Apple phones have been the most popular for ten years, despite the high cost. In an effort to purchase the coveted iPhone cheaper than its market value, their fans go to different tricks. The most popular way is to purchase refurbished phones. Let's find out what is the peculiarity of such devices, how to distinguish them from new ones, and whether it is worth buying at all.
What is a refurbished iPhone and how is it different from a new one
This name is given to a smartphone that has already been repaired and is back on sale at a discount. As a rule, such devices are sold in poor countries due to their lower price.
This procedure is practiced by all major manufacturers of such devices: Samsung, ASUS, Apple and others.
Usually fall under the restorationdevices returned to the manufacturer for some reason. In order not to incur losses, such a smartphone is sent to the factory, where it is carefully checked and, if there are any malfunctions, put in order. Then it goes on sale again, and with an official guarantee.
It is impossible to recognize such a device by eye. It is completely identical only to the one that came off the assembly line in appearance, stuffing, software and equipment.
How to tell a refurbished from a used one
Quite often, out of ignorance, a restored iPhone is correlated with a used device. However, this is not entirely true.
- A refurbished iPhone is actually brand new. Therefore, it does not and cannot have traces of use or activation. It is pasted over with factory protective films and is fully equipped.
- Faulty iPhone parts are always replaced with new ones during factory repair. When you open such a device inside, you will not see traces of soldering, gluing or other repairs.
- This smartphone comes with a 1-year manufacturer's warranty. Therefore, if the restored iPhone does not work, you can turn it in for repair at an official service center or replace it within the 14 days required by law.
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There are two types of smartphones of this kind:
- Manufacturer refurbished.
- Seller refurbished.
Manufacturer refurbished
In translation from English, this phrase means "factory restored". That is, devices of this category wererepaired by the experts who assembled them. So, everything was done at the highest level, in accordance with Apple standards. All new parts that are put in place of faulty ones are original, not Chinese copies.
Any manufacturer refurbished phone is almost indistinguishable from a new one. And if, nevertheless, the restored iPhone broke down again - it can be replaced under the Apple warranty, repaired or refunded.
Despite their excellent performance, these devices are sold at a lower price. And on the same official sites and stores, where the new ones. However, the manufacturer officially confirms that the phone has gone through the repair process and this is indicated in the accompanying papers for the device.
How to distinguish from a new refurbished iPhone manufacturer refurbished
Although both new and refurbished smartphones look indistinguishable from each other, Apple Corporation is trying to be honest with customers in this matter. Therefore, she introduced a special marking to help recognize the smartphone manufacturer refurbished.
How to check if the iPhone is restored or not? The manufacturer provides several simple and affordable ways to do this.
- The first method. How to distinguish a refurbished iPhone from a new one? Pay attention to the design of his box. Repaired devices, regardless of model, are placed in white packages with a gray inscription on the front.parts. There are no other images.
- In addition to the design, each such box has a number of identification marks. Near the description of the device and its serial number should be the letters RFB, which means refurbished (refurbished). Also on the packaging itself in a narrow oval frame is written Apple Certified Pre-Owned. This means that Apple officially confirms that this unit was in repair.
- If for some reason there is no box at the time of the check, you need to pay attention to the serial number of the device that is in doubt. For officially restored ones, it always starts with the letter F. By comparison, Apple's new smartphones have "serial numbers" beginning with the letter M (for sale in stores) or with the letter P (custom models).
Worth buying
Should I take an officially restored iPhone? Certainly yes. Indeed, despite the repair, in fact, this is a new device, the first user of which becomes its buyer.
Even if it was already activated before the repair, it is reflashed at the factory, assigned a different serial number.
In addition, the device is cheaper than a new one, still being under the official warranty. Therefore, the probability of its breakdown is the same as that of an unrepaired one.
The main problem when buying such a smartphone is a reliable seller. For the rest, thisthe phone can be a great budget option for all fans of Apple products, with the same level of quality and service.
iPhone seller refurbished
This type of repair in translation from English means "repaired by the seller." That is, the manufacturing plant has nothing to do with the restoration of such devices. This means that it does not give guarantees, so the quality of such repairs is akin to a big lottery.
In fairness, it is important to note that sometimes domestic masters can perfectly restore an iPhone, and it will serve faithfully for quite a long time. However, this case is the exception, not the rule.
The main disadvantage of such a restoration is the quality of the parts. Since the original ones are not cheap, the masters acquire Chinese counterparts, which often quickly fail or interact poorly with the device itself.
The main methods of such recovery
To put such a device in order, repairmen use different methods. Many of them border on fraud. Often, seller refurbished iPhones are tried to be passed off as refurbished at the Apple factory or simply used, but not in repair. For this purpose, go to the following tricks.
- Assemble one iPhone from parts of other devices of the same brand.
- Repair breakage but do not replace faulty parts.
- They sell a smartphone with a box and documentation from another device. Or they complete it with Chineseheadphones and charger.
- There are cases when, along with the original packaging and papers, they sell a Chinese fake of good quality, which only specialists can distinguish by eye.
