There can be several problems when buying a smartphone: for example, they may try to sell you a copy that is not entirely new, and there is also a risk of running into a defective device. Below we have collected some tips that will help you buy exactly what you need - a brand new and working smartphone.

0. We study smartphone reviews and reviews on forums

Before you start looking for defects in a specific smartphone in a store, you need to find out what you should look for first.

There are plenty of forums on the Internet where lists of possible shortcomings (defects) of certain models are published, lovingly compiled by users. Before going to the store to buy a smartphone, these lists should be carefully studied. Or even rewrite it on a piece of paper - you never know, maybe you forget something along the way. Don't underestimate these sources of information. This is not the first day that people have been using what you are about to buy. And managed to collect marriage statistics. For example, smartphone A may have problems with the camera, while smartphone B may have problems with the fit of the panels and the operation of the second SIM card. Would you have guessed to check exactly these points in the communication salon if you did not know about them in advance? Is not a fact!

As for smartphone reviews, we recommend paying special attention to the so-called unboxing or unboxing reviews. This is when a blogger on YouTube opens a sealed box, shows a completely new device in films and demonstrates what is included in the package.

What is the fundamental difference between a smartphone unboxing review and a regular smartphone? text reviews? Journalists often receive used devices for testing, and even without a box or accessories. But unboxing involves talking about a completely new smartphone. Exactly the same as the one they will offer you in the store. While watching unboxing, pay attention to the films: on some models they are glued only on the front, and on some - also on the back. This will be noticeable in the video. And if a store tries to sell you a device without one of the films, know that someone has used it. Unfortunately, this happens: sometimes smartphones are sold out of curiosity by dishonest sellers, and sometimes they try to sell returned goods under the guise of a new one. And yes, they sometimes pocket the components of the package - adapters, headphones, cables, and so on. So, while watching the unboxing review, remember the package contents.

Keep in mind: smartphone X in the version for Russia may not have the same package content as in the version for the USA or, for example, China. So the priority is videos by Russian authors.

1. Examine the box with the smartphone and the condition of the films

Broken paper seals indicate only one thing: the box has been opened. Why is an open question. Maybe the consultant decided to look at the device, or maybe even use it. Why would you pay for a smartphone that looks like it's new, but isn't?

The same applies to films: if they are missing or they are glued crookedly and with bubbles, you know that something is fishy here. However, there are exceptions: on very cheap devices, films are often glued crookedly and with bubbles. And it is not the sellers who are to blame for this, but the Chinese factories of the second and third tier, which do not comply with the technological process.

2. Go to the call log, SMS and gallery

A story from life: a girl bought a smartphone in a Russian online store, received the parcel, turned on the device and... saw in her memory a couple of SMS, a stack of selfies of some young man and several more direct evidence that the device was used. Yes, it was new and in film, but someone - apparently just for the sake of interest, since the model was exotic - turned it over in their hands. Some people will not pay attention to such trifles, while others will find it unpleasant. Therefore, before purchasing, it is worth looking to see if there are any artifacts left from the uninvited “user” in the memory.

3. Looking for scratches, dents and chips on your smartphone

Sometimes such artifacts are left by the same sellers, and sometimes the device arrives with them from the factory. Scratches, chips and dents should be identified before purchase. Because they are not considered a waste: as soon as you pay for the smartphone, they turn into yours personal problem. If a faulty screen, camera, battery, etc. can later be recognized as defective and repaired or replaced under warranty, then scratches and other exterior defects, if you did not see them right away, will not bother anyone.

4. Checking how the smartphone camera works

Obviously, it's worth taking a few pictures. In the store and, very preferably, also on the street. And then carefully examine them - so that there are no blurs in certain places, obvious stains, and so on.

But there is one more life hack. From an ordinary photograph of a street or store interior, you can assess the quality, but it is not always possible to discern defects - after all, the picture will contain a lot of details, bright colors, and so on. Therefore, take it with you or ask the seller to give you a regular white sheet.

