Or consider refurbished models. In English they are called refurbished, CPO (Certified Pre-owned), other options are “like new”, “ref”.
What it is?
These are used devices that have been repaired (if necessary), placed in new cases (look like new), in new packaging with a new set of accessories. With a guarantee!
It seems that buying this option is safer than buying it by hand. But there are many nuances:
Photo - OLX
Who restores phones?
The manufacturer itself or unknown who (private service centers, Chinese sellers, etc.). Among major manufacturers, only Apple officially sells refurbished phones. This is not surprising: iPhones are expensive, and an “almost like new” iPhone at a reasonable price is a tasty morsel for Apple lovers. Last year Samsung decided to follow in the footsteps of Apple, but their refurbished pipes are not yet supplied to Russia.
Photo - cultofmobile
An officially restored iPhone 6S 16GB can now be bought in communication stores for 22 thousand rubles. At the same time, new ones are available in dubious online stores for at least 25 thousand, in reputable ones - for 33-34 thousand. The iPhone 7 model already costs almost 40 thousand rubles. The difference for those who want to save money is serious.
Refurbished iPhone 7s went on sale only last month and have not yet reached Russia. In the USA, refurbished “sevens” are offered for $499 (32GB version), $50 cheaper than the same new ones.
Photo - BGR
Where do the recovery tubes come from?
They are returned by users:
Due to breakdowns: often the smartphone is replaced with a new one, and the returned one is restored and resold;
If you don’t like something: in Western countries there are no problems with returning equipment; -Under the trade-in program: for returning your old device you receive a discount on the purchase of a new one.
If the phone is in excellent condition, and the breakdown was trivial (not the motherboard burned out, but, for example, only the camera module needed to be replaced), then there is no point in sending it for recycling. Can be repaired, restored and sold.
Officially refurbished Apple phones have a one-year warranty (the same as new ones), look like new, and receive a new serial number. During the renovation, they receive new displays and batteries.
After the factory restoration procedure, the phones undergo exactly the same testing as new models. In general, Apple's recovery can be trusted 100%.
Photo - Patently Apple
How to distinguish a refurbished iPhone from a new one?
Check the model number on the package. In the refurbished version it starts with F.
Photo - itc.ua
How to avoid becoming a victim of divorce?
Buy refurbished iPhones from certified sellers. Among them are Yulmart, Svyaznoy, MediaMarkt, Citylink, Eldorado, M.Video, Svyaznoy, Megafon, MTS.
Otherwise, there is a high chance that you will be deceived. iPhones are selling out quickly, and unscrupulous people want to make money off of it. It happens that used devices are packaged in films and passed off as new. Or old phones with a bad history (broken, smashed, drowned) have their cases and screens “handicraft” changed and sold under the guise of officially refurbished ones.
Briefly about what to pay attention to:
The packaging of refurbished iPhones is different from that of new ones: it simply says the model name and “Apple Certified Pre-Owned” at the bottom;
Photo - Apple
Officially refurbished iPhones are not sold without packaging or open;
The serial number of the phone (“Settings” → “General” → “About device”) must match that indicated on the box;
Punch the serial number in the Apple service checkcoverage.apple.com- it will indicate what kind of phone you have and how long its warranty lasts.
Well, in conclusion, once again: do not buy a refurbished iPhone from private individuals or from unreliable online stores.
Restoration by third parties and companies
In Russia, only refurbished Apple smartphones are officially available. Samsung also sells refurbished models, but so far only in the US. On foreign trading platforms (eBay, Amazon, AliExpress), on classifieds websites and in various online stores, you can find refurbished pipes of any brand. Including attractive flagship models of previous generations - Samsung Galaxy S7 and S8, LG G6, HTC 10, Sony Xperia XZ and XZ1. In foreign stores they usually write about them “Seller Refurbished” (restored by the seller).
For example, on AliExpress the Galaxy S7 is offered for 16-17 thousand rubles, while a new one in Russia costs 25-28 thousand.
Is it worth buying?
