FROM A TECHNICAL MIND

BUSINESS: FROM A TECHNICAL MIND Used Smartphone Checklist by Austin Steger

Many people are in the market for a new smartphone, but today’s smartphones can be extremely pricey. Purchasing a refurbished or used device can be a much more cost-efficient way of upgrading. However, there are some key points to be aware of before making that purchase.

It is important to have an understanding of locked versus unlocked phones, how to tell if a device is blacklisted, and how to be sure the device is not still signed in to someone else’s account.

When a smartphone is advertised as unlocked, this generally means that it can be activated with any carrier, without any additional steps needed. It also means that no matter what wireless network the device is activated with, there should not be a problem.

It is difficult to verify the unlocked status, so it is best to contact the carrier the device will be activated with and provide them with the phone’s unique IMEI or ESN number. The IMEI or ESN number can be found on the back of the smartphone or in the phone’s settings. The carrier can use that number to determine if the device is able to be activated with them.

Another thing to watch out for is blacklisted devices. A blacklisted phone has either been reported stolen or the previous owner did not finish paying off the phone and stopped service. These devices cannot be activated or used on any networks.

There are several online resources, as well as your service provider, that can provide the blacklist status if provided the IMEI or ESN number.

After verifying that a device will work on your chosen network and that it is not blacklisted, the final thing to check is whether active accounts are connected to the device.

Sometimes, the previous owner of the device will have signed into an account, such as a cloud storage account or a social media account. That person will need to sign out of those or else it could prevent you from using those types of services or may even prevent you from being able to use the device altogether. K

photo by Freestocks

Every device has an “accounts” section in the settings where these will show up if the phone is still signed into them.

This also applies if you are selling a device, as you do not want someone else to be able to access your sensitive information in your accounts, so be sure to sign out of them before listing a smartphone for sale.

Austin Steger is a local computer and mobile electronics technician and technical communicator. He can be contacted at repairs.riztech@gmail.com or by calling 330-952-1225.