What to look out for when buying second hand?

[Norfolkenchants]

Have finally convince OH that he needs an iPhone and now may be a good time to buy a secondhand 4s or 5 as everybody upgrades. Apart from obvious physical condition, what are the things to check for and are there any little tests that can be done to make sure all is as it should be? If the phone is sim-free, is it still possible to check it out properly?

 

[willerz2]

Make sure the IMEI and ESN are not blacklisted. The best way to buy one is to meet up at the carrier that you're currently using and run the tests there. Have your carrier check the IMEI/ESN on the device on the spot. If it's unlocked, they'll be able to either tell or you can try by inserting your SIM card assuming it doesn't match that of the original carrier. You can check this by going to Settings > General > About. And under Carrier (not network), you'll see the original carrier of the device. If there's a little arrow on the side of that box, and you can tap on it to expand out a list of carriers, then that's one method of checking for an unlocked device in some cases.

If all goes well, have the device activated on the spot with your carrier, do not wait.