This is a lottery with an unpredictable ending. There are two types of companies that refurbish and sell phones:
Large sellers who specialize in this. They have extensive experience and many positive reviews. They use original parts and offer a long warranty. The same may apply to serious SCs. In the USA, refurbished electronics are also found in large chains such as Best Buy. But we are not in the USA.
Individuals and small companies. If you find a website of a Russian service center that talks about good quality and a professional approach - who knows what it really is? The same applies to Chinese sellers. They usually purchase large quantities of “discarded” tubes in America - severely damaged, beyond repair, and handed over under warranty. All this is disassembled piece by piece and the parts are “riveted” into new phones, which are placed in new cases, films are glued on and packed into fresh boxes.
The accessories are also new, but of course they cannot be official. If any spare parts need to be replaced, non-original components are used. The buildings are also “left-handed”.
At the same time, you don’t know who used the phone before you and for how long, why the device was returned to the store and how it got repaired. You don't know who repaired it or how well he did it. You don’t know what checks the restored device went through - or whether it went through them at all. You don’t know what condition its motherboard is in, and whether the battery is alive. You don't know how long it will work. Such sellers sometimes give a guarantee, but it rarely exceeds 2-3 months.
The Chinese workshop is in full swing. Source - YouTube
Of course, there are happy cases. After all, there are many sellers who deserve trust. You can find recommendations online, but I won’t recommend anyone in particular. And among the restored ones there are many phones that had minor damage, and they were well repaired. It is likely that they will last for more than one year, and you will save a lot. But it is also likely that you will be unlucky and the tube will fail in a couple of months. Whether the savings are worth it is up to you to decide. Overall, in my opinion, the risk is about the same as when buying used.
Throughout the existence of Apple products, the most global issue for all buyers is the authenticity of the equipment. With the development of capitalism and the desire of small and large companies to make money, everything that is very popular sooner or later begins to be counterfeited. In this article we will talk about the REF iPhone - what it is, why it is not a fake and how to distinguish the Apple REF iPhone from a smartphone assembled in a dark room from non-original parts.
So, what is Refurbished iPhone
It is known that Apple does not offer warranty repairs as such. And if you contact the Apple Store with damage that is covered by warranty, then the device will simply be replaced with a new one. As you understand, your defective iPhone is not disposed of as scrap metal. It is sent for restoration to Foxconn factories specifically for Refurbish-ing.
This restoration is no worse than the initial assembly of a new phone. If case parts (for example, a display) are damaged, they are simply replaced with new ones. If the problem is in the microcircuits, then they are either replaced or defects in the motherboard are eliminated at the factory. Afterwards, the device undergoes similar tests as new ones, and goes on sale only if it meets the quality and at a certain discount. You can even purchase additional insurance “Apple Care Protection Plan”, just like for new gadgets.
This type of recovery is called Manufacturer refurbishing(refurbishment from manufacturer).
Now let's consider Seller refurbishing(restored by seller)
I think there is no need to explain how it differs from the previous one. We all know what kind of tricksters there are in the world of technology and how people like to make money. This type of restoration is mostly carried out by companies that offer to exchange your old iPhone 6 for a brand new XS, or by completely shady dealers.
To begin with, it is worth remembering that models such as the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 have already been discontinued. And if you can still buy a really new 5, then you can only find a new 4, not Refurbished, 4S 8Gb.
The serial number, IMEI on the SIM slot do not match those indicated on the box or, conversely, in the device? This is a sure sign of Seller Refurbished. Well, or the fact that the company is so lacking in conscience that it didn’t even invest in good printing.
Take a closer look at the speakers. Unlike original Manufacturer refurbishing, the mesh may have larger holes. The display quality will also be worse. Don’t be afraid to check everything with the seller or courier, you have every right to do so.
A reliable way to determine whether your iPhone was rebuilt by Foxconn or a skilled radio mechanic is by looking at the bolts that secure the back cover. Remember! The original bolts should fit snugly to the body, they should be almost invisible and have a star shape.
