Grading

You know the exact condition before you pay.

Every phone is checked one by one against a written standard. We sell two product lines: Retail Ready phones work and are ready to sell, and Ready for Refurb phones need repair, with every fault listed.

See phones in stock →

Tested phones bagged with their printed test reports showing every function checked

Retail Ready

Tested. Working. Ready to sell.

Fully tested and fully functional. The grade describes how the phone looks, not how it works. Nothing needs repair before you put it on the shelf.

Ready for Refurb

Needs repair. Every fault is listed.

These phones need work. Each one carries six labels covering the glass, the bezel, the back, the camera lens, the screen and the functional fault — so you know the parts and the labour before you buy.

Retail Ready grades

All of these phones pass every functional test. The letter only describes marks on the glass and the body.

Some Retail Ready phones carry a named exception instead of a letter — for example an aftermarket screen or battery, or Face ID that does not work. When that is the case it is written on the phone and reflected in the price.

GradeWhat it looks like

A+ · Like New No marks you can see. Looks unused.

A · Excellent Very light marks. Hard to see at arm's length.

A− · Very Good Light scratches. No dents.

AB · Good Scratches you can see. Body still clean.

B · Acceptable Clear scratches or small dents. Works perfectly.

How to read a Ready for Refurb phone

Six labels. Read them left to right and you know the job before the phone lands.

A phone that needs repair cannot be fully tested — it can only be diagnosed. So the list is what we can see before the work is done. On about 5% of these phones a further fault appears once it is repaired. That is priced in.

Example listing

iPhone 16 Pro · 128 GB

C + C + Broken + Ok

Front glass: C
Bezel: C
Back glass: Broken
Camera lens: Ok
Screen: Good OEM OLED
Fault: No power

Read it as: the glass and frame are worn, the back glass needs replacing, the camera lens is fine, the screen is a good original, and the phone does not power on.

1 · Front glass A, AB, B, C or broken.

2 · Bezel AB or C. Tells you if the frame needs paint.

3 · Back glass Ok or broken.

4 · Camera lens Ok or broken.

5 · Screen Good or bad original screen, good or bad aftermarket screen, or not tested.

6 · Functional fault In plain words: no power, rear camera, earpiece, microphone, buttons, housing swap, blacklist.

How we grade

The checker holds the phone about 45 cm from their eyes and turns it a full circle for around 30 seconds. They mark what they see against the written standard.

Checkers are not paid more for a higher grade, so there is no reason to push a phone up or down. Every order is checked a second time before packing.

Final quality check of a phone under the grading light

Common questions

Is the grade the same every time?

Yes. That is the promise. The same standard, the same training, and a second check on 100% of every order before it is packed.

Are two phones of the same grade identical?

No. Used phones are all a little different. But every phone meets the rules for its grade.

Can I see photos before I buy?

Yes. Text or WhatsApp +1 650-394-7310 and we send photos or video of the stock.

What if a phone is not what I expected?

You have 90 days. We replace it with a similar phone. Email support@2ndlifephones.com with the IMEI, the invoice number and the reason. We answer within 24 hours.

Try one small order.

The fastest way to check our grading is to buy a few phones and look at them.

See phones in stock →Text 650-394-7310