How To Buy A Used iPhone Or iPad

Are you looking for a detailed guide on how to buy a used iPhone or iPad?

Not all people can buy newly released Apple gadgets or devices. Some cannot afford them as they can be considered really expensive luxuries. While others do not see the need to buy the latest ones and are content with a device that was released a few years ago. 

Whichever your situation is, it all boils down to you not patronizing a newly released iPhone or iPad. If that is the path you have chosen, you are probably thinking of buying a second-hand or used device. However, you are oblivious about the things that you need to consider when buying a used iPhone or iPad.

Good thing that we’ve got you covered on that one because we have created a guide on how to buy a used iPhone or iPad. Plus, we will explain its pros and cons and what you should expect.

If you’re ready, let’s get started!

1. Pros And Cons Of Buying A Used iPhone or iPad.

There are many pros and cons of buying a used iPhone or iPad. One of the best things about buying a used iPhone or iPad is that you can save more money. This is because buying a brand new iPhone or iPad can cause you more than a thousand dollars. However, an older model is a few hundred dollars lower.

But even with this tempting deal, you should still be cautious before jumping in and availing of one. One thing you should be cautious about is if the used iPhone or iPad you are buying is actually a stolen one. Although one can apply strict security measures to their own iPhone or iPad, persistent individuals may still be able to find a way to break through it once they have a hold of your iPhone or iPad.

2. Check If The Used iPhone Or iPad Is Stolen.

In order to avoid buying a stolen iPhone or iPad, there are some things that you need to consider before sealing the deal. Apple introduced Activation Lock, which will prevent anyone else (other than you) from using your Apple devices. If Activation Lock is enabled on the used iPhone or iPad, you will need to ask the previous owner to disable it by doing a factory reset. Otherwise, if the previous owner will not agree to it, you may need to consider that it may have been stolen. 

However, if you don’t have the device on hand, there is still another way to confirm if it is stolen. You just need to ask the previous owner about the device’s IMEI (or MEID). So make sure to check this first before buying a used iPhone or iPad.

Here’s how you can check if a used iPhone or iPad is stolen:

  1. Start by opening the Settings app and go to General.
  2. Next, select About.
  1. Then look for IMEI (or MEID), which is a 15-digit number, and write it down.
  2. After that, go to the Stolen Phone Checker website, enter the IMEI (or MEID) and select Submit.

You should see that it will return a green ‘Not reported lost or stolen’ result. Otherwise, you will need to buy somewhere else.

3. Other Things To Check Before Buying.

Once you have checked that the used iPhone or iPad you are about to buy is not lost or stolen, it does not stop there. There are a few other things that you will need to check before you can be assured that it is the right one for you. After all, we don’t want you wasting your money on something that you will regret just after a few days, right?

Here are other things to check before buying a used iPhone or iPad:

  1. First, check for physical defects. If it has a case, remove it and inspect the iPhone or iPad carefully. Check if both the physical buttons and screen are responsive. Check if the physical connection port is working (USB-C or lightning connection port).
  1. Next, confirm if the device is not carrier-locked. If it is, just contact the carrier. You can also proceed in contacting your own carrier to confirm if they can activate the device.
  2. Lastly, check if you can still get the original purchase receipt for the device. You can also confirm if the device is still under warranty. After all, you never know when you may need it.

Now, these are most of the things that you need to check on how to buy a used iPhone or iPad. But if you think we missed some, let us know in the comments section so we can add it here.

4. Try Dr. Fone.

If you have an Apple device that you are having an issue with, you should try out Dr. Fone!

What’s great with Dr. Fone is that it has a tool called ‘System Repair’ which fixes iOS system problems. It can also be used on your iPad, and another good thing about it is that you can also use it on your Android device (in case you have one). Aside from that, it has other tools that are really useful for data recovery, phone transfer, and phone backup, and many more.

To add to that, it has been in the market for over 17 years now! That’s quite long to still doubt them, right? Plus, the fact that it is being used by over 50,000,000 users worldwide is just an insane number. Time is ticking, so go ahead and check it out for yourself!


Try Dr. Fone Now! 



5. FAQ: Help! I’m Still Not Convinced That The Device Is Not Stolen.

Unfortunately, if you are still not convinced that the used iPhone or iPad you are about to buy is not stolen, you should only buy from trusted sources. Apple sells used iPhones or iPads on their website. You can also try with major phone companies as they sell used devices that were traded in during upgrades or repairs.

However, if you are still not confident before buying, you should check for its service and support coverage first. After all, it never hurts to be extra cautious, right?


So this concludes our guide, but we hope that we were able to assist you on how to buy a used iPhone or iPad. Again, if you have any additional suggestions, do let us know in the comments section!

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂

Author

  • John Sixto

    John is a staff writer at Saint and comes from a SAP ABAP development background. He has a Bachelors in IT and has been writing since 2018, with over 500 posts published. He loves to build PCs and has a deep curiosity in understanding how different components and configurations work. John spends hundreds of hours at a time, researching and testing the software and apps, before he proceeds to write about it. LinkedIn X (Twitter)

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