How to Buy a Used Phone Safely

One person’s experience, not advice

Favourl Editorial put together a list of publicly available web pages that helped them, with a note on why each one is here. Favourl hosts the list and the notes — not the pages themselves. Those belong to whoever published them, and linking to a public page is neither an endorsement of it nor any relationship with its owner.

Nobody at Favourl has checked any of it, and a page can change or disappear after it was saved. What worked for one person may not work for you — circumstances differ. Where money, health, law or safety are involved, treat this as a starting point and take proper advice.

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The sequence

In the order Favourl Editorial put them. Each step points at a public page they used; where they left a note, that is the part worth reading.

1
ceir.gov.in
Check the IMEI
First thing, always. A blocked or stolen handset is worthless and you cannot fix it later.
Source: ceir.gov.in
2
support.apple.com
Battery health
Below 85% and you are buying a replacement battery too. Factor it into the price.
Source: support.apple.com
3
gsmarena.com
GSMArena specs and support window
Check how many years of security updates remain. An unsupported phone is a liability.
Source: gsmarena.com
4
support.apple.com
Activation lock
Make the seller sign out in front of you. Otherwise the phone is a brick.
Source: support.apple.com
5
ifixit.com
iFixit repairability
If the screen is likely to break, know what it costs to fix before buying.
Source: ifixit.com

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How to Buy a Used Phone Safely

The sequence

Check the IMEI

Battery health

GSMArena specs and support window

Activation lock

iFixit repairability

Save all 5 links in one tap

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How this was published