UK used phone buying guide for Nigeria

A good UK used (foreign used) phone can save you a lot of money compared with a brand new one. It can also cost you twice if you buy a phone with a swapped screen, a doctored battery or a locked iCloud account. This guide walks you through every check, in the order to do them, so you can inspect a phone properly in a shop at Computer Village or anywhere else.

Take your time. A genuine seller will not mind you checking. If a seller rushes you, refuses a check or says "no need, it's clean", walk away.

Before you go

Know the fair price. Look up the exact model and storage on filterfree.ng first. A UK used phone priced far below the rest of the market is the biggest warning sign of all.
Know the exact model. Sellers sometimes pass off an iPhone 12 as a 12 Pro, or a Galaxy S21 as an S21+. Check the model number in Settings once you have the phone (on iPhone: Settings, General, About; on Samsung: Settings, About phone).
Bring what you need: your own SIM card, a charger or power bank, earphones, and a second phone to call and record video.
Go in daylight. Screen marks, dents and colour differences are much easier to see.

1. Look at the body and the screws

Check the two screws at the bottom of an iPhone, beside the charging port. Scratched, stripped or mismatched screws mean the phone has been opened. That is not always bad, but ask what was repaired.
Look along the edges for gaps between the screen and the frame. A screen that lifts slightly at one corner can mean a swollen battery or a cheap replacement screen.
Check that the colour of the back glass and the frame match the colours the model was actually sold in. Housings are sometimes swapped to make an old phone look new.
Press around the back and the screen. Any flex, creaking or soft spots mean the phone has been rebuilt or the battery is swelling.
Look inside the SIM tray slot and the charging port with a torch for green or white corrosion.

2. Check the screen carefully

A replaced screen is one of the most common hidden problems, and cheap copies look fine at first glance.

On iPhone: go to Settings, General, About. From the iPhone 11 up, a replaced screen shows "Unknown Part" or "Genuine Apple Part" under Parts and Service History. "Unknown Part" means it is not an original screen.
Turn the brightness to full and open a plain white page, then a black one. Look for yellow or pink tints, uneven patches, dead pixels or a faint burn-in image of the keyboard or status bar.
Check True Tone (iPhone) and the auto-brightness setting. Copy screens often lose these features.
Drag an app icon slowly across the whole screen. If it drops in any area, the touch layer is faulty.
An original OLED screen looks deep black in a dark room. A copy LCD screen glows grey.

3. Don't trust the battery health number on its own

Battery health can be faked. Some repairers reset or reprogram the battery reading so an old battery shows 100%, and some fit cheap replacement batteries.

On iPhone: Settings, Battery, Battery Health. If it says "Unknown Part" or asks you to service the battery, it has been replaced with a non-Apple battery.
Be suspicious of a phone that is three or more years old showing 100% health. Ask for the repair receipt.
Watch the percentage for ten minutes while using the camera and video. A battery that drops several percent in a few minutes is weak, whatever the health figure says.
Plug the phone in and check that it starts charging straight away, and that fast charging works.
On Samsung, the Samsung Members app has a battery diagnostic. Run it.

4. Make sure the phone is truly unlocked and yours

iCloud (iPhone): the phone must be signed out of the previous owner's Apple ID. Go to Settings and check that no name appears at the top, then check Find My is off. If the seller says "I'll remove it later", do not pay.
Google account (Samsung and other Android phones): ask the seller to factory reset the phone in front of you. After the reset it should set up without asking for someone else's Google account.
Samsung account lock: also check Settings, Accounts, that no Samsung account is signed in.
Network lock: put your own SIM in and make a call. A phone locked to a UK network may show "SIM not supported". Unlocking with software can break after an update.
MDM or company lock: if you see "This iPhone is supervised" or a company name in Settings, the phone belongs to an organisation and can be locked remotely.

5. Check the IMEI

Dial *#06#. The IMEI shown must match the number printed on the SIM tray (and the box, if there is one).
Enter the IMEI on a free IMEI checker to confirm the exact model, storage and colour, and whether it is reported lost or stolen.
A phone reported stolen in the UK may still work in Nigeria, but it can be blocked later, and you will have no way to claim it back.

6. Test every function

Make a call with your SIM and check that both you and the other person hear clearly on the earpiece and the loudspeaker.
Test the microphone by recording a short video and playing it back.
Test every camera: front and each back lens, photo and video, and zoom through the lenses. Listen for a rattle when you shake the phone: a loose camera module is a sign of a drop.
Face ID or the fingerprint sensor must work. On iPhone, a message saying "Unable to activate Face ID" means the part is faulty or was replaced.
Test Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, mobile data, the volume and power buttons, the vibration motor and the silent switch or Action button.
Plug in earphones or a charger to check the port holds the plug firmly.

7. Look for water damage

iPhones have a small indicator inside the SIM tray slot. White or silver is fine; red or pink means the phone has been in water.
Fog or tiny spots under the camera glass are another sign of water getting in.
Water damage often shows up weeks later as a dead speaker, a failing Face ID or a battery that won't charge.

8. Check the software

Make sure the phone can update to the latest software. Very old models stop getting updates, and some banking apps stop working on them.
Check the storage in Settings matches what you are paying for. A "256GB" phone that shows 128GB is a different, cheaper version.
Open a banking app or WhatsApp to be sure there are no restrictions on installing apps.

9. Pay safely

Buy from a shop with a fixed address, not from someone you only met online, and never pay in full before seeing the phone.
Ask for a written receipt with the IMEI, the model, the storage, the price and any warranty period.
Ask about the return window. A good shop will give you at least a few days to find hidden faults.
Pay by transfer to a business account where possible, so there is a record.
Keep the box and receipt: you will need them to resell the phone later.

Quick checklist

Price is in line with the market on filterfree.ng.
Model number and storage match what you are paying for.
Screws, edges and back glass show no signs of careless opening.
Screen shows no "Unknown Part", tint, dead pixels or burn-in.
Battery holds its charge and shows no "Unknown Part" message.
No Apple ID, Google or Samsung account, supervision or network lock.
IMEI on the screen matches the tray and a free checker.
Calls, cameras, speakers, microphone, Face ID or fingerprint all work.
No water damage signs.
Receipt with IMEI and a return window.

UK used or brand new?

A UK used flagship, such as a two-year-old iPhone or Galaxy S Ultra, often gives you a better camera and screen than a new budget phone at the same price. The trade-off is a shorter battery life, a shorter update period and more risk. If you mostly want long battery life and a warranty, a new mid-range phone can be the safer buy. Compare both on our UK used price list and best phone lists.