Buying used mobile phones (popularly known as second hand phones) usually comes to mind when people want to purchase high end smartphones but do not have the huge amount they cost but have alternatives of buying such used devices from their first hand owners.
There are a whole lot of things you must look into if you don’t want your money to be washed down the drain. I’m not of the opinion that people usually sell their smartphones because they are damaged in some manner, because I know of mobile freaks who would want to lay their hands on the latest smartphones in the tech market and sell their used phones at cheap rates. But this guide is simply to keep you the used mobile phone buyer out of danger and risk of purchasing dead and risk potential smartphones.
Below are the things to keenly examine when it comes to purchasing second handed phones.
1. Examine The Phone’s Case
For the fact that I would love to buy a high end used smartphone does not mean I can cope with any kind of rough handled smartphone. The first I would do if I was in your shoes is examine the outer case of the smartphone and make sure their are no major damages on it’s case. Though bad smartphone cases can be replaced, it might stand as a sign that a major havoc has occurred to the smartphone such as it been smashed on the floor which can pose a risk in the nearest future.
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2. Buttons and Screen
After checking the mobile phones case and you are satisfied, the next step to check is the buttons and screen (for screen touch phones). Make sure you confirm that all the buttons are functioning properly, and in the case of screen touch phones, examine the touch response of the smartphone and also check the screen for cracks and try watching a video with it to confirm.
3. Battery
The battery is the power house of your smartphone and should be the next thing you should inspect. Open the back flap of your smartphone and pull out the battery, examine to see if it’s the original battery or if the seller has replaced the battery with a bogus one. There are working ways to know if the phone model battery is replaced or original. Take out time to Google that for the model of mobile phone you are to purchase.
4. Check Ports
This is another aspect that usually skips buyers mind when buying a used mobile phone, you have to check out the ports which would including the charging port, the headphone jack port and the USB port if they are all functional. Without any of these ports been functional, you will definitely regret making the second handed smartphone purchase.
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5. Check The Camera
Start by checking the camera lens if it has gotten any damages, if not proceed to running the camera App and taking a little snapshots, video shots and observe if you come across any hitches. This is to be taken seriously if you are someone who loves taken pictures with your smartphone. As for me, I really can’t remember the last time I took a picture with my smartphone.
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6. Examine Other Native Apps
Have a total examination of the other native Apps the smartphone comes along with. Some Apps I notice usually have problems and we rarely take cognizance of while buying smartphones are; The Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Infrared etc. You might be unlucky to purchase a Bluetooth dead smartphone which can’t be corrected by flashing the phone. So always keep this in mind while purchasing your smartphone.
7. Price
There are a whole lot of stores that sell second handed mobile phones online and they can stand as reference to knowing what price range any used smartphone should cost. Although the prices might vary based on the accessories involved in the sales. But this would give you a benchmark to what you should price the used cellphone.
I hope this is a perfect guide for you. Applying these tips would help you in buying a wonderful second handed (used) smartphone with no glitches attached.
14 Comments
Nice post Oscar !
Although battery can be bought at very cheap rate , damaged ports can be painful as repairing costs can be high .hence its very important to check the ports of smartphones before purchasing old one .Thanks for sharing the information .
-Pramod
I’m glad you love it Pramod and I appreciate your contributions. 🙂
Hi Oscar,
This is a wonderful guide you put up here. It is a guide everyone intending to purchase a second handed mobile smartphones needs to consult. Thanks for the share.
Hi Larry,
It’s a piece of guide for used smartphone buyers and should come in quite handy. Thanks for dropping by.
Now you should definitely make a guide on selling your smartphones.That will be awesome.
Thanks Joe for the idea. I would definitely write an article on that, and will mail you when it gets ready. Once more thanks.
You have put up a brilliant checklist for those intend to buy second hand mobile phones.
Yes, a must follow checklist if you wish to smile after purchasing the smartphone. Thanks for dropping by.
nice post Oscar you provide a plenty no. of check lists for who wish to buy a second hand phone.
Sure a must check list. I hope you share it with your circles, someone could be in need of it. Thanks for dropping anyway.
Technology is changing every second, accordingly you need to upgrade your gadgets, cell phones to the latest one. But most of us do not have the budget to purchase brand new latest cell phones. So most of us decide to go with used cell phone or second hand cell phone. It is highly recommended that you verify the original documents before buying any used cell phones. Before buying any used cell phone verify that the IMEI number is a registered one. Before buying any cell phone, decide which brand and model you want to purchase. Check if the phone battery drain out quickly, if so then you can ask to cut the price of the battery as you need to replace it. Get more tips at : http://4mobiles.info/purchasing-second-hand-phones/
Thanks for the tips Richard. They are much appreciated.
oscar. let me ask. are you a second handed phone buyer. people who’s name are frank never like buying newly branded phone no wonder you added mini to your name loiz. i really like the major areas you shared regarding purchasing second hand phone. as for me, my major area where i focus most when buying second hand phone is the battery and if the parts can easily be found in the market.How to Root Any Android Phones Manually Without PC.
lol Emmanuel. I thought this might be of help to our readers from this part of the world. Thanks for leaving your comment.