The fact is that various kinds of spots (pinkish, yellowish, bluish) on frames are the scourge of many smartphone models. Such spots are clearly visible in photographs of homogeneous white objects. Sometimes this is a software problem, and then you will encounter it in all instances without exception. Here it’s up to you to decide: either take the smartphone and wait for firmware updates, or refuse the purchase.

And sometimes it's the hardware. This means that one device can give such an unpleasant effect, while another cannot. Therefore, after detecting stains on a photo of a white sheet, you should ask the consultant to bring another copy from the warehouse. Maybe you'll be lucky.

5. Checking the operation of the smartphone’s touch screen

To test the touch screen, go to the menu and click on each and every application icon. They are located almost throughout the entire display area. By clicking on them, you can identify so-called blind spots - places where, for some reason, the sensor responds poorly to pressing or does not respond at all. The second option is to type text on the keyboard. First in vertical mode, and then in horizontal mode. This way you will also cover almost the entire screen area.

Note that recently such a defect has been extremely rare in smartphones, and yet sometimes you can encounter it. Especially in ultra-budget smartphones.

6. Checking the smartphone display for dead pixels

There are several options here. The first is by using screen testing apps like DeadPixelTest. Everything is fine with them, but it’s far from a fact that you will be able to install such an application on a device that has not yet been purchased. Sometimes store policy prohibits potential customers from installing their software on smartphones, and sometimes it’s simply not very convenient. For example, if there is no Wi-Fi in the salon or if you do not want to enter your account into your smartphone or register a new one specifically for testing.

In this case, you should prepare to check for dead pixels in advance. We take at home microSD card and write several monochromatic pictures onto it - red, black, grey, blue, white and so on. In the store, we insert the flash drive into the slot of the smartphone, go to the gallery and carefully look for “alien” dots in the pictures. (At the same time, by the way, check whether everything is in order with the slot and whether the device recognizes MicroSD normally.) However, this method is also not universal: there are models (for example, OnePlus 5 and all iPhones without exception) that do not have slots for flash drives. kart.

And yes, on a white and black background (most often on them) you can see not only dead pixels, but also various stripes - for example, yellowish or bluish. This is also a marriage. Below is a photo of such a strip posted by a user on the official Meizu forum.

7. Checking the build quality of the smartphone

You could write a dissertation on how to check the build quality of a smartphone, but we will still try to briefly highlight the most important points.

First: the glass covering the screen may be glued crookedly. To identify this point in time, you should do the following. First, simultaneously run your fingers along the ribs - that is, along the places where the side edges of the body meet the front. Your fingers should not feel any bumps or dents. Secondly, it is worth comparing the width of the slots around the screen. The gaps at the joints must be perfectly uniform. If the width is different, there are problems with assembly. Thirdly, you should put your smartphone on a horizontal surface and look at it from the ends. If any errors were made during assembly, you will most likely notice that the front panel is not installed level.

Second: creaks, chattering and play in the body panels are unacceptable. By 2017, even the smallest Chinese factories had mastered assembly technologies that ensure perfect fit of parts. If there is something loose in the smartphone, then it is most likely defective. Request another copy.

At the same time, even in not the cheapest smartphones, the volume and power keys often rattle slightly. This moment should not be perceived as a marriage - rather, it is just such an unpleasant feature. You can check if this is true by asking for a second device for comparison.

And further: extraneous sounds(tapping) from the camera module is more normal than abnormal. These are the features optical systems installed in smartphones.

8. Checking the operation of the audio part

With the speaker, everything is simple - I launched the preset melodies, and if they are played, then everything is fine with the device. If you don’t trust the built-in ones, bring a MicroSD card with your favorite songs from home (provided that the device supports flash drives). It’s more difficult with headphones: individual manufacturers - the same Xiaomi company, for example, their smartphones do not come with “ears,” which makes verification difficult during the purchase process. Therefore, either ask the seller for headphones for testing, or, better yet, bring your own.

