Ok, so I am hunting for an after market iPhone as I cannot buy one in the US off from AT&T (don’t have SSN… and don’t want to pay 650 bucks for an unlocked iPhone 4 from Apple). So craigslist has now become my favorite hunting ground. Being the thorough researcher that I am (yeah I like to know everything that’s out there, eval all my options before going for anything) I have researched and came up with some tips, that might help people like me from re-inventing the wheel. My research helped me in discovering a lot of small things which can help you in deciding whether the iPhone you are buying is genuine or a fake. So here goes guys, and hope it helps:

 

 

A real iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4 will have (and you should test all this before buying):

- video recording. this is not there in 3G out of the box.

- multi touch

- 2 speakers at bottom, on either side of the docking port

- speakers have a wire mesh

- the screen lock button works across width and not length. and has a red line mark when put on mute.

- multitasking – double tap home button for multitasking. Check this only if it’s iOS 4.

- hold down the home button activates voice control.

- folders

- does not have a manually removable battery

- accessories are original

- there is no FM

- is not dual sim

- 16 icons on one page. There are 4 more icons on the springboard, which are common across all pages.

- safari browser

- does not have expandable memory

- wifi

- compass application

- accelerometer (this is what switches to landscape view)

- inside the box’s top cover there will be a barcode

- box comes with apple stickers

- the wall chargers pin’s is tapered at both ends in A shape. applies to US models only.

- put the serial number on Apple’s site and try to get the info – https://selfsolve.apple.com/GetWarranty.do

 

 

Specifically for iPhone 3GS:

- has a 3 megapixel camera

- on top you will have – power botton, 3.5 mm jack, sim slot

- metal back cover and not plastic

- if you hold out the phone in bright light / sunlight, then on top left you will be able to see 3 dots, which are the sensors.

 

 

Specifically for iPhone 4:

- gyroscope and accelerometer

- glass on the front and back

- 5 megapixel camera

- small pin hole mic on top near 3.5 mm jack and a separataor next to it

- flashlight

- front camera

- the headphone has a volume adjust switch

 

 

The difference between a 3G and a 3GS phone (since they look almost like clones):

- 3GS has video recording, 3G does not

- backside bottom letters written in chrome on 3GS while they are written with paint on 3G

- compass on 3GS

 

 

How to know if your white iPhone is real or a black one converted to white:

- The difference is on a converted iphone, headphone jack & docking port are black. But on genuine white iphone they are white.

 

 

The fake iPhone mostly has these:
- has plastic screen not glass… waves on screen due to poor build quality
- opening video and music takes longer time and controls don’t seem to work seamlessly
- probably has 2 MP camera
- has no maps and compass
- has dual sim
- home button will be slightly above the body contour, a little like raised up if you see the cross-sectional profile
- will have big charger
- earphones’s volume switch will be different, mostly oval and not straight as in real iphone.

 

 

Tips to buy an iPhone off from craigslist:

- buy in public place

- never buy packed/sealed box

- if it comes with the box, see if the serial# on box matches with the serial# on the phone.

- see if logo is double stamped or blurred

- back should be aluminium and not plastic

- always charge the phone in front of you and see if it charges properly. If the phone’s port is water damaged it will not charge.

- try to use the headphones and see if the 3.5 mm jack works.

- try to flip all the buttons to see if they work e.g. volume buttons, mute button, power button.

 

 

You might also consider buying a factory unlocked iPhone directly from Apple store. Here are the prices:

- 3Gs 16 gig – 499

- 4 16 gig – 599

- 4 32 gig – 699

and of course you have to add tax on top of that, so bump the above figure by around 40-50 bucks.

 

 

Happy purchasing guys … And do let me know if this was of any help to you…

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