Second hand iPhones

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Gradine

84 posts

Master Geek
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#111282 29-Oct-2012 15:45

Some second hand iPhones for sale on TMe. Prices range between $100 - $200, but depends finally on bidding.

Are these phones any good as a cheap buy. What are issues with them.

I note that they are described as:-
3G and 3GS -- what is the difference and what "model" of iPhone would this be (Iphone 4 or 3 or 2 or what?)
Have 8gb and 16GB -- what is preferable GB and why
Phones are "Unlocked" and "Jailbroken" -- what do these terms mean. Are these all overseas sourced, not NZ new. Does that make them unusable on any NZ network? Can these devices be used overseas - say on trip to Australia or Europe/UK. Is unlocking or jailbreaking (of a phone) legal. Suppose this is OK as all the phones are made/sourced from overseas in any event - even those sold by NZ telecos.
OIS is -- 4.2.1 or 6.0. What is this and does it matter. One says OIS 4.2.1 is the most stable - is that right?
Phones are "refurbished" - does that mean they are reconditioned second hand and have also had any previous owner settings and PINS or passwords and/or downloads/apps etc removed.

Can one just insert one's own NZ prepay Sim Card into one of these devices and be "up and running"?

All and any comments welcome.

skewt

752 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 215

#708500 29-Oct-2012 15:58

I would personally stay away from 3 or 3GS phones now due to the age and no longer supported by Apple,
Recommended models would be 4,4S or 5

GB space is up to the user depending on what they use the device for, keep in mind that some apps can be large in size, as well as other photos, music..

caution over phones that are listed as jailbroken, unlocked.
You need to be aware that you might be buying a device that has been locked to a network overseas, so resetting the phone or upgrading may cause you issues and it could stop working

The latest software is 6.0

My current iPhone is a 4 32gb jailbroken model on 5.11
Jailbroken to add other features apple haven't implemented

RunningMan

9185 posts

Uber Geek
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#708535 29-Oct-2012 16:46

Most of your questions are answered here.

mattwnz

20515 posts

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#708549 29-Oct-2012 16:54

skewt: I would personally stay away from 3 or 3GS phones now due to the age and no longer supported by Apple,
Recommended models would be 4,4S or 5

GB space is up to the user depending on what they use the device for, keep in mind that some apps can be large in size, as well as other photos, music..

caution over phones that are listed as jailbroken, unlocked.
You need to be aware that you might be buying a device that has been locked to a network overseas, so resetting the phone or upgrading may cause you issues and it could stop working

The latest software is 6.0

My current iPhone is a 4 32gb jailbroken model on 5.11
Jailbroken to add other features apple haven't implemented

The 3GS is still supported, just, as I believe it is IOS6 compatible. But it probably didn't add many new features to it. It probably won't have nay future updates though. Just because it isn't supported, doesn't mean it isn't still usable. Just means that future apps may not work on it.

4.2.1 isn't the most stable version of IOS.It was the last version that worked on some models including I beleive the iphone 3g and ipod touch 2G. But it still has bugs, and is quite laggy on those older devices. The best IOS is probably IOS 5x, as it still has google maps and street view.

gzt

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#708556 29-Oct-2012 17:04

iPhone 3GS you can use latest operating system - iOS 6.

For iPhone 3G you are stuck with 4.2 forever. 4.2 is overkill for 3G and bad performance. Fixes and hacks available but YMMV and who wants an old an unsupported o/s anyway.

A friend asked me for advice on this recently. I had a quick look on TradeMe. Sadly the TradeMe buyers do not know the difference and 3G often closes for much as 3GS. Buyers almost always pay way too much for 3GS as well imho. Considering age it is amazing. Very few phones would keep that much value!

mattwnz

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#708558 29-Oct-2012 17:09

gzt: iPhone 3GS you can use latest operating system - iOS 6.

For iPhone 3G you are stuck with 4.2 forever. 4.2 is overkill for 3G and bad performance. Fixes and hacks available but YMMV and who wants an old an unsupported o/s anyway.

A friend asked me for advice on this recently. I had a quick look on TradeMe. Sadly the TradeMe buyers do not know the difference and 3G often closes for much as 3GS. Buyers almost always pay way too much for 3GS as well imho. Considering age it is amazing. Very few phones would keep that much value!

