Buyer’s guide
How we grade every phone
Pick a grade to see what it allows and where the wear shows. Tap a for a close-up. Every phone is fully working, erased and free of locks — the grade is about how it looks.
Choose a grade
Brand new
Sealed
Factory sealed and never opened — exactly as it left the manufacturer.
- Sealed in its original box
- Never activated
- Manufacturer’s warranty
Diagram, not a photo. Each phone we list has its own photos with the same kind of pins.
Open box
Like new
The box has been opened, but the device is unused and like new. No grade — there’s no wear to grade.
- No marks anywhere
- Battery 95% or better
- Original box with every accessory
- 90-day warranty
Diagram, not a photo. Each phone we list has its own photos with the same kind of pins.
Used · grade A
Pristine
Looks close to new. You would have to hunt for a mark — and we did, under a raking light.
- No marks on screen, back or frame
- All original parts, never opened
- Battery 85% or better, % shown on the tag
- 90-day warranty
Diagram, not a photo. Each phone we list has its own photos with the same kind of pins.
Used · grade B
Great
Light signs of use: faint hairlines you only see when the light catches them. No chips, no dents.
- Faint hairlines on the screen
- Up to 3 light marks on the body
- All original parts, never opened
- Battery 85% or better, % shown
- 90-day warranty
Diagram, not a photo. Each phone we list has its own photos with the same kind of pins.
Used · grade C
Good
Wear you’ll notice at a glance: light scratches and scuffed corners. No cracks, and it all works.
- Visible light scratches you can’t feel with a fingernail
- Scuffs and small dings on the body
- All original parts, never opened
- Battery 80% or better, % shown
- 90-day warranty
Diagram, not a photo. Each phone we list has its own photos with the same kind of pins.
Used · grade D
Well used
Clearly used: deep scratches, dents in the frame. Still fully working — we never sell a broken phone.
- Deep scratches you can feel with a fingernail
- Dents, chips and deep scuffs on the body — no cracked glass, no bends
- All original parts, never opened
- Battery 80% or better, % shown
- A cracked lens cover only if photos are unaffected — and it’s on the tag
- 90-day warranty
Diagram, not a photo. Each phone we list has its own photos with the same kind of pins.
Refurbished
Restored
Opened and had one or more parts replaced. Looks new, so it has no cosmetic grade.
- Every replaced part listed on the tag
- Replacement screens stated as genuine or aftermarket
- New battery or 90% or better, % shown
- 90-day warranty
Diagram, not a photo. Each phone we list has its own photos with the same kind of pins.
Every grade, side by side
What each grade allows on everything we check. Brand new carries the manufacturer’s warranty; everything else carries our 90-day warranty on functional defects.
| What we check | Brand new | Open box | Used · A | Used · B | Used · C | Used · D | Refurbished |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | Factory new | No marks | No marks, even under a raking light | Faint hairlines, only under light; no chips | Light scratches you can’t feel; no chips or cracks | Deep scratches allowed; no cracks, chips, burn-in or bleeding | Original or replaced (stated genuine or aftermarket); no cracks |
| Body & frame | Factory new | No marks | No marks | Up to 3 light marks; no dents or chips | Scuffs and small dings; no cracks | Dents, chips, deep scuffs; no cracked back glass, no bends | Original or replaced (stated); looks new |
| Buttons | Work | Work | Work | Work | Work | All present and working | Work |
| Liquid damage | None | None | None — indicators checked | None — indicators checked | None — indicators checked | None — indicators checked | None remaining; any past exposure repaired and stated |
| Speaker & mic | Work | Work | Tested, work | Tested, work | Tested, work | Tested, work | Tested, work |
| Power & charging | Works | Works | Works | Works | Works | Works | Works |
| Battery health | New | 95% or better | 85% or better, never swollen; % shown | 85% or better, never swollen; % shown | 80% or better, never swollen; % shown | 80% or better, never swollen; % shown | New, or 90% or better; % shown |
| Camera | Works | Works | Works, lenses clean | Works, lenses clean | Works; lens cover may have light scuffs | Works; a cracked lens cover only if photos are unaffected (on the tag) | Works |
| Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular | Work | Work | Work | Work | Work | Work | Work |
| Data & locks | Sealed, never activated | Reset, no locks, IMEI clean | Erased, no locks, IMEI clean | Erased, no locks, IMEI clean | Erased, no locks, IMEI clean | Erased, no locks, IMEI clean | Erased, no locks, IMEI clean |
| Parts | All original, sealed | All original | All original, never opened | All original, never opened | All original, never opened | All original, never opened | Replaced parts listed per unit |
| Packaging | Factory-sealed box | Original box, all accessories | Pouch or plain box, unless “Original box” is listed | Pouch or plain box, unless “Original box” is listed | Pouch or plain box, unless “Original box” is listed | Pouch or plain box, unless “Original box” is listed | Pouch or plain box |
| Warranty | Manufacturer’s | 90 days, functional defects | 90 days, functional defects | 90 days, functional defects | 90 days, functional defects | 90 days, functional defects | 90 days, functional defects |
| Returns | All sales final | All sales final | All sales final | All sales final | All sales final | All sales final | All sales final |
Something we wouldn’t sell — a dead screen, a locked phone, liquid damage — goes to our repair bench instead. If we can fix it properly, it comes back as Refurbished, with the replaced parts listed.