The condition of your Samsung Galaxy smartphone will greatly impact its Gazelle trade-in value. To get an accurate assessment, we recommend first thoroughly cleaning your device. Just think of it as an experience similar to that of trading in your car: When you’re off to purchase a new car, you most likely wash and wax your old one to prepare it for trade-in. The same concept applies to smartphones. Interested in improving the condition of your Galaxy smartphone? Follow the steps below to get that phone squeaky clean and ready for trade-in.
Cleaning Your Galaxy Smartphone
You’ll need these basic supplies:
- A gadget-safe cleaning solution or foam
- A soft microfiber cloth
- A good source of light, such as a small flashlight, a lighted magnifying glass, or an adjustable desk lamp
First, remove any screen protectors, skins, or cases from the smartphone body. Apply a small amount of cleaner to the microfiber cloth and gently buff the screen and casing until they look as “like-new” as possible. Be careful to avoid the headphone jack and charge port while cleaning with liquids.
Checking Your Galaxy Smartphone for Water Damage
Samsung Galaxy phones normally have a watermark underneath the battery. The watermark is normally a small white round sticker attached to the phone housing under the battery. If the indicator is pink or red, you have water damage on your device. The battery also has an indicator on the bottom where the charging contacts are.
Performing a Basic Function Test
Before you assess the cosmetic condition of your Galaxy Smartphone’s screen and body, you should perform a basic function test to see if the most important hardware and features are in good working condition. Starting with your phone off, press the power button until the screen turns on. Allow the software to complete the boot process. Once that is finished, conduct these simple tests:
Test the charge port: Connect your phone to your AC adapter and plug it into the nearest wall outlet. The battery icon on the phone should show the charging bolt inside the battery icon. This charging bolt indicates that the phone is charging. If the indicator is not showing, you may have a faulty or bad battery, or your charging port may be damaged.
Test call functionality and volume controls: Open your phone’s dial pad. Before placing a call, press both volume buttons both up and down. Look for an icon registering changes in the volume setting and feel for the vibration when activating silent mode. Reset the volume to your preferred level, call a friend or family member, and note the functionality of the microphone, speaker and speakerphone over the course of the conversation.
Test the touchscreen and accelerometer: Open the calculator app. While holding the phone vertically, press all the calculator buttons to measure the responsiveness and accurate calibration of the touchscreen. Then, rotate the phone horizontally; the accelerometer should detect the change in orientation and switch the calculator to scientific mode. Continue pressing all the scientific calculator’s keys to thoroughly assess the touchscreen.
Test the camera hardware: Open the camera app. Take a test photo and examine the results for distortion or discoloration. If your phone has a dedicated camera button, make sure to test that as well.
Test the Wi-Fi antenna and screen backlight: Open the Settings menu. Select the Wi-Fi option and activate the antenna by toggling the switch to “On.” The phone should scan for nearby channels. If you’re in range of any Wi-Fi networks, the service names will be displayed under the “Choose a Network…” heading. Return to the Settings menu and select the Brightness option. Adjust the slider from minimum to maximum brightness and note the changes in backlight intensity.
Calculating the Gazelle Value for Your Galaxy Smartphone
Finally, all your hard work pays off! Now that you’ve cleaned your Galaxy device and performed a basic function test, you can go back to Gazelle’s condition calculator. The calculator asks you to combine the results of your function test with an assessment of the cosmetic condition of your Samsung Galaxy smartphone. Pay particular attention to the screen, the edges of the phone’s body, and the back casing. Then consider how you would complete a statement that begins, “My phone is…”
Broken Select this option if your phone does not power on or charge. Screen defects in this category include a cracked, chipped, or shattered screen. Body defects include large pieces missing from the case, or missing buttons. For models with QWERTY keyboards (e.g., Sprint Epic 4G) that slide out, make sure the sliding mechanism is fully functional and that it opens without excessive force.
Good Select this option if your phone turns on, charges, and has only cosmetic issues that are less severe than mentioned above. Screen defects include the issues from just the lightest scratches all the way to stuck or dead pixels. Body defects include scratches, scuffs, or nicks, even if there are only a few. Your phone is likely in “good” condition; 9 out of 10 phones we see are in this condition.
Flawless Select this option if your Galaxy device still looks and functions like you just removed it from factory packaging. The screen must be absolutely pristine.
And that’s all – no other questions are required. Even though submitting accessories does not increase your Gazelle value in any way, feel free to send them with your transaction if you no longer have a use for them. Now that you’ve calculated your phone’s Gazelle value, just select your payment method to continue.
[cf]skyword_tracking_tag[/cf]