- Very rarely, but it happens that a refurbished seller sells a real manufacturer refurbished in excellent condition, but with an expired warranty.
Difference between seller refurbished and manufacturer refurbished
While both types of remanufacturing are aimed at fixing a substandard machine and then selling it again, it is achieved in different ways. Therefore, you should be aware of their main differences.
- Seller refurbished has no Apple warranty.
- Can be activated or blocked.
- Such an iPhone, as a rule, has traces of use.
It is noteworthy that all these obvious shortcomings of the refurbished seller may not affect its price in any way. It often costs the same as a factory refurbished one that unscrupulous sellers are desperately trying to pass it off as.
How to distinguish seller refurbished from manufacturer refurbished
If you can’t confuse an iPhone that was repaired by domestic masters with a new smartphone, then sometimes it’s simply indistinguishable from a factory-restored one. However, if you are careful, it is not difficult to find out which device fell into your hands. True, the above methods of how to check if the iPhone is refurbished or not (marking the box and serial numberdevice), it will not help much here. After all, absolutely any data can be indicated on the seller's refurbished smartphone and its packaging. But their veracity is very doubtful.
The following are effective ways to help determine if the iPhone is refurbished (and whether it was done in a factory or in a basement around the corner).
- The first thing that always gives out a refurbished seller is his appearance. Pay attention to the presence of scratches, scuffs, chips on it. While in the manufacturer refurbished they cannot be. In addition, both new and refurbished at the factory are always covered with protective films. And the handicraft does not have them or they are not like that.
- IMEI is another weak link of the "victims" of domestic repair. You should not be lazy and check it with what is indicated in the device’s menu, on the box, on the back cover of the phone (up to the sixth model, iPhones had it there), as well as on the SIM card carriage.
- IMEI can also be used for another way to check your smartphone. There is a whole list of sites where, by entering this code, you can find out information about the device. And not only its color and characteristics, but also whether it was lost or repaired under an official guarantee. Its term should also be indicated there.
- It will not be superfluous to check the similarity of all "serials". Including what is inside the USB charging connector (for original smartphones from Apple, it is always indicated this way). In the phone menu, the serial number, like IMEI, model name, etc.located at this address: "Settings" → "General" → "About this device".
- Another property that only a new or factory-refurbished iPhone has is non-activation. At the same time, if the device was already in use or assembled from several others, it has already been registered on the Apple official website. Otherwise, they could not be used. It is very easy to check this. From the "About this device" section, you can find out the serial number of the device. Next, you need to go to the official Apple website in the section "Checking the right to service and support." In the specified field, enter the "serial" (note that it never contains the letter "o", only zero) and the verification code. If the phone is new or officially refurbished, the following message should appear: "iPhone needs to be activated". In other cases, the system will display warranty information. By the way, if the purchased phone is not an iPhone at all, but a Chinese fake, when you enter the serial number, the system will not find it and will offer to check it again.
Do not forget that all these methods of how to check whether an iPhone is refurbished or not help to distinguish only seller refurbished devices. Those that have been factory refurbished have special markings.
Pros and cons
Having figured out how to check if the iPhone is refurbished or not, it's worth considering the pros and cons of buying the refurbished seller variety.
Such devices have the followingcons:
- No manufacturer's warranty.
- Due to the low quality of parts, such smartphones can work poorly or break quickly.
- The phone could be stolen, which could lead to problems with law enforcement or blocking the operating system of the device.
As for the advantages of purchasing such an iPhone, only its lower cost belongs to this category.
Should I buy seller refurbished
Having considered the cons and pluses of the refurbished seller refurbished iPhone (more precisely, just one plus), we can definitely advise everyone and everyone not to purchase such a device. After all, it is not just used (although smartphones in excellent condition are often found among such equipment), but a device of dubious origin, but also of quality. Therefore, if you buy a refurbished iPhone, then only after a factory repair, and nothing else.
Where officially refurbished phones are sold
Due to their lower cost (compared to new ones), manufacturer refurbished iPhones are in high demand. Therefore, they are sold not only in specialized branded stores, but in almost all major networks of household appliances, as well as through Internet resources. Even on the official Apple website there is a section of refurbished equipment, where you can order not only an iPhone, but also other company products.
Where to buy a refurbished iPhone manufacturer refurbished to beconfident in its quality?
First of all, you should look in stores or on sites that officially cooperate with Apple. Moreover, when buying, you need to ask questions and ask to see documents confirming the existence of such trade relations. The ideal option is when you have the opportunity to personally inspect the device and its documentation upon purchase. And also to conduct mandatory testing of IMEI and serial number of the phone.
If the device is purchased with hands, it is important to be doubly careful. In this case, all warranty documents, instructions and box must be available, and the numbers on them must match. If there is not one thing or the data on the device and the accompanying papers for it are different, it is better to refuse to purchase goods from this seller. After all, an iPhone is too expensive a pleasure to spend money on it and end up with a non-working device.
