Buying an iPhone Used - What To Look For?

[KurtangleTN]

Hey everyone tomorrow (I mean later today) I'm buying an iPhone off CL and I want to know what to look for.

What things should I test and with what.. or am I getting too anxious over it?

I just don't want to go home and see Wifi or some other random component isn't working.

Is there an app or something else to easily check everything in it?

 

[jav6454]

Hey everyone tomorrow (I mean later today) I'm buying an iPhone off CL and I want to know what to look for.

What things should I test and with what.. or am I getting too anxious over it?

I just don't want to go home and see Wifi or some other random component isn't working.

Is there an app or something else to easily check everything in it?

Only way to check it is inserting a SIM to see if cell network connections are working, also see if it can hook up to a Wi-Fi.

That's about it. Also, check the screen to see if it's damaged. Most importantly, if you can, look into the headphone jack to see if the water sensor is triped. If it is, the end will look pink.

 

[iBookG4user]

Check the moisture sensors in the headphone jack and dock connector. If either are red, walk away right there. Check the overall condition and that the touch screen works. Don't be afraid to walk away if it is not up to your specifications, you are not obligated to buy it.

 

[KurtangleTN]

Thanks for the heads up on the water sensor wouldn't have known that.

I was told she bought it from a friend but she realized she didn't want to switch to Verizon, so I'm really unsure if it's going to have a sim card or what in it, hopefully, and since I plan to jailbreak and unlock it to T-Mobile.

Can I buy an ATT prepaid sim to test it out?

 

[JoshGlzBrk]

Well just letting you know if it's a 3g or 3gs you will not be able to use 3g speeds if you take it to tmobile. Tmobile uses different frequencys for their 3g so you will be stuck on edge speeds. Usually about 120k/90k. Most of the time slower.

You cannot have the iPhone 3g or a 3gs on prepaid on AT&T. You will have to put your tmobile sim into the iPhone and make sure to sign up for a data package with tmobile

personally if I was going to buy an iPhone for tmobile it would be the first generation because it's basically pointless to buy a 3g or 3gs for tmobile.

 

[jav6454]

Well just letting you know if it's a 3g or 3gs you will not be able to use 3g speeds if you take it to tmobile. Tmobile uses different frequencys for their 3g so you will be stuck on edge speeds. Usually about 120k/90k. Most of the time slower.

You cannot have the iPhone 3g or a 3gs on prepaid on AT&T. You will have to put your tmobile sim into the iPhone and make sure to sign up for a data package with tmobile

personally if I was going to buy an iPhone for tmobile it would be the first generation because it's basically pointless to buy a 3g or 3gs for tmobile.

Wrong....

T-Mobile uses the 1700MHz wireless band for it's upstream 3G. That's why it doesn't work. Where are you getting 120k / 90k numbers from?

 

[JoshGlzBrk]

Wrong....

T-Mobile uses the 1700MHz wireless band for it's upstream 3G. That's why it doesn't work. Where are you getting 120k / 90k numbers from?

Just guestimating based on my edge speeds. They either are worse or a tiny bit better elsewhere. Point it it's slow.

 

[KurtangleTN]

Well just letting you know if it's a 3g or 3gs you will not be able to use 3g speeds if you take it to tmobile. Tmobile uses different frequencys for their 3g so you will be stuck on edge speeds. Usually about 120k/90k. Most of the time slower.

You cannot have the iPhone 3g or a 3gs on prepaid on AT&T. You will have to put your tmobile sim into the iPhone and make sure to sign up for a data package with tmobile

personally if I was going to buy an iPhone for tmobile it would be the first generation because it's basically pointless to buy a 3g or 3gs for tmobile.

I don't have 3G even close to my area, I'm guessing the closest area is about 3 hours away.. so that's not a real issue for me.

I already have most of my stuff set up through T-Mobile but im waiting for my sim that was resent to me.

 

[KurtangleTN]

Ugh, so I picked it up today and while I was testing it everything seemed fine. I seemingly tested everything but the most obvious one locking the phone.

Whenever I lock it freezes (it goes dim but never fully locks and it sits there frozen).. at first I thought it could just be a software problem but I restored and still same issue.

Does anyone know what this typically means and how much it would cost to get fixed by Apple?

 

[nateo200]

Wrong....

T-Mobile uses the 1700MHz wireless band for it's upstream 3G. That's why it doesn't work. Where are you getting 120k / 90k numbers from?

When you refer to frequency bands you refer to them in pairs. So yes the 3G is on a different channel for t-mobile than AT&T. It's a shame you can't just use 1900 to request data (upload) and download data over 2100 on 3G....of course that's impossible unless someone did some crazy software/hardware mods. Why the hell does t-mobile only use 1900 and 2100/1700 though? Something about frequency allocation I though....