Sometimes we may trust too much in humanity, or in platforms like Amazon to buy smartphones . The main drawback is that it will not be the first time we see how users have complained that they had bought a supposedly ‘new’ phone, but in the end it was a used one. Come on, they had purchased refurbished devices.
In most cases, if this has happened to us, it will be the fault of the seller himself, since he has tried to ‘sneak in’ a new mobile when it was not. Although, it is clear that we are people and we may not have taken a good look at the information that came in said announcement of the phone for sale. In any case, if we already have the smartphone in our possession or we are doubting whether it is completely new, you must follow these steps to check it.
What to consider before buying
One of the key points before going on to buy a phone is to pay close attention to the price at which it is for sale. A smartphone that has been used or refurbished will cost much less than a brand new model. Therefore, the difference between one and the other will be quite noticeable. In this way, even though no information about it appears in the ad, this detail will make us catch that attempt at deception.
However, in general, on platforms like Amazon, the ads will make it clear to us at all times if we are dealing with a brand new smartphone, or if it is used. Everything will be to see with a lot of eye the description of the product that we are going to buy.
On the other hand, no matter how much we have, we may not realize that we have bought a refurbished or second-hand mobile when we already have it in our possession. If that is your case, there are different ways to know its status. Although, it will be easier to achieve it depending on the operating system we have.
And we cannot ignore that it will be important to also look at the different reviews of other testers to verify if we are facing a brand new terminal or not. In this way, we will be able to get rid of doubts and, above all, make sure that the Android or iPhone device that we are going to buy is totally new or not. Quite an important point.
How to know if my mobile is used
When we have the phone in our possession, there are several details that we must pay attention to. In some cases we will have to resort to the help of external apps to know if it is a new or refurbished mobile. With these tricks, we can stay calmer at any time.
by the box
Any device that is brand new will come in a fully sealed box. If in your case you received the phone without a seal, it means that we are dealing with a second-hand or reconditioned terminal. And not only this, but inside it we should find the different information documents of the smartphone, as well as the different accessories with their respective plastics.
In addition, practically all smartphones come with a plastic screen protector that we must remove on our own when we open the box. All these details should make it clear to us first if we are dealing with a used mobile or a brand new one . However, what is clear is that we must also look at the physical aspect of the body of the terminal, to check if it has bumps, scratches, etc.
If the box came well closed, but it has some damage, your thing is that we claim to the store that they have given us a device that is broken. In addition to that we will have to test it, to discover if it does not have any type of software or hardware failure.
Check the warranty
Another key to knowing if our phone is completely new will be checking the status of the device’s warranty. For example, on iPhones we can do it directly with these steps:
- Enter from the Settings .
- Then go to the General section.
- Click on the Information > Coverage option. There you will see whether or not you still have this protection on the Apple device.
Being new, it should have at least two years by law if you bought it before January 1, 2022, and three years after that date. In the case of Android mobiles, it is somewhat more complex, since we will have to contact the phone brand or search the Internet for the terminal’s signature search engine to find the guarantee. Well, there are many brands that have a page to review the status of this device protection.
In any case, the law is the same, everything will depend on the date of purchase. Also, you will need to know the IMEI of your smartphone , to do this dial the code *#06# in the Phone app.
Check your components
With a third-party app we can quickly see if the components of the smartphone are the original ones. To do this, we recommend that you have the official technical data sheet of the device at hand, which you can find on the manufacturer’s own website or you can also use our data sheets on our site .
Later, if you want to solve your doubts about whether a phone is used or original , the following app will help you check the internal components of the device. In this case, we will only find it on Google Play, that is, it is only available for Android mobiles:
- Access the application.
- Click on the different sections of the application.
- Check the components that are integrated into the smartphone.
The Device Information app will tell you all kinds of terminal data. You will even be able to see different aspects in real time, such as RAM memory. But, if you still have doubts and want to review the components from another source, we also recommend Device Info HW . It works in the same way as the previous application, you just have to download from the following link and open it on your phone to check the internal elements:
- Enter the app.
- You will have different sections.
- Go entering each of them to review their elements .
Other tricks: Check your iPhone
If you’ve already purchased an iPhone, you can tell if it’s been sold as a used product simply by checking its model number. Open Settings> select General> Information and there you will see which model you have . This will be a combination of letters and numbers, indicating the status and type of device you have. However, the first letter is the most important, as it indicates the following:
- M: It is a new terminal.
- F: It is reconditioned.
- N: It is a replaced phone, it was exchanged for a failing iPhone.
- P: It means it is a custom terminal.
Even from iOS 15.2 you can check if the Apple phone has had any replacement of any of its different components. To do this, we must go to Settings> Information> History of parts and service . Although, it will also depend on the model we have:
- For iPhone XR, XS, XS Max and later, including iPhone SE (2nd generation), we can see if the battery has been replaced.
- On iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13 models, we can see if the battery or screen has been changed. Even in these last two models, we can see if the camera has been removed.
In the event that the repair was made with original Apple processes and parts, we will see the message ‘Genuine Apple Part’. On the other hand, if ‘Unknown Part’ appears, it means that the part is unknown. Although this message can also appear if said component does not work well.