Condition
Our grading
Three grades, one checklist. Every phone on this site goes through the same inspection and comes out as Like new, Very good or Good. This page explains what we look at and what each grade allows, so that a listing tells you what to expect before you enquire.
The close-up images on this page are drawings that show what each grade allows; they are not photographs of a unit for sale. Photographs of the unit we can offer you are sent with the reply to an enquiry.
What is inspected
Cosmetic
- Screen — scratches, chips, pressure marks and the evenness of the panel, checked on a white page and on a black page.
- Frame and edges — nicks, dents and scuffs on the metal band, including around the buttons and the port.
- Back and camera — scratches on the glass, marks on the camera lenses and the condition of the camera surround.
Function
- Display and touch — dead pixels, burn-in, touch response across the whole panel.
- Cameras, speakers, microphones — front and rear cameras, both speakers, call and video microphones.
- Buttons, port and radios — every button, the charging port, Wi-Fi, mobile network, Bluetooth, Face ID.
- Battery — the battery health reading of each unit is recorded and stated in the reply to an enquiry about that unit.
The function checks are pass or fail: a phone that fails any of them is not listed. The cosmetic checks decide the grade.
The three grades side by side
- Like new No marks at normal viewing distance.
- Very good Light signs of use on the frame; clean screen.
- Good Visible wear on frame or back; screen fully readable.
| Area | Like new | Very good | Good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | No scratches visible at normal viewing distance | Hairline marks visible only under a light, none in the viewing area | Light scratches you can see with the screen on; no cracks or chips |
| Frame and edges | No nicks or scuffs | A few small scuffs or nicks on the band | Visible scuffs, small dents or worn corners |
| Back and camera | No scratches on the back glass or lenses | Light scratches on the back glass; lenses clean | Visible scratches on the back; lenses clean |
| Function | Identical for all three grades: every check passed | ||
Grade
Like new
A phone that shows no signs of use at normal viewing distance. Hold it under a lamp and turn it and you may find a faint mark; at arm's length you will not.
- Screen free of scratches and pressure marks
- Frame without nicks, scuffs or worn corners
- Back glass and lenses unmarked
- Every function check passed
-
Screen -
Frame and edges -
Port and speaker grille
Grade
Very good
A phone that has clearly been carried and used but looked after. The marks it has are on the frame or the back and are the first thing a case would have covered.
- Screen clean in the viewing area; hairlines only under direct light
- A few small scuffs or nicks on the metal band
- Light scratches on the back glass, lenses clean
- Every function check passed
-
Screen -
Frame and edges -
Port and speaker grille
Grade
Good
A phone with visible wear that works exactly as it should. This is the grade to choose when the price matters more than the finish, or when the phone will live in a case anyway.
- Light scratches visible with the screen on; no cracks or chips
- Scuffs, small dents or worn corners on the frame
- Visible scratches on the back glass, lenses clean
- Every function check passed
-
Screen -
Frame and edges -
Port and speaker grille
What every grade has in common
Works as intended
The grade is cosmetic. A Good phone passes exactly the same function checks as a Like new one; the difference is how it looks, not how it behaves.
Described per unit
The grade quoted for a unit belongs to that unit. Where a phone sits at the edge of a grade, the reply says so in plain words, and the photographs sent with the reply are of the unit itself.
Not a certification
Our grades are our own descriptions, made by us for the phones we list. They are not an external certificate and they do not describe the whole stock, only the phone in front of you.
Not sure which grade to choose?
Send the reference numbers of the two configurations you are choosing between and we will describe the marks on each unit in plain words. Email hello@thuisverstech.com or use the form; both reach the same mailbox and we reply by email.