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Used iPhone 11 Buying Guide

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There are many advantages to buying a used iPhone 11 as opposed to a new one. You can get it for much cheaper and unlocked out of the box without it being necessarily damaged. In fact, many people sell used phones that are in a brand-new-like condition. 

However, buying used electronics also brings a few risks. You may not get what you asked for, you may get scammed, or even worse; you may fall a victim of a cyber-criminal. 

This guide aims to explain how to buy a used iPhone 11 while avoiding such things. Let’s get right into it!

Buying Guide: How to Safely Buy A Used iPhone 11

Overall, this is the main guideline that we generally follow regardless of what we want to buy online: 

  1. Choose a trustworthy website and seller
  2. Try avoiding credit and debit cards
  3. Keep an eye out for extra import fees and charges
  4. Pay attention to the condition of the phone
  5. Prefer unlocked models when possible

That’s all in a nutshell. If you want the details, then keep on reading!

1: Choose Trustworthy Websites

Used iPhone 7

It’s very important that you’ll only shop from websites that have been known to be trustworthy and reliable for a long time now. That’s because such websites have a significantly lower chance of attempting to scam you or selling something of inferior quality. 

Not to mention that the services that popular websites offer are often much better compared to other less known solutions. You get things like insurance, return policy, tracking, refunds in case that something goes wrong, and more. 

However, do keep in mind that websites and sellers are often not the same thing. For example, eBay is a popular and trustworthy platform, but that doesn’t mean that all of its sellers are trustworthy as well. In fact, we’ve seen numerous scammers on it before. 

So, with that being said, don’t just choose a popular and trustworthy website, choose a good seller as well. Look at his past reviews and remember, if a deal is too good to be true, then it most likely is. 

As for the websites, some very popular and trustworthy ones to choose from are: 

  1. Amazon
  2. Swappa (Highly recommended and trust-worthy)
  3. eBay

And there a few others to choose from. But, those are some of the most well-known ones. In the case of buying a used iPhone 11, Swappa is a particularly good choice since they are specializing in the specific task of selling used phones and laptops. 

2: Try Avoiding Debit and Credit Cards

Credit and debit cards were once traditionally used as the standard online payment method. But, that doesn’t mean that they are safe to use. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. 

As mentioned above, even if the website is reputable, the same can’t be said for their individual sellers. And that’s especially true for websites like eBay where more or less everyone can sell. 

For this reason, it’s highly recommended to rely on PayPal instead of just providing your credit card information. Because when things go wrong, chances are that you’ll be able to request a refund or found a solution with the seller, even if the website of your choice doesn’t allow for anything like that. 

That’s especially useful in cases where you may fall victim to a scam or anything similar. PayPal offers a layer of security that you just don’t get with traditional payment methods. So, do keep that in mind!

3: Keep an Eye Out for Extra Import Fees and Charges

Most people don’t seem to know about this. But, if you’re importing a product from outside of your country, there is a good chance that you’ll have to pay extra fees upon delivery. That’s extra money that you weren’t intending on giving in the beginning. 

In the worst-case scenario, you may end up having to pay more than the product’s original price. Best case scenario, all the extra costs are mentioned in the checkout page. 

The thing is that in both cases, you’ll end up having to pay extra money and nobody wants that. Now, there are a couple of ways to avoid that. But, in the end, it comes down to your country’s regulations. So, do make your research on that. 

Ideally, you should always order items only from websites that are based on your country. For example, those who live in the US may can use Amazon.com while the British can rely on Amazon.co.uk. 

Do also keep in mind that as long as a website has warehouses in your country, then chances are that it doesn’t matter where it’s based. For example, Gearbest is based in China, but it also has numerous European warehouses. This allows Europeans to purchase specific items without having to pay anything extra. 

There are also some other shady methods like Priority shipping, but let’s not go there since that’s not a reliable solution anyway. 

