or being used for a good few years.
For Apple serial number check, go to Settings > General > About
To check Apple warranty, in the About section, tap the name of your AppleCare plan. If you do not see one, tap Limited Warranty or Coverage Expired whatever prompts up.
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Now that you know how to check Apple warranty you must make sure you’re taking devices that still have some warranty left.
Another simple way to check your device’s serial number is to go to apple.com and check for warranty status. You can directly visit www.checkcoverage.apple.com and find out about your device’s warranty status. This works for all Macbook warranty checks, iPad warranty checks, and so on.
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3. Proof of Purchase
As mentioned in the first point, the seller of a refurbished item has to produce a proof of purchase, which is the original bill or receipt that he/she must’ve got while purchasing the device initially.
You must make sure that you do not accept any refurbished iPhone or any other device without the necessary proof of purchase. A device, without any proof of purchase, may be used for dubious or illegal activities and then passed on to you so be careful and safeguard your interests by checking for the right proof of purchase and matching it to the device’s IMEI number.
4. Part Authenticity
Now that we’ve covered the IMEI number, Serial number, and proof of purchase, we must move on to the physical aspects of buying an Apple product. Apple’s ingenuity and sheer brilliance allows users to find out if the refurbished device includes any local part or whether the device – as claimed – has all the original billings to make it a successful refurbished or second-hand purchase.
If the previous replacements, repairs, or any other damage-fixing has been done by an Apple-authorized service provider then you will always see the original parts being verified by the device.
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For users using iPhone 11 and above, the focus should be on checking whether all the parts are original and that no local shop or repair service has replaced an original part with a local – sub-standard – part. Apple usually will show an error if such an incompatible part is used for any repair or replacement issue.
Original Apple parts are calibrated in such a manner that you can check whether it is a genuine part or not by going to the device settings. Apple’s iOS 15.2 update got users the power to check if their phone has third party parts.
To check you can go to Settings > General > About my iPhone, and here you will find the ‘parts and service’ history mentioned.
If there is a message claiming “genuine Apple part” next to the part, then you have an authentic and Apple-verified part inside. Nothing to worry about.
5. Camera Test
Next, you can try checking the different aspects of the iPhones, iPads, or Macbooks but always start with the cameras as they’re the main highlights for any Apple device, especially the iPhones.
First thing first – make sure there are no cracks on the camera surface. When testing a second-hand or refurbished iPhone, check for the image quality, stabilisation, focus and auto-focus capabilities, and the selfie camera. If results are satisfactory and you can see the images can also be clicked in the HDR mode then the camera is working.
To check for any spots or watermarks you must take a video with your back camera and flash turned on. The video must be taken on a white paper or surface. This helps to clearly spot the marks or unwanted scratches on white surface.
6. Speaker Test
Faulty-speakers are the most common signs in iPhones and Apple devices with water damage. Usually people do not want to disclose this while giving their devices for refurbishment or as second-hand offers so you must pay close emphasis to the speakers and whether the sound quality is genuine.
To check the speaker’s health, have the seller put the iPhone volume on max. Taking outbound calls from the device also tells us if the sound is free of any static or not. Lastly, you can also check the speakers by keeping the device on a wooden or metallic surface on vibrate mode and then checking the clarity of the vibrations upon receiving a call.
There is another interesting way to test your iPhone dual speakers. Go to Youtube and search for ‘Left Right Speaker Test’ and you will find a video titled ‘#Stereo: Left Right Stereo Sound Test’ by MasterStudy. This video plays one speaker at a time helping you find out if any of the speakers are faulty or not at their optimum best.
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7. Touch & Display Test
Determining if the physical keys are working and the touch works fine is one of the most crucial steps in the process as it is what makes the whole experience worthy or cringe-worthy. You can have the seller press all the buttons on a live video call as you check the device’s response at the same time.
Basic gestures such as swipe, zoom, and tap should also be thoroughly checked before making a refurbished purchase.
You can open ‘Notes’ and look for any spots/marks on the display. This helps you notice if the pixel is dead or working fine as per expectations. To check the touch, you can simply get help from the ‘Assistive Touch’ feature on your iPhone, iPads, and Macbooks.
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Once the Assistive Touch appears on the Home Screen, rotate and use it across the entire display and at every corner of the screen. This will help you find out if there are any touch issues on any part of the screen or if everything works fine and smoothly.
8. Mic & Battery Test
The Mic is a very important aspect for people to be able to send voice notes, take calls, and for recording purposes. If the Mic of the Apple device is broken, battered, or not original then you can face plenty of problems so you must check whether the Mic is working properly or not before purchasing a refurbished device.
There are multiple ways the mics on your device are used. One, in-built in the charging jack, used for normal calls, the other – a front-cam mic that is adjacent to the front camera, used for voice recordings.
To check all the mics, you must record a video from your front camera with speech, a video with the back-camera with speech, and also take a few WhatsApp and FaceTime calls to figure out any faulty mics. And of course, normal calls must be done for over 5-7 minutes duration so as to know that the other person can hear you crystal clear.
On the other hand, battery health is a crucial way to determine whether the phone or device in question is worthy or you can skip it to look for another device. Usually new iPhones, iPads, and Macbooks have a 100% battery health but that degrades as the device is put to use.
To check the iPhone battery – go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health
If you’re buying a refurbished iPhone or iPad, you can expect the battery health to be at least 80% and anything below that should not be acceptable.
A ‘Stress Test’ can also be carried out by individual users at home. In this, you can make a video with flash on for at least 10 minutes. If the battery drop is 1% for every minute, and not more, then your battery is in an optimum condition.
Now that you have figured out the right steps on how to check warranty for Apple products and how to find out the genuinity of the parts, you can walk pressure-free and in confidence whenever you’re approaching a seller or retailer for a refurbished Apple product. Hope this helps! If you still have problems with your newly-acquired refurbished devices, you can take help from the experts and call them today to assist you.
Do you have a battery issue in your iPhone or iPad? Do you want to get your shattered iPhone 13 Pro glass replaced at the right cost? Or do you have any physical or technical issues with your Apple device? Whatever the problem, the top experts in your city can fix it by arranging a free pickup and drop service. Start today, give a call or whatsapp to bring your device under the best care.