I recall there was a deal website selling refurbished 3GS's for $300 a week or so ago, which is alot, considering the price of new android phones. People will pay for the apple name. Although ios is a nice simple os. Just very laggy on a 3gs.

Benjip

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#708566 29-Oct-2012 17:27

3G and 3GS -- what is the difference and what "model" of iPhone would this be (Iphone 4 or 3 or 2 or what?)

The iPhone 3G was the second iPhone model, and the first one to support 3G networks. It's now quite an old device so I wouldn't recommend this. The 3GS was the upgraded version of the 3G - it looked exactly the same as the 3G but it added a video camera and a bit of speed. The 3GS was still being sold brand new by Apple until a couple of weeks ago when the iPhone 5 launched.

Have 8gb and 16GB -- what is preferable GB and why

This just refers to the amount of storage on the phone - obviously bigger is better in this regard as it means you can store more music, videos, photos and apps. Current iPhones come in 8, 16, 32 and 64GB flavours.

Phones are "Unlocked" and "Jailbroken" -- what do these terms mean. Are these all overseas sourced, not NZ new. Does that make them unusable on any NZ network? Can these devices be used overseas - say on trip to Australia or Europe/UK. Is unlocking or jailbreaking (of a phone) legal. Suppose this is OK as all the phones are made/sourced from overseas in any event - even those sold by NZ telecos.

Unlocked refers to the iPhone being free to join whichever network you require. Some iPhones are locked to a certain carrier, especially if purchased overseas. This means that you wouldn't be able to insert a Vodafone SIM for example.

Jailbroken refers to the software of the iPhone being hacked to allow for unofficial apps and tweaks. It's not recommended as it often results in much higher battery usage and can lead to excess data charges if you have applications that don't conform to Apple's standards/approval and don't play by the rules.

OIS is -- 4.2.1 or 6.0. What is this and does it matter. One says OIS 4.2.1 is the most stable - is that right?

The most recent version of iOS is iOS 6. iOS 4 is over two years old now and thus doesn't have many of the features of iOS 5 and 6, including iCloud. The iPhone 3GS and later can be updated easily to iOS 6.

Phones are "refurbished" - does that mean they are reconditioned second hand and have also had any previous owner settings and PINS or passwords and/or downloads/apps etc removed.

Refurbished, in Apple terms, means that the unit is more or less perfect but cannot be sold as 'new' as it may have been repaired previously. I've purchased refurbished items from Apple in the past and they were indistinguishable from brand new items, albeit with less fancy packaging.

Can one just insert one's own NZ prepay Sim Card into one of these devices and be "up and running"?

Correct, provided that the iPhone is unlocked. You'll need to check that you have the right size of SIM card - the iPhone 4 and above (4/4S/5) require a Micro SIM which you can get from any of the telcos (Vodafone/Telecom/2 degrees).

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gzt

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#708567 29-Oct-2012 17:29

That deal is still going - 3GS 8GB, NZ$308 delivered, one year warranty.

http://www.grabone.co.nz/auckland/iphone-3gs-8gb-refurbished-2

I do not recognise the name of the company selling them -TNT Traders- or have any idea how long they have been around.

gzt

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#708571 29-Oct-2012 17:35

Benjip: Refurbished, in Apple terms, means that the unit is more or less perfect but cannot be sold as 'new' as it may have been repaired previously. I've purchased refurbished items from Apple in the past and they were indistinguishable from brand new items, albeit with less fancy packaging.

If you are buying a refurb from Apple that is 100% correct. Apple have a very high standard for refurb.

But if you are buying refurb Apple product from anyone else you should not assume the same standards will apply.

Gradine

84 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 7

#708872 30-Oct-2012 08:19

Thanks folks - good answers and lots of suggestions to muse about.

Was just thinking about a cheapie smart phone to take overseas next year and "came across" the T/Me options. Now I am educated enough to make a wise decision.

By the way - several retailers have (from tomorrow - Wed) Samsung Galaxy Mini for sale at $99 and $97 (JBHiFi). Now that has to be a good deal and price for an entry level newbie like me!

Thanks for the help.