Know your phoneFor everyone6 min read
Phone condition grades A to D explained
What grades A, B, C and D mean for a used phone, what each looks like on the screen, body, cameras and battery, and how to grade your own phone honestly.
In short
- Grade A is like new, B has light marks, C shows visible wear and D is damaged or has a fault.
- The worst thing on the phone decides the grade: one crack or one broken feature outweighs a spotless body.
- If you are between two grades, pick the lower one, because an inspection will find the same marks.
01The four grades
Shops and buyers sort used phones into a few simple grades, so that everyone means the same thing by good condition. The labels differ from place to place. Recashy uses four: A like new, B light marks, C visible wear and D damaged.
| Part | A: Like new | B: Light marks | C: Visible wear | D: Damaged |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | No scratches, even under a bright light | Fine scratches, seen only at an angle or with the screen off | Scratches you can see with the screen on | Cracks, lines, dead pixels, dark patches or touch faults |
| Body and back | No dents or scuffs | Small scuffs on edges or corners | Dents, worn paint or deep scratches | Cracked back glass, a bent frame or missing parts |
| Buttons and ports | All work and feel firm | All work | All work, may feel worn | A button, port or SIM tray that does not work |
| Cameras | Clean lens glass, every camera works | Every camera works | Every camera works, lens glass may be scuffed | A camera that fails or blurs, or cracked lens glass |
| Battery | Holds charge like a new phone | Lasts a normal day | Weaker, needs charging more often | Very weak, or shuts down without warning |
Battery health is often noted separately from the grade, because a phone can look perfect and still have a tired battery.
02Grade your own phone honestly
Ten minutes and a bright light are enough. Do it before you ask for quotes, so you know what to expect.
- 01
Clean it and take the case off
Wipe the screen and body, and remove the case. Look closely at the edges of any screen guard, because cracks often start at the corners.
- 02
Check the screen off, then on
With the screen off, tilt it under a bright light to see scratches. Then open a plain white image and a plain black one at full brightness. Dots that stay one colour are dead or stuck pixels. Faint shapes that stay on a white or grey screen are burn-in.
- 03
Test touch everywhere
Press and hold an app icon and drag it slowly into every corner and along every edge. If it drops or jumps, part of the touch layer has a problem.
- 04
Run through every feature
Make a call on the earpiece and on speaker, record a voice note and play it back, take photos with every camera including the front one, try the flash, charge it with a cable, and connect to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Use the fingerprint reader or Face ID a few times.
- 05
Look at the body in daylight
Check the corners, the frame and the back. If a fingernail catches in a scratch, it is a deep one.
- 06
Pick the lower grade if unsure
If the phone sits between two grades, choose the lower one. You get a realistic idea of the price, and no surprises at the counter.
03What moves a phone down a grade
Some problems matter more than how a phone looks. These are the common ones.
| Problem | Why it matters | Usual effect |
|---|---|---|
| Cracked back glass | Cracks spread, and the phone is no longer sealed against dust and water | Usually grade D |
| Dead pixels, lines or burn-in | Visible every time the screen is on, and only a new screen fixes it | Often grade D; a single tiny dot may cost one grade |
| Replaced screen | A non-original screen can differ in colour, brightness and touch, and an iPhone flags it as an unknown part | Often one grade lower, more if the part is not original |
| Face ID or fingerprint not working | Often hard or costly to repair, and you use it every day | Usually grade D |
| Water damage | Corrosion can cause new faults weeks later | Grade D, and some shops will not buy it |
04Be upfront about repairs
A repaired phone can still be a good phone. Tell the shop what was replaced, when and where. A repair at an authorised service centre with original parts usually costs you less on price than an unknown part, especially if you have the invoice.
Can I keep a repair quiet?
Not on an iPhone. If parts have been replaced, most recent models show a parts and service history in Settings > General > About. On any phone, a careful inspection usually finds it.
Does a replaced battery make it grade D?
Not on its own. If the phone works fully, the grade still depends on how it looks. A worn or non-original battery affects the price, not the grade.
Does a case or screen guard change the grade?
No. The grade is about the phone itself, so the shop will look at what is underneath.
05Grades at the counter
Recashy partner shops use the same four grades and record the grade with each phone they buy, after checking it in front of you. If the shop grades your phone lower than you did, ask it to show you why. A good shop will point to the mark or the fault.
Once you have a grade in mind, Recashy's phone value estimator gives an indicative range from what you paid, the phone's age and its condition. It is a starting point, not an offer.
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