Refurbished iPhone 7 - what is it? Pros, cons, differences from the original

Hi all! Due to my slight passion for Apple products, I am often asked: “We bought an iPhone, look - is everything okay with it?” or “I bought a cheaper iPhone from an online store, and I have some doubts – is it new or refurbished? Or maybe they slipped it into a used one! Look, huh?!”

Of course, I am a kind and sympathetic person - I can always look and check on my own, it’s not hard for me. It’s another matter when such questions are asked online - what to do in this case? The correct answer is to write a good article. And now she is ready! Keep instructions on how to find out and understand which iPhone you bought (are going to buy) - new, used or refurbished?

Reade set Go. Let's go! :)

Why is an iPhone restored?

The service completely replaces non-functioning modules and parts. Please note that they are not repaired, but replaced with new ones. Regardless of the nature of the breakdown, the screen and case are replaced. The software is also reinstalled. The device is assigned a different serial number. The iPhone is packed in a new box, with a new charger and new headphones. Such restoration is carried out under the “Certified Pre-Owned” program. If the smartphone is officially restored, it comes with a 1-year warranty. Apple claims that only new phones that have been found to have a manufacturing defect are eligible for restoration. They have never been used. A gadget with a replaced part ends up costing 15% less. Savings are often the deciding factor when purchasing. Other Apple fans fear that the store will sell them a supposedly refurbished iPhone under the guise of a new one at the regular price. How to distinguish an original iPhone from a refurbished one and not make a mistake when choosing? How to distinguish a refurbished iPhone from the original by serial number

It is very easy to find out the origin of the phone by looking at the serial number of the device. 1. Go to iPhone settings. 2. Select the “Basic” section. 3. Open “About this device”. You will be provided with information about memory, series number, device model, and more. It is the model that interests us. By its first letter you can immediately determine the status of the phone. • P - when purchasing the device, it was personally engraved; • N—the phone was replaced at a service center under warranty by the previous owner; • F—refurbished phone; • M - the phone is completely new, has not been restored or exchanged. How to distinguish a refurbished iPhone from the original by packaging

Just look at the packaging and everything will become clear. Regardless of the model, refurbished iPhones never show the phone itself. The smartphone model is indicated on the front, and nothing more.

Only the packaging of new phones is engraved with an image of an iPhone. A simple method will save you nerves and time when buying a phone from a dubious seller. By looking at the ad, you can even remotely understand whether the phone is refurbished or new.

How to distinguish an original refurbished iPhone from a fake.

This is not difficult to do, you need to pay attention to the little things.

• · Box. As a rule, this element carries quite a lot of information. The original box is dense, even, smooth, without gaps or gaps. For fakes, the colors may be washed out or too bright. All inscriptions and logos are located exactly in their places.
• · Equipment. Each accessory and all parts are accurately and tightly in place, have original logos, and no signs of wear are allowed.
• · Identifier verification. First of all, the serial number and IMEI must match on the box, case and in the iPhone program. It is preferable to check IMEI data on the Internet. There you will also find out how much memory and body color the iPhone originally had.
• · Efficiency. Test the functionality of the iPhone and its functionality.

Having decided to buy a refurbished iPhone, the owner must be very careful not to fall for the bait of scammers, because in addition to factory production, Apple smartphones often come across on sale, restored in the makeshift conditions of intermediary companies that have nothing in common with Apple. That is why you should contact only trusted official services and stores in whose reliability you are confident, and check what you are buying.

Refurbished iPhones unofficially

Many workshops have appeared on the Chinese market, specializing in converting used iPhones into refurbished ones, and sometimes into new ones. In practice, in such gadgets there is little left of the original. Workshops buy recessed phones, with broken screens, defective circuit boards, non-working NFC modules, and others. Next, the phones are restored by installing cheap Chinese spare parts. “Original” boxes and the same “original” accessories are prepared. At a price below the market price, phones are sold via the Internet all over the world.

What does a “refurbished” iPhone mean?

A refurbished phone is a gadget that has been used and returned by the owner. Reasons for return include minor damage and manufacturing defects. Equipment is exchanged under warranty, providing the user with devices without breakdowns. Used iPhones are often sold under the Trade-IN program and new models are received at an additional cost.

Phones are tested, broken parts are replaced and sold as refurbishing. There are two types of recovery:

1. At the factory. Gadgets are being studied by Apple engineers at one of the factories. Defective elements and signs of wear are replaced with new ones. The device is thoroughly checked.
2. In the services of official representative offices. The quality of the devices is lower than after factory procedures, and problems (breakdowns) often recur.

Recycling equipment under the old gadget recycling program allows you to purchase a branded smartphone at a good discount. They change the camera, speakers or a non-functioning module, after which the product is sold at retail outlets. The device with new glass, battery and case does not differ in appearance from unused analogues.

A refurbished iPhone comes with a 1-year factory warranty. The equipment is packaged in a white box with headphones and a charger. Before entering the store, all devices are thoroughly tested, so the possibility of repeated defects is excluded.

Display

For comparison, it is better to have the original iPhone nearby, not necessarily the same model. The replaced display will be much dimmer and may have a blue tint. It is worth checking the operation of the cameras. If the photos are not of high quality, this is a clear sign of replacement of spare parts with non-original ones.