We hope that this article will be useful and please note that the site only offers manufacturer refurbishing made by Apple!
Buy from a trusted online store. Buy from!
Is it worth buying a refurbished iPhone? What does “refurbished” mean in general and how does this apply to a smartphone? How can you distinguish a used device from a new one? We will talk about this today in this article.
Tips for those who decide to purchase a new or refurbished iPhone
What does “restored” mean in this case? This word means that the device was broken for some specific reason, after which it was redirected to the Apple service center. There it managed to undergo a course of, so to speak, rehabilitation, after which it again entered the market. Thus, we can already answer the question “Refurbished iPhone - what does it mean?” Now let's move on to specific tips.
Let's say your purchased iPhone was delivered in a branded box from the American company Apple. In this case, you should compare what is written on the device itself and on the box. If these numbers do not match, it means that you were not provided with the original smartphone packaging.
Now the Internet is sinking its roots deeper and deeper into the days of our lives. And if a few years ago, to buy a new device, everyone went to a cellular communication store, now buying gadgets through an international network is gaining more and more popularity. This may not be so fast, but in some cases it can be beneficial in the form of money saved. However, each buyer in this case must understand that he can enter into a transaction with an unscrupulous seller. To avoid problems in the near future, first study the terms of the transaction itself. Read what the website says about sales and refunds, or contact the seller to clarify these points with their help.
Even if you bought a refurbished iPhone (we already explained what this means at the beginning of the article), it should be covered by a warranty. It is valid for one year only, but can be extended up to two years. We advise the reader who decides to purchase a refurbished iPhone to contact Russian representatives of the company in advance and find out for sure whether your device is covered by a warranty. This procedure is especially important when you buy a device not from a mobile phone store, but from third parties.
Quick facts about refurbished devices
To the question “Refurbished iPhone - what does it mean?” we have already answered. These types of devices are smartphones that have been repackaged in a new way for resale after undergoing refurbishment procedures. We already found this out at the beginning of the article. Now let us briefly list the main points that are valid for such devices:
- Any restored iPhone (reviews can be read at the end of the article) is repaired at Apple service centers.
- Technical services reserve the right to integrate spare parts into smartphones if the device was previously faulty.
- Any refurbished iPhone, the price of which is automatically reduced by about a third, is certified by Apple.
- Once the repair of the device is completed, it is recognized as fully operational and functioning.
- In order to find out whether the device has been restored, you should check the serial codes on the packaging and on the iPhone itself.
But now let’s talk in more detail about how to do this.
We check the box, smartphone and look at the serial number
- Step one. So, first, we take the packaging from the iPhone and look for the seal there. It should say Apple Certified. The seal will provide additional confirmation that the device has previously undergone a restoration procedure at a service center, after which it was tested by competent specialists.
- Step two. We check the packaging along with the box. If your device has been refurbished, you will most likely find it in an all-white package. The refurbished device can also be sold by third parties in non-branded packaging.
- Step three. We are looking for the serial number of our device. He will help us find out information about recovery. If the device is turned on, then go to the desktop and go to settings. There, select “General”, then “About device”. In it you need to find the “Serial number” column. If the smartphone is turned off, you should get to the slot where the SIM card is usually inserted. There you can find the treasured sequence of symbols.
- Step four. Now we find out information about the device using the serial number. Look at the first number. If it says “5”, then it has been refurbished and certified by the company. The third digit can tell us about the year the smartphone was manufactured. For example, the number “0” will demonstrate that the device was manufactured in 2010. Thus, now you know the answer to the question of how to distinguish a refurbished iPhone. Now it’s time for us to move on to the conclusion of the article.
Refurbished iPhone: reviews of the devices and is it worth buying
The last question is answered very well by one interesting fact. In 2015, sales data for refurbished iPhone 5S surprised even representatives of the American company. The price was almost halved, which caused an unprecedented rise. Many analysts tend to think that there is nothing wrong with buying refurbished iPhones. In fact, you are buying a device with replaced hardware at a lower price.
