Just bought a phone? Here’s how to tell if it’s new

When purchasing a new phone, it can be challenging to determine its exact condition. Both retailers and manufacturers offer refurbished devices, for example through Amazon’s Renewed programme and Apple’s official refurbished store.

Refurbished phones may have undergone repairs, such as battery replacement, or they may have been categorised based on their condition and functionality. This variability can have an effect on the warranty.

To ensure you know what you’re getting, you’ll need to use some detective skills.

How to tell if an iPhone is refurbished or new

iPhones are hugely popular in the second-hand market, presumably because they often come with such hefty price tags when new.

If you’re buying from a private seller, assume the phone is used and any references to “like new” or refurbished are because the seller has kept it in good condition, or has opened it but not used it. Unless the seller can offer a receipt from an Apple store or another retailer, you should assume there’s no warranty.

When buying from Apple, refurbished models are clearly marked (which is why they’re a bit cheaper). Visit the Apple Refurbished Store to see much much more than just iPhones at discounted prices.

On Amazon, look for its Renewed devices programme, as you can save quite a bit of money and still get a phone that’s in great condition, as long as you don’t mind that it’s been used by others in the past.

Another option if you’re looking to save is to browse Amazon Warehouse, which often has new phones that come with damaged boxes and similar defects that don’t affect the phone itself but mean they can’t be sold at full price. They’re typically customer returns. You won’t want to give them as gifts, but for yourself, they could be an excellent way to reduce the cost of a new phone.

How to tell if an Android phone is new or refurbished

The process is the same as with iPhones when you’re looking on Amazon, eBay, Laptops Direct or any other retailer. Because there are many different manufacturers, you might want to check their websites to see if they offer refurbished models.

However, if you’ve already bought an Android phone and wonder whether it’s actually new or not, there’s no easy way to be certain.

Previously, you could enter a code into the phone’s dialling screen, but that seems to have been disabled, leaving you with very few options. However, if the box was shrink-wrapped and the protective plastic covers were on the phone and any accessories, you can be fairly sure no-one has used it before.

There are also a number of useful apps on the Google Play Store that give you a breakdown of the status and current operating capacities of your handset. However, of the ones we tested, none could tell you if your phone had been refurbished or not.

Is buying a refurbished phone a good idea?

If the device has been refurbished by professionals, there’s nothing wrong with buying, as long as it’s clear when you purchase that you’re not getting a brand new phone.

In fact, if the phone is older and the battery may have deteriorated over time, a refurbished model can often be better than a used model which still has the original factory parts – particularly if the refurbished model has a brand new battery or display.

The only concern is whether the repair was handled by skilled technicians or give-it-a-go amateurs. One thing to bear in mind is that if your phone is advertised as waterproof, this feature could be compromised by refurbishment. So, we’d advise you to treat it as if there’s no waterproof protection – just to be safe – or to check with the seller.

If you’re in the market for a new device, there are a number of reasons why you should consider buying a refurbished or used phone.

Buy from retailers such as MusicMagpie, SmartFoneStore or 4Gadgets and, while you might not be getting a fresh-out-of-the-box device, you’ll have peace of mind that the phone has undergone rigorous testing and comes with a guarantee

In this context, refurbished models are secondhand devices that have been sorted into “pristine”, “very good” and “good” categories – or similar – but unlike buying from stores like eBay, you get the reassurance of a warranty in case something stops working.

To see all of the pros and cons of used devices, take a look at our guide on refurbished vs used tech.