Testing and checking refurbished iPhones: this is how you do it in 4 steps

It is wise to check your refurbished iPhone for dust, dead pixels and other troubles after receipt. You can read how to do that in this article.

Checking a refurbished iPhone: 4 steps

Before using a second-hand iPhone, it is important to take a closer look at the device. After all, you get a previously used product and thanks to this check you can be sure that the device has no hidden defects.

This is also wise if you have bought a refurbished iPhone, because the seller may have overlooked a certain defect during the check.

In this article, we explain how to check a second-hand or refurbished iPhone. We take a closer look at your device based on four practical steps.

1. The outside: check for scratches

We start with the outside. First check whether the condition of the housing corresponds to the promised grade. After all, providers of refurbished iPhones use different conditions to indicate how beautiful / damaged a device looks. Perhaps your expectations and reality do not quite match this.

Also check whether the housing has signs of wear, such as dents. In addition, it is worth checking the screen for scratches. Match it with a (fabric fiber) cloth and wipe the display clean. Then hold the device under a bright lamp: you will see any scratches all too quickly.

Superficial scratches are usually not harmful, but watch out for cracks or deeper-lying scratches. Dust can enter the device through the clearance. Finally, also check that the charging port is free of dirt and dust particles. It is best to hold the iPhone under a good lamp for a while.

2. Camera: check for dust

Dust is also the main enemy of your iPhone camera. When there is dust under the sensor, you can see this in photos by means of gray dots. First check the outside of the lens briefly and then take a test photo.

It is best to take a photo of an evenly colored surface, such as a completely white or black wall. A plain colored sheet of paper will also suffice. Also grab the selfie camera right away. If there is dust under one of the two sensors, you will notice it quickly enough.

3. Screen: no dead pixels?

Fortunately, dead pixels in iPhone screens are becoming less and less common, but a quick check cannot hurt. You don’t have to go through the pixels piece by piece yourself: there are countless apps and websites that take this work off your hands. A good example is the website Dead Pixels:

Do you not see dots on the screen, but just white, black, red, green or blue? Then all pixels of your iPhone display will work. It is also wise to check for deviations. You do this by setting a completely white image as the background. Any deviations (in terms of color) are immediately noticeable.

4. The inside

Refurbished is a rather loose term. The device you receive may hardly ever have been used, but it may also have had a terrible past. Providers with the Refurbished Quality Mark solve this ‘inequality’ by testing the specifications of telephones in the same way. As a consumer, you therefore know what to expect.

Not all sellers of refurbished telephones carry this quality mark. It may therefore be that the processor of your iPhone, which is responsible for the speed, performs less. After all, just like car parts, iPhone parts also wear out, resulting in reduced performance.

Therefore, always perform a short MOT with your refurbished iPhone. It is best to download a diagnostic app for this. Such an application performs a few tests and checks the technical condition of your device. We recommend TestM On.

This diagnostic app checks all parts of your iPhone. The full test takes four minutes, but you can also run a quick scan. This one takes just under a minute. In addition, TestM can check individual parts, such as the screen, sound or camera of your device. TestM is free, but does show advertisements from time to time.

The result: satisfied or not?

And how do you like the device? You should now have a clear picture of the quality of your second-hand / refurbished iPhone. When everything works properly, we wish you a lot of fun with your device! Are you not satisfied? Then your options depend on what kind of phone you bought.

Second-hand iPhone

Have you purchased a second-hand iPhone? Then it is (legally) possible to cancel the purchase, but you must then prove that the device does not perform as expected, or that it is much worse than promised.

As always, there is a difference between being (legally) right and being right. If you have bought the device from a private seller, this may be difficult.

Refurbished iPhone

Have you bought a refurbished iPhone from a (web) store? Then you have two options:

1. You claim the right of return. You return the refurbished iPhone to the selling party. As a consumer you have the right to terminate the purchase agreement within 14 days after receipt of the goods;
2. You claim the warranty. The warranty conditions and duration differs per provider. Make sure you are well informed about what exactly the warranty relates to.

If you cannot reach an agreement with the selling party and it is affiliated with a (webshop) quality mark, then investigate what options you have to have them mediate for you. In many cases you can still find a suitable solution in this way.

Buy with confidence

The editors of iPhone recommends buying your iPhone from shops that carry the Refurbished Quality Mark. These batches must meet more than 50 quality requirements and are checked by Techniek Nederland. You also get a guarantee with these parties, so you can always go back in case of problems.

In our refurbished iPhone price comparison you can easily and quickly find the most current refurbished iPhones deals. In combination with a sim-only subscription, you are often very cheap.

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