Prices for refurbished devices:
- iPhone 5S - 28 thousand rubles.
- iPhone 6 - 40 thousand rubles.
") more and more often, causing potential buyers to ask: what does this status mean? Mark " like New“does not mean that the iPhone belongs to the “used” category and was sold for next to nothing by a user in need of money, but that the device initially turned out to be defective, but Apple has eliminated the existing shortcomings and now the gadget is working “ for glory." In English, such smartphones are called “ Refurbished».
There's nothing wrong with buying a refurbished iPhone.– they break down no more often than regular iPhones. However, the very fact of being under repair should be a guarantee of a reduced price for such a gadget - the buyer has the right to a substantial discount. The problem lies in the fact that sellers are sometimes not ready to put up with the loss of part of the profit, and therefore simply do not tell buyers that the iPhone is refurbished. The buyer must check it himself - fortunately, he has several effective ways to do this.
If you purchase an Apple smartphone in a box, then distinguishing a refurbished iPhone from a new one is as easy as shelling pears: on the box in which the refurbished gadget is packaged, there is a special stamp with the inscription “ Apple Certified Refurbished" or " Apple Certified Pre-Owned».
Pay attention to another point: the box Refurbished iPhone completely white, whereas on the front side of the packaging of the regular iPhone 5 there is an image of the gadget.
Finally, another sign can be found on the back of the box, on a sticker with the serial number and IMEI. Next to the name of the refurbished product there should be the mark RFB (as in the figure).
Mark " Apple Certified“confirms that the gadget was repaired and tested at the company’s official production facility by qualified specialists.
There is also another note - “ Refurbished by Seller", that is restored seller. No expert will recommend buying such smartphones - the risk is too great that the repair was carried out by an amateur, as they say, “on the knee”.
Is it possible to distinguish a new iPhone from a refurbished one by serial number and model number?
Very easy to identify the recovered device by model number - in the picture above this number is located before abbreviation RFB. If there is no box, you can find out the model number through the gadget settings (path " Settings» — « Basic» — « About this device»).
If the model number begins with the letter M, it means the gadget is new, intended for retail sale; if the first letter of the number is F, then you have a Refurbished iPhone.
There are model numbers starting with P, but these are assigned only to custom-made gadgets. The last two characters before the slash in the model number indicate the country of sale - in our example it says RU, therefore, the phone is intended for sale in Russia (as it should be). If instead of RU there is, for example, LL (mark for the USA), the buyer should treat the product with distrust and check with the seller how this situation developed.
Serial numbers on packaging and in " Settings» Refurbished iPhone are often different.
For devices released before iPhone 5, the following rule applies: if the serial number starts with 5, then the iPhone is restored. Previously, serial numbers consisted of 11 characters and always began with a number, which identified gadgets that had been repaired. The subsequent digits of the number made it possible to judge in what month and year the iPhone was produced.
Now serial numbers include 12 characters and can begin with a letter (as in our example). The rule of the first character is no longer relevant at the moment, and it will not be possible to check by the contents of the serial number whether the iPhone is restored.
Is it possible to distinguish a restored iPhone from a new one by IMEI?
There are two services that allow you to find out information about an iPhone by IMEI - www.iphoneimei.info (Russian portal) and www.imeidata.net (foreign service). Neither of them gives a clear answer as to whether the iPhone is “like new” however, based on the information received, the user himself will be able to draw conclusions.
iPhoneimei.info
Go to the website and enter the IMEI of the gadget in the only window, then click on the silver arrow button.
After a minute of waiting, the following information will be available to you:
Based on this information, the following conclusions can be drawn:
- If the color determined by the service does not match the actual color of the gadget, this is a sign that the case has been replaced. It is obvious that the smartphone has been repaired.
- On new Apple phones, the " Find My iPhone» (« Find iPhone") is deactivated - the status is " Off." Status " On“is a sign of a “like new” smartphone.