4: Pay Attention to the Condition of Your Used iPhone 11

Another common mistake is that people buy a phone that’s offered in a good price without taking a second to look at the condition that it’s in. This often results in unpleasant experiences where you may get something that’s in terrible shape or outrightly broken. 

So, with that being said, it’s terribly important that you pay attention to the condition of the used iPhone 11 that you’re going to buy! After all, every reputable website like Swappa is going to mention the condition of each device. 

Now, each website may use slightly different terms to describe the overall condition of a device. But, still, here is our general descriptions that apply on most options out there: 

  1. Good/Refurbished/Like New/Grade A: These terms are often used to describe a phone that’s almost brand new without scratches or marks
  2. Mint/Fair/Grade B/C: Scratches and other signs of wear/use may be present, but the device works normally
  3. Bad/Damaged/Parts and Repairs only/Grade D: The phone is damaged to the point where normal operation is tough or impossible

Again, always look for the individual description of a phone on the specific website that you’re shopping from because they may be using slightly different terms. 

5: Prefer Unlocked Used iPhone 11 Devices

If you’re going to buy a used iPhone 11, then try getting your hands on an unlocked version. Unlocked phones can work with all carriers and you also won’t have to worry about paying extra for an unlocking service down the line. 

iphone is unlocked

In case you don’t know about it, phones that are locked down to a specific carrier will only work with it. For example, if you get a phone that’s locked down to Sprint, then you’ll only be able to use it with a Sprint SIM card as the phone will refuse to “cooperate” with anything else. 

So, if you’re going to buy a locked device, then at the very least make sure that it’s locked to the carrier of your preference. Otherwise, this may end up turning into a painful buy. 

Again, most reputable sellers will mention if a phone is locked or not. So, keep an eye out for that!

Get your used iPhone 11 from Swappa

 

 

Best iPhone Screen Protector (Various Models)

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Screen protectors seem to be a must-have accessory these days. After all, protecting a device that costs hundreds of dollars is no joke and that’s why so many people want the best iPhone screen protector that they can get. 

The only issue is that there are a ton of protectors to choose from with some of them offering different designs and features as well. Some of them are known for toughness, flexibility, blue light blockage, and more. 

That’s why we wrote this article; so that we can help you pick the best option. Without any further ado, let’s get right into it!

1: JETech Screen Protector Pack (iPhone 6, 6S, 7, 8)

Buying cheap screen protectors isn’t always the best choice. But, if you only want to avoid getting scratches from keys and stuff like that, sure, why not? 

Speaking of toughness, JETech actually claims that this screen protector can offer protection from scratches up to 9H. That’s roughly equal to the damage that knives do. 

So, with that being said, we can safely assume that things like keys and coins should pose no threat. Just don’t forget to take any information that merchants and sellers provide with a grain of salt.

While we are still on the subject of toughness, don’t forget that scratch resistance and shock resistance are two very different things. A screen protector can help prevent scratches from objects that grind against the display, but they can’t absorb the vibrations from a fall. Cases are much more effective for that. 

As for compatibility, this protector is compatible with the: 

  1. iPhone 6/6S
  2. iPhone 7
  3. And iPhone 8

The plus versions and other iPhones are not supported because of their bigger (or smaller) displays. But, no need to worry. We’ll cover those soon enough as well!

Last, but not least, there’s the material. JETech uses tempered glass which can be both a good and a bad thing depending on who you ask. At the very least, it feels very similar to the pre0installed panel of the iPhones. 

More on the glass vs plastic protectors at the bottom of this article. 

2: Maxboost For iPhone X and Xs

Best iPhone screen protector

The iPhone X and Xs are not only larger compared to their predecessors, but they also come with a different design. That’s why you need a different set of protectors for them. 

Maxboost protectors are kinda mid-range priced. They are neither too expensive or cheap and to be honest, they ofter quite a bang for your buck. 

After all, one of the reasons that this is considered the best iPhone screen protector is because of just how reputable it is. We’re talking about more than 12,000 reviews and an average rating of 4.4/5, which is rather impressive. 

