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The smartphone manufacturing industry has been on the boom since the last few years and has captured the markets around the whole world. Moreover, in the present scenario, this tiny yet powerful gadget has come a long way and has shaped the telecommunication industry. Day-by-day and year-by-year, smartphones manufacturers are modifying the gadget to a whole new level every time they launch a new version. Due to the frequent launching of a new version smartphone, the previous version becomes old pretty soon to the users, resulting in the change of mindset of people as ‘the latest one - the greatest one’. However, the same old phone tends to become gold for the people who want a decent smartphone at a lesser price.

Second-hand phones, on one hand, can give you a good deal for your money, however, on the other hand, buying a pre-owned smartphone can also lead you to a scam or fraud. So, if you are going to buy a second-hand smartphone, it’s good to inspect the phone before you pay for it.

Here we have compiled a few tips that you must know before buying a second-hand smartphone:

• Buy Pre-owned Smartphones from a Registered Dealer

The first and foremost thing you should do is to buy the pre-owned phone from a trusted source. When you are buying the phone in India, ask your dealer for a valid GST bill. If the seller is not registered for the GST, then ask for the seller’s Aadhar Card, or Passport or Driving License.

• Check if the Phone is Financed from any other Company

Do not buy a phone which is already financed from any company because legally a seller cannot sell a financed phone. So, it’s better to ask for a No Objection Certificate from the owner, which he can get only after paying all the dues.

• Check the Phone’s Warranty

The next thing one should check while buying a second-hand phone is to check the warranty of the phone. If you are going to buy an Apple iPhone, you can check our blog ‘How to check your iPhone’s warranty’ to know the whole process. A similar process is with other phones too. You can check our upcoming blog to check the warranty of other company’s phones.

• Check the Panel IMEI Number

The Panel IMEI no. should be matched with the motherboard in Apple iPhone 5 to iPhone 6 and in Samsung phones which contain a non-removable battery.

• Check the Phone’s Hardware

If you wish to buy a pre-owned phone, do not forget to check every part of the phone, after all, you are going to pay for it. First examine it visually, then examine the hardware of the phone. Below mentioned is the list of hardware, you should check while buying a second-hand phone:

1. Body Condition - The body of the device should not be bent and the colour of the body should not be faded. The device’s screw condition will let you know whether the device is repaired anytime in the past. Prevent buying those devices that restart automatically. It depicts that the device has some serious issues.
2. Sound - Check the phone’s ringer whether it is working or not. Also, play music on the phone with the help of youtube. While you play the music, check with earpiece also and whether the jack is properly working or not.
3. Charging Jack - Reminding of the jack, don’t forget to check the Charging Jack as well as the Earphone Jack as they play a vital role in the phone.
4. Microphone - Open the voice recorder and record some audio and check whether the microphone works or not. You can also insert your sim and make a call to check the microphone.
5. Display - Do not forget to check the display whether it is Original or Duplicate. The phone can look brand new but you should be aware in the first place. Touch the screen of the phone at all places. Tap at all the icons on the screen, whether it is working smoothly or not. Slide the screen and check whether the screen navigation is easy to use or not? Also check that screen does not contain any dots, lines or shade. And the display should not be blinking or go blank. You can check our upcoming blog on ‘How to Check Original and Duplicate Display in Smartphones’.
6. Camera - Don’t forget to check both the cameras, front and back. Click pictures from both the cameras or record 1-2 videos each from both. Also, check visually that the lenses are not broken both in front and back. Check the flashlight also while clicking the pictures or recording the videos. Check whether there is any dot or shade in the camera by placing your hand on the camera lens.
7. Sim Card Slot - Insert SIM in SIM 1 and SIM 2 (if available) and check whether both the slots are working or not.
8. Memory Card Slot - Please check Memory Card Slot (if available) by inserting memory card and check if it holds the data or not.
9. Battery - Ever buying a phone, the battery health is a must. If the device has a removable battery, remove it and check it. If you find the battery deformed or swollen, do not buy the device. In case of non-removable battery phones, charge the phone for 15 to 20 minutes to check the battery health. If there is no excessive heating, then it is good to go. Moreover, in an Apple iPhone, the battery health is not good if it drains quickly and reaches to 80% in service mode.

• Check the Phone’s Software

While buying a second-hand phone, you not only have to check the hardware but checking the software part is also equally important. So, here is the list of software you should check.

1. Wifi - Switch on the Wifi and the hotspot icons on your phone and try to connect it with any other device.
2. Bluetooth - Similarly as Wifi and hotspot, switch on the Bluetooth and connect it with any device, be it the other phone or Bluetooth earphones or speakers.
3. Fingerprint Sensor - If the mobile device has a fingerprint sensor, do check it by adding a fingerprint to the phone.
4. Face ID sensor - Face recognition is yet another feature added to some of the devices. So, do check the Face ID sensor too (if available).
5. Proximity Sensor - Proximity Sensor in phones are used to recognise air gestures and hover-manipulations. So, do not forget to check it as well.
6. Account - Do check that the phone you are going to buy does not have any pre-installed 3rd party apps or it does not have any google account, mi account, realme account or iCloud account.

We have tried to compile almost every tip that you should check while buying a second-hand phone. If we have missed any point, you can leave a comment in the comment section below.

Want to buy a second-hand phone? Whatsapp us on +91 84487 12131 or visit our website www.mobitrade.in. Mobi Trade is a ‘Certified’ trusted dealer of Second-hand Phones, which provides its customer with a 3-day testing warranty on smartphones, 24-hour pickup and drop facility and COD in Delhi/NCR region and prepaid facility in other parts of India. Enquire Now!