9. Checking the connection

WITH cellular communication everything is simple: put on a SIM card and call someone. But you shouldn’t hang up immediately after you hear “hello” on the other end of the line. Talk for a couple of minutes - this way you can check the microphone's operation.

Also, pay attention to whether the screen goes dark when you bring the smartphone to your cheek. If it does not go out, then the device has problems with the proximity sensor. This means that during a conversation you will press your cheek on various elements on the touch screen. Pleasure is still there.

It is more difficult to check the mobile Internet - practice shows that the glitches associated with it are of a floating nature, that is, in a number of models they appear from time to time. And it’s not a fact that they depend specifically on the smartphone. It may turn out that there are problems with the cellular operator.

To test Wi-Fi you will have to connect to wireless network- if it is, of course, available. Another option is to enable traffic sharing mode, if it is supported on the smartphone you have with you. Important point: If nothing loads either in the browser or anywhere else, you should not immediately consider the smartphone defective. Check the date and time: sometimes they get lost due to being in the warehouse for a long time, in which case most Internet services do not work. Set the settings to the current year and the correct time - after that, most likely, everything will fall into place.

10. Checking the battery

If the model has a removable battery, then it should have a white indicator. If there is no white, but there is red, then you know that moisture has entered the smartphone. And it may happen that he will not live long.

Also, for the sake of order, you should put your smartphone on charge for at least a couple of minutes - to make sure, firstly, that the interface connector is working properly, and secondly, that the charger is working properly.

Bonus track: testing a smartphone using special applications and codes

IN Google Play And App Store There are a huge number of applications for testing all smartphone systems. If the seller doesn’t mind and the store has Wi-Fi, why not? Such applications will tell you everything about the screen, battery wear, sensor operation, and much more. For example, in the case of an Android smartphone, you can install Test Your Phone or Phone Doctor Plus. However, such software cannot be called completely reliable. For example, we tried to test the flashlight using one of these applications, and it reported that there was no flashlight in the smartphone (see screenshot below). Although it exists and works.

There are also so-called service codes- they are individual for each manufacturer, and sometimes for different models the same company. They also allow you to learn a lot of interesting things about your smartphone, from system problems to total talk time. Lists of codes can be easily searched on the Internet - just enter the phrase “service codes for so-and-so’s smartphone” into a search engine.

That's all. Nothing complicated. Enjoy the shopping!

When purchasing a mobile phone, you need to take several steps to make sure that the product is of fairly high quality and has not been previously used. Be also careful when checking imei and pay attention to the compliance of the country of origin with the data on the barcode.

You will need

  • – program for checking dead pixels.

Instructions

1. Check the presence of a special protective film on the phone screen. There are usually two of them: the first of them is a special sticker with the name of the product and a list of its main functions, and the second (it is actually invisible) serves to protect the device’s screen. Usually it is quite thin. Pay attention to whether its corners are tampered with or whether there are any traces of tampering. Also pay attention to the set backlight level of the phone - usually the average values ​​for these parameters are set by default, and the maximum values ​​are set manually.

2. Check your phone for any fallen pixels. To do this, turn on the device, setting the desired backlight level, and then carefully examine its screen. Small gaps indicate damage to the matrix, so it is best not to purchase a phone with such a screen. There are also various third-party utilities to check for dead pixels - this is more relevant for phone owners, and not for clients.

3. In case you purchase mobile phone With touch screen, make sure that the icons and menu buttons are in their places, that when you click on one or another menu item, the command is executed exactly to the millimeter. Also, when buying a phone, of course, pay attention to scratches and other signs of mechanical damage.

4. Don't buy a phone without screen protectors. It is absolutely acceptable that it has already been used before. Also, when purchasing, it is recommended to purchase a special security millimeter film for various types screens - for touch screens and ordinary ones, in order to replace the factory sticker with it. In the future, to check the screen during operation, be sure to perform calibration, if available for its model, and install programs for checking dead pixels.

Video on the topic

Note!
Pay attention to the brightness of the display backlight when purchasing, but also consider that this may depend on the included light sensor.