This is another tempered glass protector with the main difference being that it’s coated with hydrophobic and oleophobic materials. That helps keeping the screen clean from fingerprints, wet marks, sweat, and stuff like that. 

 Overall, if you’ve got an iPhone X or Xs and you want a mid-range choice that does its job, do definitely consider Maxboost. 

3: Purity Glass Protector (Compatible With iPhone Plus Versions)

Best iPhone screen protector

This is another popular and reliable choice for iPhone lovers. Just like with Maxboost, Purity offers hydrophobic and oleophobic materials in order to keep fingerprints and other types of dirt away from the display. 

However, Purity is leaning a tiny bit more towards the budget range. Priced at usually about 5 bucks, it’s one of the cheapest choices of the bunch. 

But, don’t let the pricing fool you. It’s still one of the best protectors that you can get and more than 3,000 people can’t possibly be wrong. 

Regarding compatibility, Purity can be used with all of the iPhone Plus variants. To be more specific: 

  1. iPhone 6 Plus/6S Plus
  2. iPhone 7 Plus
  3. And iPhone 8 Plus

Once more, just like with the rest of the screen protectors on our list, this one uses tempered glass. Seems like the manufacturers are slowly moving away from plastic. 

Anyway, if you own one of the iPhone plus versions, this protector is definitely of worthy of your attention. 

4: Maxboost Protector With Blue Light Filter (iPhone X/Xs)

Did you know that screen protectors can protect not only your screen but also your eyes? That’s thanks to blue-light filtering technology that can be implemented with glasses, software, or in our case, a screen protector. 

Blue light is not only more tiresome for our eyes, but it can also prevent your average person from falling asleep early due to how our brain can get fooled into thinking that we’re looking at sunlight. 

A blue light filtering protector like Maxboost’s offering blocks out the blue light emissions from your iPhone so that you can have a more enjoyable experience and get more sleep. So, for anyone who needs natural blue light filtering, this is a very solid option!

However, there is a catch. The reason that these kind of protectors aren’t so popular is because they reduce the overall brightness of the display and they can also alter the colors by making everything look a bit more yellowish. 

Maxboost has mentioned that you can expect a 20% brightness drop after installing the protector. So, do keep that in mind. 

Regarding compatibility, the particular link above is for the iPhone X and Xs. But, if memory serves right, there are blue light filtering offerings for pretty much any iPhone out there!

5: Omoton Glass Protector For iPhone SE, 5S, 5C, 5

Don’t need that we’ve forgotten about those of you who are still using oldies like the iPhone 5 or 5S. If you own one of these devices: 

  1. iPhone 5/5S
  2. iPhone 5C
  3. And iPhone SE

Then this is definitely the best iPhone screen protector that you can get; or at the very least one of the best! It currently has more than 4,000 reviews with an average rating of 4.6/5. Again, so many people can’t possibly be wrong. 

In terms of features, it’s more or less on the same page with the rest of the protectors that we checked out today. 9H hardness, an oleophobic layer, and a reinforced tempered glass layer. 

Small Side Note

Scratch resistance isn’t the same with shock resistance. There is a good chance that if you drop your phone from a good height, the phone display itself will shatter while the screen protector will feel nothing. 

That’s because the strong vibrations from the fall can cause the display to shatter even if it’s being covered by a protector. So, do keep that in mind. And obviously, try not to drop your phone from big heights, or from anywhere for that matter.

One way to kind off solve this is by getting a decent phone case that can absorb strong vibrations. Reinforced cases are usually your best bet for protection. But, they also tend to look a bit ugly. So, try to find a good balance between beauty and protection!

Best iPhone Screen Protector: Summary

That’s all for now. Those were some of the best screen protectors for iPhone devices that we could find at the moment of writing this article. But, if you’ve got any other recommendations, feel free to leave them in the comments down below!