HomeBlogSealed, Open Box or Used iPhone: What the Words Mean
Buying · 4 min read
Sealed, Open Box or Used iPhone: What the Words Mean
What sealed, open box, activated and the used grades mean when you buy an iPhone, who gives the warranty for each, and how to tell which one you need.
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The word in front of a used iPhone's price decides more than its looks. It decides whose warranty covers it, what the battery is likely to read, and whether anybody tested it. Sellers use these words loosely, so it pays to know what each one should mean before you compare prices.
Here is how we use them on our listings, and what to ask any seller who uses them.
New and factory sealed
A sealed iPhone is new, in its original box, with the factory seal unbroken. Nobody has opened it, turned it on or set it up.
Two things follow. First, a sealed phone is not tested by the seller, because testing means opening it. That is why we sell a sealed phone unopened and say so, rather than claiming a test we did not do. Second, its warranty is Apple's, not ours: a new, factory sealed iPhone comes with Apple's standard one-year limited warranty, and a claim goes to Apple, at an Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.
Before you buy a sealed phone from anyone, check the IMEI printed on the box. It should come back clean, and the model, storage and color on the label should match what you are paying for.
Open box
An open box iPhone has been opened but never used, or barely used. It is the closest thing to new at a lower price. There are three kinds, and listings that say only "open box" leave out the part that matters:
| Listing says | What it means |
|---|---|
| Open box, unactivated | Opened, never set up on a network. Usually the battery reads 100 percent with no cycles |
| Open box, activated | Turned on and set up at least once, then reset |
| Unactivated, no box | Never set up, but the original box is gone |
An open box phone from us comes with our 60-day warranty on factory hardware defects. If Apple's own warranty or AppleCare+ is still running on that serial, the listing says until when, and that cover stays with the phone.
Used, graded
Most used iPhones are sold with a grade. Every seller has their own scale, which is why the letter alone tells you little. Ours comes from a written table of what caps a device at each grade, applied the same way to every phone:
| Our shop says | Grade | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Excellent | A | No visible signs of use, everything works |
| Good | B | Light signs of use, no cracks, everything works |
| Fair | C | Heavier wear, or one cracked panel, or a fault such as a camera that does not work |
| Used | D | Cracked front and back, display damage such as lines or spots, a bent frame, or a fault such as Face ID not working |
On our OfferUp and Facebook posts the same grades are written in words a marketplace uses, such as Like New, Great Condition or Used Condition, and a C or D names what made it one, such as a cracked back.
We do sell phones with cracked glass and worn batteries. They are graded C or D, described as such, photographed from every angle and priced for it. Our warranty covers them too, apart from the damage and wear the listing discloses.
The battery is its own line
A grade describes the body and the parts. The battery is printed separately, as the maximum capacity number read off the phone, so a phone in Excellent condition can still have a battery that needs replacing soon. Used iPhone battery health explains what the number means and when Apple suggests a replacement.
Refurbished
"Refurbished" has no single meaning outside a specific program. Some programs replace the battery and the outer shell. Some only clean and test the phone. Some replace a cracked screen with a part that is not Apple's.
The phone itself can tell you. In Settings, General, About, an iPhone that has been repaired shows a Parts and Service History section, and Apple's Parts and Service History page explains what Genuine, Used, Unknown and Unverified mean. On our listings, every part is tested and original unless the listing says otherwise.
Which one should you buy?
- Buy sealed if you want Apple's full warranty and a phone nobody has touched, and the newest models are what you need.
- Buy open box if you want something close to new for less, and you check whether it was activated.
- Buy Excellent or Good for the best value: a phone that looks and works well, with a known battery number and our warranty.
- Buy Fair or Used if price matters most and a cracked back or worn edges do not bother you. Read exactly what the listing says is wrong.
Whatever the word, the checks are the same: Activation Lock off, a clean IMEI, the carrier you need, and a battery number you can live with. Our used iPhone checklist covers each one, and how buying from iPhones.LA works covers pickup, delivery and shipping.
Shop hand-tested used iPhones
Every device IMEI checked, battery health shown. Pickup in Long Beach, local delivery, or shipping anywhere in the US.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between open box and new?
A new iPhone is sealed, never opened. An open box iPhone has been opened, and may have been turned on and set up once. Ask whether it was activated: an unactivated open box phone is very close to new.
Does a sealed iPhone from a reseller come with Apple's warranty?
A new, factory sealed iPhone we sell comes with Apple's standard one-year limited warranty instead of ours, and a claim goes to Apple at an Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.
What does grade C mean on a used iPhone?
On our scale, C is heavier wear, one cracked panel, or a fault such as a rear camera that does not work. The listing names what made it a C, and the price reflects it.
Is a refurbished iPhone better than a used one?
It depends on what was done. Ask what was replaced and whether the parts are Apple's. The phone's own Parts and Service History, in Settings, General, About, shows any repair.
Do you sell cracked iPhones?
Yes, graded C or D, described as such, photographed from every angle and priced for it. The warranty covers everything except the damage the listing discloses.