These are easy to use, fast and fun; however, Smartphones' prices are still a prohibitive factor. This can lead you to an alternative retail outlet to buy one. Buying a Smartphone through an alternative retailer definitely saves your money, but, how will you make sure that a retailer is not selling you a refurbished item claiming it as a new piece. So, let's take some insight into the process of identifying refurbished devices from the original ones. There are a few tips and tricks which will help you to determine the difference between two.

First stop is the cell phone's mobile carrier. As we all know most of the smartphones are "locked" to a specific mobile carrier; the mobile carriers could give you very valuable information about the phone. In other words, they can simply tell you if that cell phone has ever been registered with them to connect it to the network. All they need is an IMEI number, an ESN number, or some other unique number. In any case they can reveal the phone's previous history if they want to. However, there might be chances of them not giving you the desired information. In that case you have another option to contact the Smartphones manufacturer. The manufacturers keep all the records of their serviced units whether repaired or refurbished. They can use the serial number of the phone to let you know the desired information.

Next in line is purchasing unlocked Smartphones. Unlocked Smartphone means that the phone has been altered to be used on any carrier's network and this is okay. Retailers try to increase the market of the phone by unlocking it to connect to the multiple networks. However, you need to be careful while going for an unlocked Smartphone. The phone may not reveal any previous history of being connected to a different carrier. Secondly, unlocking a phone may also void the warranty in some cases. Warranty information is another "must' look into. Brand new Smartphone always come with a warranty of at least one year. However, the typical warranty period of refurbished smartphones is 90 days. So it is much easier to identify a refurbished unit if it is being sold as a "new" Smartphone with a 90-day warranty. Take care of that!

Apart from all the above mentioned ways to find refurbished Smartphones, you can also check the packaging of the unit to determine its brand new status. You can investigate the condition of the packing, the serial number mentioned on the box and serial number on the phone. Remove the back cover and also take a look in the battery compartment area. In a few cases, the unit itself reveals the state of refurbishment, all you need to do is a careful examination of the physical unit in hand. Last but not the least is the price itself, compare it.