Your #1
Used iPhone website! Thank you for making us the BEST place to
find your used Apple iPhone on the web!!
Hi Guys,
I recently used your advice to purchase an upgrade Apple iPhone. The
dealers all wanted between $600 to $700 (without a contract). I used your service and got
my 8gig iPhone in almost mint condition for $340. I'm glad you said to make sure the
iPhone's ESN was clear! A couple iPhones I ran across WEREN'T! I would've been up a
creek!! Thanks for saving me... and helping me find a GREAT deal!
Dennis
iPhone
Buying Tips Take 3 minutes to confirm you found the
RIGHT iPhone. We promise, it's worth your time!!
Thank you Usediphones:
I was looking for a replacement iphone when I came across your site. I had
no idea there were so many things to watchout for when buying a used iphone! I looked
around for a new iphone, but quickly realized they were way out of my budget. Thanks
Usediphones.net for helping me find my replacement phone. I felt VERY comfortable knowing
I wasn’t getting ripped off.
Michelle
Helpful
Information and Tips: Confirm the iPhone you're interested in,
is in proper working order. Check the following information before purchasing to avoid any
headaches. New, used, activated, or unlocked... it doesn't matter. JUST CHECK.
CHECK for moisture damage: A dunk in the toilet, or excessive
moisture from a sweaty pocket could cause hidden problems in your iPhone (and void the
manufacture's warranty). Here's how to check for potential moisture damage.
Remove the battery
> Look for a white dot >
If you see a white
dot... COOL!!
If the dot is red,
tampered with, OR missing, we recommend you DO NOT purchase this item. If you decide to
buy it, hopefully the price is low enough!! Purchase at your own risk.
Question to ask the seller: Is there any
water damage? The moisture detector dot, is it there, and if so, what color is it?
(explain if necessary)
Question(s)
to ask the seller: Why are you selling
it? Has it ever been mishandled or dropped? Does the screen or housing have any cracks? Is
there anything that I should know about it's cosmetic or working condition?
Buy asking these
questions, you will be able to determine if you want to purchase this particular iPhone or
not... and how much you will be willing to pay.
Purchase from a known
seller or reputable ebayer Purchasing a used iPhone
could be a easy and simple process, especially if it's from a local retailer, family
member, or friend. It's much easier to ask questions, and see the phone's condition prior
to purchasing.
You can make your online
purchase pleasant as well... and probably at a much better price. However, you will want
to purchase from a reputable ebay seller with plenty of positive feedback.
Things
to keep in mind: Only purchase from a
seller with 97% positive feedback or higher.
Only purchase your iPhone from a seller with 10 feedbacks or more.
ONLY pay with PayPal (there are some great payment protections in place).
Confirm
the color if you're purchasing an 8gb or 16gb iPhone: The 4gb iPhone is only available in
black. However, a 8gb or 16gb iPhone comes in either black or white. You will want to
confirm the color (just in case the seller is using a stock photo).
Confirm the ESN is CLEAR: The most IMPORTANT thing to confirm,
is that your iPhone has a clear Electronic Serial Number (ESN). If a phone has been
reported stolen or has a remaining balance owed on a previous account... the phone will be
placed on a blacklist. This is BAD. You will NOT be able to activate this phone. You WANT
a CLEAR ESN.
Question to ask the seller: Can you
please send over the ESN so I can confirm it's clear with my carrier? .
What is a ESN?The Electronic Serial Number (ESN) is a unique 11 digit number assigned to
every cell phone. To locate this number, remove the battery, and it will be located on the
back of the phone (it is not located on the battery itself). .
Confirm the ESN can be activated with your service
provider:The second most IMPORTANT
thing to confirm, is that your iPhone can be activated with your carrier. Once you
have the ESN, call your provider, and confirm it can be activate with their service.
What does UNLOCKED mean? Unlocked is a term used (with GSM
phones) when they have been programmed to make them cross compatible with other GSM
carriers only. Although it will make telephone calls, the data service compatibility may
or may not work. Always check with your carrier to confirm you can use an unlocked iPhone
on their network BEFORE purchasing (see above)
There is NO WAY
to get an Apple iPhone to work with CDMA carrier / service provider (see
below).
Voiding your
warranty: The 1 year manufacture's warranty is VOIDED on Hacked / Unlocked / Jailbroken
iPhones **See iPhone disclaimer below
Bricking: Many users
have tried to install the free software update from Apple (which includes many updates and
fixes) after unlocking their phone. Unfortunately, with unlocked phones, the update will
most likely make the phone useless. So, IF YOU HAVE UNLOCKED YOUR PHONE, DO NOT INSTALL
THE SOFTWARE UPDATE!!!!
Visual voice was a
feature co-developed by AT&T and Apple. This feature requires back end systems (at
AT&T) in order to function properly. You will most likely still be able to call in and
retrieve voice mail messages the old fashion way. But, it may be cumbersome or
inefficient.
YouTube, GoogleMaps, Stocks, Weather, and Web Browsing - These features rely
upon the user having a WiFi signal or access to an EDGE network. Whether we like AT&T
or not, they have the largest data network in the USA which is EDGE. That being said,
switching to T-Mobile will make EDGE access less reliable. So this should definitely be
taken into consideration. Wifi connection speeds should not suffer (most public libraries,
Starbucks, hotels, and college campuses for example). One thing to note here; is that the
iPhone hardware is not capable of utilizing 3G networks. So make sure you can use data
services in your country (or area) if you are planning on using the phone outside the USA.
Side Note: Apple is
will be releasing the 3G version of the phone on July 11th 2008. Which means broadband
speed, and saying goodbye to the EDGE dependency
Aside from the
aforementioned "Bricking." Receiving FREE software updates from Apple is
another BIG benefit of buying an iPhone. As new features are released, they are packaged
in a firmware update which can be installed on the phone via iTunes. Unlocked or Hacked
iPhones (so far) cannot receive these new features.
An example of this is the iTunes mobile music store. Using this application you can
buy music whenever you have a Wifi signal. This is part of the iPhone software v1.1.1. If
you have an older hacked version... guess what? You won't have this app. Many people will
say they don't want it. But, I have actually used it. You can search, preview, buy, and
download songs right on the iPhone. It's instant gratification at it's best. No, I don't
use it a lot, but it is there if I want to browse listen to music in the store.
The Law: Some of the
Unlocking programs have been shown to alter the IMEI numbers on the phone. This is more
than voiding your warranty, hacking your device, or breaking your contract. This is
actually against the law. Most software which change IMEI numbers is done so in order to
clone another account. Cellular systems which recognize a modified IMEI device sometimes
label the device as illegal and lock it out of their network. As a result, there is a risk
(albeit slim) that your phone will not be able to make or receive calls.
**Quote/Disclaimer
from Apple: "Apple has discovered that many of the unauthorized iPhone unlocking programs
available on the Internet cause irreparable damage to the iPhone's software, which will
likely result in the modified iPhone becoming permanently inoperable when a future
Apple-supplied iPhone software update is installed. ... Apple strongly discourages users
from installing unauthorized unlocking programs on their iPhones. Users who make
unauthorized modifications to the software on their iPhone violate their iPhone software
license agreement and void their warranty. The permanent inability to use an iPhone due to
installing unlocking software is not covered under the iPhone's warranty."
