Buying an iPhone on the used Marketplace / Switching from Android...

July 6, 2023 9:10 AM

I've been a Galaxy Note user forever but am considering switching to iPhone. I would prefer not to pay Apple prices so have some questions about buying used as well as some Android vs iPhone questions.

Reason for switching is that I should get an Apple Watch for its health benefits. That's my only reason for switching. I like Android. I love my Note.

There are a gazillion used and "unopened" iPhones for sale online. If the seller has photo'd the back of the box, I punch the serial number into Apple's website to find out when it was bought. If the seller is offering the Apple Store receipt, I make sure the serial number on the receipt and the box (if unopened) or About section of phone (if opened).

With an open unit, I make sure powers on and is in good condition physically. With a sealed unit... I don't do anything else.

What should I be doing in addition or instead of the above?

Right now I am talking with someone who has a sealed iPhone 14 Max Pro and an Apple store receipt with matching serial numbers. As long as it was purchased within a year, there's no issue with me buying this, correct? It can't not work, right? 'Cause if it doesn't it's under warranty, yes? No way that transaction can come out bad for me, correct?

As far as switching from the Note / Android, I'm curious if:

- Apple allows me to text from my computer (right now I use messages.google.com). My customers contact me by text and I'm good at typing with hands but not fingers.

- Is iMessage essentially the same as SMS in the sense of process (a person texts my phone number and if they're on Apple it's an iMessage but Android it's a text) -- and do they use the same app?

- I love Bundled Notes app, which is not available yet for iOS. What is an Apple equivalent?

If I do get an iPhone, what's the best screen protector? I use d-brand skins — are their Apple Screen Protectors good?

Thanks.

posted by dobbs to Computers & Internet (14 answers total)

1) yes, you can text from your computer, at least if you're on a Mac. I don't know if you can do this if you're on a PC, but I would guess not.

2) Yes, the Messages app is just like your text messaging app. It just discerns by color whether messages are coming in as text or iMessage. There's no difference in functionality.
posted by hydra77 at 9:15 AM on July 6, 2023

I suggest that there are probably other smart watches you can use, honestly. Aople watch is nice but when you switch it's going to pull you into a whole Apple ecosystem for which, honestly, you will have little use.

I don't know about used iPhones, but just think you should consider this before deciding to upend everything for a watch.
posted by Alensin at 9:16 AM on July 6, 2023 [2 favorites]

Apple allows texting from computer, but it's only Mac computers (see Alensin's comment about that whole ecosystem caveat); however, just like with Android you can totally attach an external keyboard directly to the phone. Message is the same as SMS on the iPhone, yes.
posted by foxfirefey at 9:20 AM on July 6, 2023

Response by poster: Thanks for the answers so far.

Not interested in opinions on whether or not I should switch ecosystems, thanks. I already own everything Apple except phone and watch.

One other question, when I punch most serial numbers into Apple's site, it tells me date of purchase and other info. However, sometimes, it tells me this instead:

"We’re unable to display coverage details because your device hasn’t been registered. Please contact your Apple product retailer or your wireless carrier to register this device."

This suggests that unused product is not registered, but plenty of numbers I've punched in are from unopened product. This makes me believe that the item never entered Apple's retail ecosystem. Perhaps it was stolen or non-Apple retailers don't tap into that system.

Are there other explanations?
posted by dobbs at 9:34 AM on July 6, 2023

Best answer: For used iPhones, even more important than physical condition is whether the phone is still locked to its original owner: Check for Activation Lock before you buy a device from someone else. Usually the owner just forgot, but there's the possibility the device was stolen. There's also an organization lock: How to remove MDM Lock (you can't). If the phone is locked, it is useless. Apple won't help you unlock it, in their eyes you don't own it.

You should check all these things if possible: Checklist after receiving a phone or tablet bought on Swappa.

Seconding that there are numerous alternatives to the Apple watch that work for your current Android phone:

Pixel/Fitbit feature comparison
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 health features
posted by meowzilla at 9:37 AM on July 6, 2023 [4 favorites]

I would not buy an iPhone from a stranger. Even if it's in perfect condition, dealing with a network lock or iCloud lock is more trouble than it's worth (if not impossible). The safest place to buy a used iPhone is from Apple or, surprisingly, Amazon Renewed.

As for your specific questions: yes, you can text from your computer (using the Messages app on Macs, or apparently using Microsoft's PhoneLink app on Windows). Yes, iMessages and regular SMS messages appear in the same app. The standard recommendation for note taking is the built-in Notes app.
posted by caek at 11:31 AM on July 6, 2023

You should also check if the phone has carrier restrictions on it: How To Tell If iPhone Has Network Provider Lock Or Not, otherwise it may not work with your current mobile provider.
posted by meowzilla at 11:36 AM on July 6, 2023

I’ve brought several used iPhones through a sort of European reseller service, that aggregates different smaller sellers across European countries and makes them available in one space. I would not buy from an individual - these are often unused or lightly used business phones.

It’s also worth noting that all iPhones, even older models, will go down in price when the new ones are released in September/October (I forget when). This will also apply to the apple watch
posted by The River Ivel at 2:15 PM on July 6, 2023

It depends how cheap the phones are that you're looking at, but there are ways around paying Apple full price that don't involve as likely as not ending up with a glass brick that you can't activate (i.e. buying them from random people online). You also have to question why and how someone has a current-gen sealed iPhone (sealed? or resealed?) with receipt that they're selling for less than full price, especially if it's much of a discount.

