At Tech Reboot, we determine a phone’s condition before selling it to a customer with the help of our expert technicians and PhoneCheck Certification. 

But if you are not a tech expert or have a certification program at your disposal, what is the significance of checking your phone’s condition?

Well, first of all, Tech Reboot not only sells tech but buys it too. This means that the better the condition, the more money you make. Also, it is nice to know if your phone, tablet, or laptop is in great shape beyond its outer appearance. 

Keep reading to find out how to properly determine your phone’s condition at home before selling it!

Note: An iPhone 8 Plus will be used as an example throughout the blog. 

Make Sure Your Device Powers On and Off 

For your phone to function, it obviously needs to be able to power on and off.

To turn off an iPhone, hold down the lock button (right side of the phone) and the volume button (left side of the phone) at the same time. The phone should power off in a few seconds. Repeat the same steps to turn your phone back on. 

If your phone does not power on or off successfully, there may be an issue with your software, or you need a button repair done. 

Make Sure Your Device Can Hold a Charge 

A phone’s battery life is another determining factor of how good its condition is. 

When you plug in your iPhone, you should either hear a chime or feel it vibrate, as well as see a lightning bolt icon appear in the upper right corner. 

While on the charger, you will track how long it takes your phone to reach a full battery. According to Apple, it takes about three hours for a dead phone to charge to 100 percent. 

You should also track how long it takes for your battery life to dwindle. If your battery percentage significantly drops after a short period or the percentage does not increase after hours of being charged, you need to get a battery replacement. And if your phone doesn’t charge, to begin with, you probably need a lightning dock repair. 

Test All The Buttons

There are several buttons on your iPhone, and they all serve a different purpose. 

• Home Button

• Volume Buttons 

• Vibrate Button 

• Power Button 

Before you consider selling your phone, you need to make sure that these buttons function correctly. 

Test Your Mics and Cameras

It would be unfortunate if you were on an important phone call or recorded a video only to realize that the audio is awful. 

To test your mics, go to your Camera app and record a video with your front and rear cameras. Make sure to speak into the microphone at the top of the phone. When you playback the videos, the audio should be clear and easy to hear. 

While in the Camera app, test its quality as well. First, take a selfie. Make sure that the camera can focus on you and the final image is not grainy. Then flip the camera and look for the same requirements. Also, check if the flash works. 

Then record in your Voice Memo app and speak into the mic at the bottom of your phone. When you play the audio back, it should sound clear as well. 

If your mics or cameras fail, you can always to iFixYouri, Tech Reboot’s sister company, to take care of all of your device’s issues. 

Test Your Touch Screen and LCD

It does not make sense to own a touch screen phone that does not have a functioning touch screen or LCD.

To test your touch screen, slide your finger across the screen to swipe through pages, open apps, swipe up for the control panel, and swipe down for the notification center. As for the LCD, make sure that your phone’s screen is lit up and does not have any dark areas. 

Tech Reboot Will Buy Your Phone in Any Condition

The last thing you should do before selling your phone is checking for any surface imperfections, such as cracks, dents, and scratches. Take note of every flaw so you can select the proper condition in the selling process. 

Tech Reboot categorizes phones in five conditions: Brand New, Excellent, Good, Fair, and Broken. 

Brand New

• Brand new 

• Original seal

• No iCloud lock present 

Excellent

• Just a few tiny scratches 

• Fully functional 

• No water damage 

• Signed out from iCloud/ Google/ Samsung account 

• Find My iPhone is turned off 

Good

• The device has some scratches 

• No nicks 

• No dents 

• Fully functional 

• No water damage 

• Signed out from iCloud/ Google/ Samsung account 

• Find My iPhone is turned off 

Fair

• The device has scratches 

• Big nicks or dents 

• Fully functional- Heavy signs of use 

• No water damage

• Signed out from iCloud/ Google/ Samsung account 

• Find My iPhone is turned off 

Broken

• The device has some issues 

• Cracked glass

• LCD burn 

• No Face ID 

• Bad microphone 

• Bad speaker 

• Bad camera 

• Signed out from iCloud/ Google/ Samsung account 

• Find My iPhone is turned off 

Whether your device is nearly flawless or covered in flaws, Tech Reboot is happy to buy your unwanted device from you and give you your money’s worth.

Photo Credit: Karolina Grabowsa Via Pexels.