The application can be downloaded for free from Google Play, has a fairly high rating from user reviews and supports 27 languages, including Russian.

Treatment for dead pixels - Dead Pixels Test and Fix

An application of the same name - “Dead Pixels Test and Fix”. By downloading and installing this application, it will help you check the display matrix on your smartphone or tablet for stuck pixels and restore their functionality. The program can work with different extensions displays and is suitable for checking phones and tablets.

The program will allow you to cure broken, stuck and dependent pixels on Android gadgets.

Dead Pixel Detect and Fix is ​​another application that allows you to find and remove dead pixels.
The program will detect stuck or dead pixels on your smartphone screen. To check the display of pixels on the display, 6 standard colors are used: red, green, blue, white, black, gray. The application corrects defective areas of the display, bright and dim spots, thanks to a special flashing mode that lasts 30 minutes, during which the display changes to different colors. The program works without the Internet and has good reviews from users.

Stuck Pixel Tool

Stuck Pixel Tool is able to find and fix many types of problems displayed on the screen, such as stuck, defective or dead pixels. The application will allow you to choose fill colors yourself or perform a check in auto mode. If you find a non-functioning part of the display, you need to click “Fix it”. When turning on the treatment mode, the application developer recommends not looking at the display.

If you notice that any display defects have appeared on your screen, we recommend trying one of these utilities to identify and eliminate dead pixels. But we have to remind you that these programs can only cope with burning pixels. If you are unable to fix the defective area of ​​the display, then contact the service; if possible, do not neglect warranty conditions to the gadget.

Friends, please write in the comments about your experience of using programs for calculating and treating the display. Recommend, perhaps, your options that helped you.

The screen of a smartphone from any manufacturer can be susceptible to defects such as dead pixels.

We, of course, want the devices we purchase in the store to be perfect in all respects and perform their functions efficiently.

But this also happens when, after purchasing a phone, we discover one of the most common defects in its manufacture - a dead pixel on the screen. Of course, as a rule, repairs are fully covered by the warranty and only if they were detected in time.

For most smartphone displays, each individual pixel is made up of three sub-pixels, namely red, green and blue. The combination of these colors in various proportions produces a wide light spectrum.

When you find a point of white, black or any other color that falls out of the overall color picture and is not in the right place, this is a cause for concern. The problem is that display resolutions are getting larger with each generation. mobile devices and detecting Bad Pixels “by eye” is becoming increasingly difficult.

Therefore, various specialized applications come to the aid of the device owner. And the simplest of them is “Dead Pixels” in Play Market.

DEAD PIXEL

Find specified application through the search bar and click the “Install” button.

You will be very pleased to hear that it does not require special permissions to operate.

Run installed application and don’t be immediately alarmed by the black screen - this will be the first of a set of all the necessary colors. Just tap your finger on the screen to display the next one and take a closer look.

Alas, dead pixels are found even on new devices, let alone used ones, which need to be carefully checked. Checking your device for dead pixels is not difficult at all. There are several different solutions.

Screen check using built-in functions

Some smartphones, in particular Samsung devices, support a special function and screen testing menu. In order to launch the menu, you need to open the “Phone” application and type the command *#0*# , after which you will see a menu on the screen.

There are buttons like Red, Green, Blue and Black. As you might have guessed, they mean color scheme. So, by clicking on Red, the screen will turn red.

This feature will check the screen for dead pixels. And different colors are needed for a full check, since, say, on a black screen you will not see a dead pixel, but on a green screen you will see it.

Checking with the app

There are quite a lot of applications in the Play Market that allow you to check the screen. One of them is called Screen Test.

Go to the Market, download it and launch it.

You tap on the screen and get a variety of colors and pictures that allow you to fully inspect the screen for dead pixels.

Downloading pictures to your smartphone

Another the simplest way. Take a bright color picture, load it into your device and open it (you can put it on your desktop). If there is a dead pixel, you will be able to see it. It is recommended to upload pictures of different colors for a more accurate check. In some cases, if you have a drawing app installed on your device, simply fill the drawing with the color you want.