Carriers offer deals for upgrading your device and/or starting a new line of service, which either reduce the price of the phone up front, especially if you're willing to trade in a recent device, or (much more commonly) will offer 0% installment financing with a discount on each month's installment payment. Sometimes it can reduce the retail price by as much as 80% or more. Obviously in this scenario you'd have to be willing to pay for it over time and stay with that carrier, as the discounts disappear if you pay off the loan early or cancel service (which brings the loan due immediately).

You can buy discounted Apple gift cards (which are now all-in-one across Apple stores, iTunes, App Store, everything), or where you get an incentive at another retailer for buying them--Target often does 10% back in the form of a Target git card, plus 5% off if you use their Red Card--and use those to buy directly from Apple. You can also trade in device(s) to Apple for additional credit against your purchase. Apple also has their education store, if you qualify, and custom stores that many businesses offer access to as a perk to their employees.

There's places like Gazelle that sell used phones that are guaranteed to be able to be activated and work.


iMessage and SMS both live in the Messages app on iPhone. You can get and reply to both iMessages and SMS on your Mac (in the corresponding Messages app there), though SMS requires enabling a specific setting on your iPhone to basically relay them to your Mac, since your Mac isn't connected to the cell network.
posted by tubedogg at 3:02 PM on July 6, 2023 [2 favorites]

There is the MeFi favorite swappa.com.
posted by oceano at 6:43 PM on July 6, 2023

Nthing the advice to do as much research as you can on buying a used iPhone. I’ve read a lot of horror stories of people buying used iPhones and everything looks legit but when they actually get the phone it’s locked (to either a carrier or to someone’s iCloud account). Even the used iPhone 7 I got from my previous carrier had some issues I didn’t know about, though I may have if I had done some more research.
posted by girlmightlive at 7:56 PM on July 6, 2023

You might also consider getting a refurbished iPhone directly from apple. You can save a quite a bit.
posted by nothing.especially.clever at 6:17 AM on July 7, 2023

Response by poster: I see that some people have favorited this question so I'll share some information that might be useful: if you're buying an iPhone on the second hand market, you want to look on the back of the box or, if the phone is open, check the Settings > General > About screen and look for the part number.

For instance, for the 14 Pro Max, here are the part numbers. Though they're all "world phones", different models for different regions have different features. The US is the fastest for G5 for example. The Chinese model doesn't have Facetime Audio and WiFi Calling, etc. Make sure you get a model that'll work best for you.

I'm in Toronto and almost every model currently on sale (Kijiji, FBM, etc.) is the Chinese model, though none are advertised that way.
posted by dobbs at 7:33 PM on July 9, 2023

Response by poster: So, just to update this:

I did end up buying a used iPhone 14 Pro Max. It took a LOT of emailing to various sellers. I concluded that 99% of people selling their iPhones are scammers (I used Kijiji and FBM). Here are common scams:

- sealed boxes (they can be resealed and don't necessarily have the right phone (or any phone at all) inside)
- blacklisted IMEI (i used imei24.com to verify)
- out of service (you can use checkcoverage.apple.com to verify)
- locked to a carrier (can be verified in Settings > Cellular... then look for "no restrictions")
- foreign models that may have restricted features (compare your model to those on a list like this, assuming you're buying a 14 Pro Max). For instance, the Chinese model doesn't have some Facetime features; the US model is esim only; etc.

If a seller won't let you open a box until you pay, avoid.
If a seller will not send you IMEI or serial numbers before meeting, avoid.
If a seller won't give you the Model (ie, part number) in advance, avoid.
If a seller won't agree to let you touch and turn on the phone, avoid.

I found it best to ask for a photo of the bottom half of the back of the box, which has all that info on it. If they refused (and many did), avoid. With the photo, I first checked the model, and if it was one I wanted, I checked the serial number to the above linked site, and if I liked the warranty, I then checked the IMEIs to make sure they weren't blacklisted.

If all of that stuff checked out, I then contacted the seller and specifically asked if I could hold and turn on the phone and use it for a few minutes before purchasing. If they say no, I don't bother to meet. If they say yes, I arrange a meet. I do my best to get a cell number (rather than using site's DM).

Note that many sellers say things like "Comes with a receipt". Well, that's useless, assuming they mean an Apple Store receipt, as those can easily be purchased online and will match whatever serial number the buyer wants.

In essence, I think it's best to not purchase a sealed item unless the seller agrees to let you open it before purchasing. I did not find a single seller who was, however. Whether buying sealed or not, you want to make sure that the serial number (Settings > General > About) matches that on the outside of the box (which is the one you used at Check Coverage).

It was a royal pain in the ass to do this, I must admit. I have bought dozens of used Android phones in the past and have never had an issue. Usually it's an hour's work. Not with Apple. I ended up buying the 14 Pro Max for C$1300 (sticker price + tax in Canada is just under $2K so I saved about $700). It was open box but young enough that I was able to buy Apple Care+ directly from the Settings section.

I used the first link in Meowzilla's post to ensure it was properly erased and not locked to the user.

One other thing you can check is battery health under Settings > Battery > Battery Health and Charging. This will tell you how much it's been charged. Closer to 100% the better, meaning closer to new.

Anyway, hope this helps some of you.
posted by dobbs at 6:51 PM on July 25, 2023 [2 favorites]