- If opposite " Telephone Technical Support» (« Telephone technical support") And " Repairs & Service Coverage» (« Warranty service) reads " Expired» (« Expired"), it is clear that the phone is not new.
Information content of the program iPhone IMEI has decreased significantly in recent years - previously it was possible to find out, for example, the date of activation of the gadget, which also made it possible to judge the novelty of the device. However, the existing signs are quite enough to fairly accurately calculate a Refurbished iPhone by IMEI.
Imeidata.net
The principle of operation of the foreign service is the same: first you need to enter the IMEI, then click to confirm that you are “not a robot”, and as a final action press the button “ Check».
The result will be like this:
It seems as if there is more data than the previous service provided, but this is a misconception - in fact there is less: almost all useful data must be obtained through additional checks (“ Free Check Now"). They require registration.
Both services allow you to conduct a one-time free check " Blacklist“—that is, to clarify whether the gadget is lost or stolen.
True, you shouldn’t put much faith in the data obtained in this way - the check is carried out mainly among Western mobile operators.
Conclusion
When buying an iPhone from a large retailer, there is no point in checking for restoration - the fact that the iPhone is “like new” is written on the price tag. This information also appears in product cards of well-known online stores:
Bye Refurbished iPhone are not particularly popular among domestic consumers, and there are two reasons for this: Firstly, many of the consumers do not have an exact idea of what lies behind the term Refurbished, and continue to clumsily classify gadgets into new and used, Secondly, the discount that retailers give is very insignificant - for example, in Svyaznoy, the buyer of a “refurbished” iPhone will save only 2-3 thousand rubles.
At official dealers, even “like new” iPhones have a “biting” price– this is what forces consumers to get involved with dubious “dealers”. With such cooperation, it is important to follow the advice given in this article and pay attention to checking the smartphone for originality - how to carry out such a check is described.
Dear visitors to our website, we would like to warn you against purchasing low-quality Apple products. Be carefull! Cases of sales of refurbished (refubrished) phones, that is, used ones, have become more frequent. The phone is repaired, the case is replaced, sealed in a box and sold as new.
How do you know when buying a new device or not?!
Before purchasing, you need to check its imei or serial number in the database; by the way, this number must match in three places:
- on the back of the box
- on the back of the phone (only for 5s, 6,SE models)
- in the phone settings, section "about the device"
Check site:
- https://checkcoverage.apple.com/ru/ru/ "(after entering the serial number, a message appears - you need to activate the iPhone, this is a guarantee that the phone has not been used and no SIM cards have been inserted into it)
After inserting the SIM and setting up the account, a guarantee from Apple appears
If the letters of the part numbers on the box end in LL/A, then this phone was brought from America and purchased from an operator (for such phones, the warranty starts on the day of its purchase in America and lasts a period of at least 9 months from the official warranty)
Smartphones that are not worth buying
Of course, everyone knows that it is better not to buy a phone second-hand, since such a transaction can be quite risky. But a new smartphone in a store is a completely different matter. There is practically no doubt that you have a completely new phone. Except for one case where this phone is refurbished.
What does "refurbished iPhone" mean and what are they?
Refurbished iPhones come in two types.
1. At the official Apple factory.
These are devices in which deficiencies were identified during pre-sale preparation or in the first year of operation and were replaced under warranty to the owners. Such phones are sent back to the Apple factory, where they are repaired, after which they are put back on sale under the “Apple Certified” label, but at a significant discount. At the same time, they are also equipped with original accessories and are no different from new ones, except for one thing - the box. The packaging of the refurbished phone is made in white without pictures - only the model name is on the front side. There is no need to be afraid of such phones; they also come with a 1-year warranty from Apple.
