Since the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are on the way into the market, earlier iPhones, (starting from the iPhone 5, 5s, 5c downward) would witness an ugly experience in value. By this, I mean their prices would seriously fall and as a result of this, many would be willing to sell their earlier iPhones out in the quest to upgrade to either the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus.
Meanwhile, before you purchase any iPhone at all, especially; any of the iPhones built with the A5(+) chips, you should be mindful of these four (4) factors that can seize the phone from you at any point in time.
In this category are the iPhones 4s, 5, 5s, 5c and beyond.
Blacklist:
Before you purchase any of the iPhones mentioned above i.e iPhone 4s, 5, 5s, 5c and beyond as a second hand or UK used, you should make sure that the iPhone is not Blacklisted.
An iPhone is put on a Blacklist when it is reported stolen or missing to the Network provider from which the iPhone is originally procured.
At first, the reported iPhone may be working fine, until it is either upgraded, downgraded or factory reset for any reason at all.
If that happens, you may never get access to the iPhone again until it is removed from the Blacklist. And removing such phones from Blacklist would surely cost you additional money.
iCloud Account:
The first thing you should try to do at the point you are transacting the iPhone is to change the iCloud credentials on the phone.
Frankly speaking, the iCloud security on A5(+) chips iOS devices are quiet strong and not easily accessible. I am talking from experience. From about fiften (15) iPhones that have been brought to me to remove iCloud on, I could only do just NINE (9) successfully.
Imagine you bought an iPhone for N45,000 and you (intentionally or unintentionally) factory reset or upgrade the phone and during the phone first use setup you are stuck at the iCloud sign in.
This is a kind of mistake that had cost so many people about N25,000 to correct and even many more could not use their iPhones again just because of iCloud.
So, be sure that you replace the iCloud credenttial on the iPhone you are going to buy with your own iCloud details before you even pay money at all.
Find MyiPhone Service
Find MyiPhone is another security service that enables iPhone users secure, locate and lock their iPhones remotely.
An iPhone could be working fine even if Find MyiPhone is turned on for the iPhone until you do anything that makes you reset the iPhone. This case is closely related to the iCloud, too.
Original Network:
Although, this is a minor case but it's worth talking about.
Just in case and for any reason, you ever wish to re-unlock the iPhone, it would be more easier for you to unlock if you already the original network/GSM service provider the iPhone is locked to.
By this, I hope you find this information useful and I hope you don't fall victim of such in your quest to the iPhone world.
If you have any questions to ask or opinions to share, kindly use the comment box below.