The extremely low price should lead to some conclusions; it’s not for nothing that the phone is sold so cheaply. When buying a phone with a dubious history, you get only one advantage, a low price. However, problems may soon emerge that will be costly, difficult, or even impossible to solve. Original refurbished iPhones rarely break down. This is a great way to save money if it is not a used “refurbished” iPhone.

How to check by IMEI

The international mobile equipment identifier is unique for each smartphone. The code consists of a check digit and 14 characters. In IMEI, the manufacturer encrypted information about the model, serial number of the iPhone and country of origin.

You can check the status of the device in a special Russian-language service iPhoneimei.info. Sequence of user actions:

1. Go to the site.
2. One window is active on the page that opens. Enter the IMEI number in the white field and press the gray arrow on the right.
3. After 1-2 minutes, data about the gadget appears.

The owner is shown the serial number and characteristics of the device. We recommend checking not only the digital combinations, but also the color of the case with the model name. If the latter do not match, then the iPhone was repaired by an uncertified service center. On new copies, the Find My iPhone feature is disabled. In restored gadgets, the indicators are set to “On” mode.

Often, next to the telephone technical support (warranty service) field, it will say “Expired,” which is a sign of a used smartphone. The English-language service Imeidata.net has similar functions:

1. Go to the site page.
2. Enter IMEI in the active window.
3. Check the box in “not a robot” mode.
4. Click the “Next” button.

The user is presented with a window with technical information about the model. The service allows you to conduct one test for free. The data is checked against the indicators on the box and the characteristics in the settings menu. The word refurbished or F in a digital combination indicates that the device is refurbished.

Pay attention to the box and kit

1. The box in which the phone is packaged can tell a lot about the life of the device. Since the refactorer uses only cheap materials, the box will look less than presentable. Especially if you take into account the long journey of the product to the Russian market. Pictures may be missing, as well as a bezel with a characteristic backlight. Therefore, sellers do not allow you to turn on the gadget.
2. You need to check, find the serial number, understand how much memory is on the device and compare this information with the data on the case. You need to go into the iPhone settings, go to the “Basic” tab, find the “About this device” item. Incorrect spelling or the absence of at least one point should give rise to an idea. Without a doubt, this is a Chinese refactory.
3. Components are another important element in studying the device. The box must be completely complete. It should contain all the factory elements: charging unit, USB cable, iPhone and stickers with an instruction manual (with a paperclip, which is needed to open the SIM card slot). The absence of at least one element of the components should alert the buyer.
4. It is also worth paying attention to the weight of the charging unit. Refactored ones are much lighter and look cheaper. The charger cable can also look quite unsightly, since it is replaced with a cheap analogue. In general, Chinese elements feel more “wooden” to the touch than the original ones.
5. You can also make complaints about headphones. As in the previous case, they are very light, the shade is either too light or gray. The original devices have light cream headphones. If possible, it is worth checking the sound quality: the buyer will not hear bass and low-end sounds.
6. You can ignore the box, paper clip and stickers separately, as they are almost similar to the original ones. One can only take a glance at the quality of these products.

iPhone check

After examining the box and components, you can check the operation of the device itself. There are also many interesting points here on how to distinguish a new iPhone from a refurbished one.

• The touch and buttons may either not work or become stuck. There is no point in buying such a device, since this is the first sign that the phone has been restored. Sometimes the buttons work fine, but the color leaves much to be desired. You can compare it with the shade of the body. It remains to check the volume control and blocking ability. Buttons should be easy to respond.
• To view the device model, go to the device settings. The number with RU should read there. This means this is a Rostelecom product. Different letters indicate different markets in different countries.
• The screen of the device is also important. On original devices, the display appears as a white background with a yellow tint. When replacing the screen, the tint will be blue. In this case, the probability of refabrication is 100 percent.
• The dustiness of the cameras is not immediately noticeable, but this point also indicates the unoriginality of the device. To make sure, it is worth checking the screws in the speaker locations (charging location or headphones).
• The device activation date can be viewed on the official Apple website. There is a field for entering the serial number. If the data is confirmed, the user will receive information about the device being used.

Checking a restored iPhone 7 by IMEI number

I’ll say right away that all iPhones that are sold on Chinese AliExpress are Chinese refurbished phones. These are references, samples that for one reason or another failed, depending on the seller they were repaired with varying quality, non-functioning parts were replaced with Chinese copies, inserted into a new case and sold “like new”. The only exception is the official TMall store, which actually sells new Rostest iPhones, albeit at prices lower than the market.

But let’s say you still want to try your luck and find somewhere in the vastness of Avito a truly original used one. iPhone 7. The first thing you need to do is find out the smartphone identification number (IMEI) from the seller and run it through the database on the iUnlocker website. Using it, you will find out the date and country of sale of the phone, whether it is in an unlocked state and whether it is being searched via iCloud.

And of course, it is worth paying attention to the matches in color, model number and memory capacity between the sample presented in the ad and what is displayed on the website.

If all the information matches and there is no doubt that this is the same phone, then you can make an appointment for a more detailed visual inspection.