2. Many online stores in Belarus sell referrals!!!
In addition to those officially recalled and repaired at the Apple factory, there are phones that were bought cheaply in non-working condition by one of the many Chinese companies or repair centers. They also perform repairs and then resell the iPhone as new. When buying such a device, you need to be especially careful, because not every company or service center will make quality repairs and there is no guarantee that in a month it will not turn into a brick. When purchasing such a phone, the only original parts that remain original are often the motherboard with the processor and touch ID—everything else, to one degree or another, depending on its performance, is replaced with non-original components. Therefore, devices that are sold without touch ID are fake devices (refurbished, ref) and have nothing in common with the original! Most often the screen, case and battery are replaced. Also, all accessories (charger, cable, headphones, paper clip) and the box, made to one degree or another identical to the original ones, will not be original.
How to distinguish a genuine iPhone from a refurbished or counterfeit one?
Some people prefer to buy a used iPhone second hand or the same from Kufar. And here the likelihood of getting scammed is much greater. If the Chinese honestly write that their devices are not new, then they can sell you used ones. phone (not to mention fakes) for the price of a new one. To prevent this from happening, let's decide what details you need to pay special attention to in order to understand what exactly is in front of your eyes.
1. Equipment and Accessories.
1.1. The box in fake and non-original iPhones is easy to get out, often you can see sloppy seams and glue residues (cheap thin white plastic in which accessories and the iPhone are placed).
1.2. Boxes of original iPhones are equipped with apple stickers on a transparent basis, boxes of refurbished phones on a white
1.3.On the original charges there is an apple, on copies it is either absent or too bright, the charge itself is not neat, too light. Pay attention to the shape of the charge. If the phone is from the USA or Britain (we will discuss how to determine the country of sale below) and comes with a plug for a European socket, then it is not the original. Often, counterfeit chargers for European sockets are made identical in shape to American ones, although the original looks different. Another distinctive feature of all counterfeits is the fuzzy bright letters compared to the original.
1.4. Sticker on the box, pay attention to 2 pictures, the first is the original, the second is a sticker of a refurbished iPhone, the barcode lines are not clear, the sticker is bluish, the imei font and the serial number are different. And the main thing is that the serial number will not match the serial number number in the phone (since on the ref stickers only the names are changed), the model and part number may also not match. The originals always have the same fonts and their size, gray sticker .
2. How to determine which country the iPhone came from
On the box and also in the settings (basic - about this device) the model (part number) is indicated, the last 2 letters of which indicate the country where the iPhone was brought from
Deciphering the iPhone model number
- A - Canada
- AB - UAE, Saudi Arabia
- AE - UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia
- AH - Bahrain, Kuwait
- B - Great Britain or Ireland
- BZ - Brazil
- C - Canada
- CH - China
- CN - Slovakia
- СZ – Czech Republic
- D - Germany
- DN - Holland, Austria, Germany
- E - Mexico
- EE - Estonia
- ET - Estonia
- F - France
- FB - Luxembourg
- FS - Finland
- FD - Liechtenstein, Austria, or Switzerland
- GR - Greece
- HB - Israel
- HN - India
- IP - Italy
- J - Japan
- KH - China, South Korea
- KN - Denmark or Norway
- KS - Finland or Sweden
- LA - Peru, Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala, Colombia, El Salvador
- LE - Argentina
- LL - USA
- LP - Poland
- LT – Lithuania
- LV - Latvia
- LZ - Paraguay, Chile
- MG - Hungary
- MY - Malaysia
- NF - Luxembourg, Belgium, France
- PK - Finland, Poland
- PL - Poland
- PM - Poland
- PO - Portugal
- PP - Philippines
- QL - Italy, Spain, Portugal
- QN—Norway, Sweden, Iceland
- RK - Kazakhstan
- RM - Russia or Kazakhstan
- RO - Romania
- RP - Russia
- RR - Russia
- RS - Russia
- RU - Russia
- SE - Serbia
- SL - Slovakia
- SO - South Africa
- SU - Ukraine
- T - Italy
- TA - Taiwan
- TU - Türkiye
- UA - Ukraine
- X - Australia
- X - New Zealand
- Y - Spain
- Z - Denmark
- ZA - Singapore
- ZD - Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Austria, France, Switzerland, Monaco
- ZP - Hong Kong, Macau
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