Buying used phones is a cost-effective way to equip your workforce with a reliable tool to carry out their duties. However, the potential problems surrounding the history of a used phone can stop you in your tracks.
For instance, if your company accidentally acquires a stolen or blacklisted used phone that gets reported to the police or mobile carrier — it can be traced back to your business. In addition to losing good money, such a situation can sully your company’s reputation.
Fortunately, there’s an easy solution to this problem. You can always conduct an ESN check before ordering or purchasing a used phone. An ESN is like a serial number. It is a unique identification number that comes with phones and other mobile devices on a CDMA network.
Today’s iPhones and Samsungs operate with GSM (Global System for Mobiles) instead of CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access). Phones that work with GSM come with an IMEI instead of a MEID or ESN. Nevertheless, ESN has persisted as an umbrella name for all three identification numbers. An ESN check gives you a look into the history of the phone with the network carriers.
This article will provide valuable insight into what an ESN is and how you can check its status with carriers. Suppose you’re planning to replace old company phones with used ones from the open market. In that case, you can always leverage Phonecheck Certified History Report to avoid costly hidden problems that may arise later.
ESN is an acronym for Electronic Serial Number. It is an 11-digit unique number that serves as an identifier for a mobile device. Every mobile device using CDMA technology has a unique ESN. Mobile devices running on GSM technology often have an IMEI instead of an ESN.
Network carriers can identify and track every mobile device using their service through its ESN. Network carriers like Verizon link the phone to the registered user account.
Since the ESN number is permanent and unique to each phone, lost or stolen CDMA phones can be reported to and blacklisted by network carriers. Blacklisting a device effectively leaves your phone a paperweight where it cannot make calls, send or receive texts, or start a data connection.
However, network carriers can blacklist a phone for other reasons aside from theft. For instance, suppose the previous phone user has an outstanding debt with the network carrier. In that case, the network carrier can blacklist the device until the user repays their debt.
Therefore, before you reach into your wallet and hand over hundreds of dollars for a secondhand phone from eBay, do your due diligence by checking the ESN.
IMEI is a more popular acronym than ESN and is another unique code that comes with mobile phones. Unlike ESN, IMEI is more frequently found on devices that use GSM services instead of CDMA.
IMEI is an acronym for International Mobile Equipment Identity. Every GSM phone carries a unique IMEI number which is 15-digits long. IMEI is the device ID code used across the phone manufacturing business. It ensures that each phone, even if it shares hundreds of thousands of brothers with the same design and model number, is individually identifiable.
IMEI is to GSM phones what social security numbers are for humans — or what VIN is for cars.
While ESN is used in CDMA devices, GSM carriers like AT&T or T-Mobile can recognize and identify individual devices on their network with their IMEI numbers. These carriers can subsequently blacklist such a device and bar it from receiving network functionalities with other network carriers.
Suppose you are carrying an Apple or Android device that uses GSM. In that case, you’ll most likely be dealing with an IMEI number rather than ESN. The fastest way to know if you are on a GSM or CDMA network is to see if your device requires a SIM card or not. Phones that use SIM cards are usually subscribed to GSM service, while those that don’t use SIM cards use CDMA technology and carriers.
Older manufacturers like Nokia, Huawei, and HTC displayed the phone’s IMEI number vividly under its battery, sim card tray, or case alongside other relevant information. Nowadays, mobile devices are built without a way to access their batteries or any part of their interiors. So, if you cannot pop off the back of your phone or headset to check, try this:
Another way to check your IMEI number is through the phone’s settings:
A clean ESN is a term for describing a phone that has not been flagged or blacklisted by a carrier or network provider. A device with a clean ESN is debt-free (doesn’t owe any outstanding bill with the network carrier) and hasn’t been reported lost or stolen recently.
In this context, a phone with a clean Electronic Serial Number is ready for activation by its network carrier and therefore safe to buy.
Many carriers like T-Mobile make different offers and payment plans to subscribers on their network. These payment plans make it possible for you to spread the cost of your phone over a period of time while you are using it. Some subscribers default on their payments, which earns them a blacklist on the carrier’s network. A phone that has been blacklisted is said to have a bad ESN.
However, not only debt and outstanding bills can earn a phone a bad ESN. Phone carriers also blacklist reported lost or stolen phones. You might also be unable to activate your account with the phone carrier phone when another active account is associated with the ESN. Although not strictly a bad ESN, both can lead to similar consequences.
Let’s review some of the different ways you can check the status of your ESN on your iPhone or Android devices. All the various approaches to checking if your mobile device has a clean ESN begin with or necessitates knowledge of the IMEI number. Follow the steps in the “How to check an IMEI” section above to retrieve your device’s IMEI.
Follow the steps below to check if your AT&T phone has a clean ESN:
Follow the steps below to check if your Verizon phone has a clean ESN:
Follow the steps below to check if your Sprint phone has a clean ESN:
Follow the steps below to check if your T-Mobile phone has a clean ESN:
Swappa is an online marketplace for buying and selling digital devices. Swappa has an on-site tool that can help you check if your ESN number is clean. While it is not as accurate as the database provided by the carriers, Swappa’s IMEI checker can help if your phone is not on any of the carriers above. Follow the steps below to check your Phone’s ESN status on Swappa:
It takes less than a minute and a few clicks to conduct an ESN check for one or a couple of mobile devices. However, it quickly becomes a chore when you have to check ESN for dozens of devices. Slip-ups can happen, and you can mix up the details of different phones. Diagnostic software can be invaluable in such situations.
Aside from hardware and software diagnosis, an efficient diagnostic tool can help you carry out mobile certification for dozens of mobile devices without hassle. Such certifications provide functionality rating and ensure the ESN or IMEI is clean. As a seller, the certificate can boost your used phone value. As a buyer, you can go home very confident about your purchase.
The Phonecheck diagnostic software is probably one of the most comprehensive diagnostic tools. In addition to ESN or IMEI, it can check over 80 inspection points to certify that the mobile devices are in prime selling or buying condition. On completing your mobile diagnosis, Phonecheck provides detailed reports that certify the working conditions of the devices. These put both the seller’s and buyer’s minds to rest during the transaction.
Conducting an ESN or IMEI check can boost the value of your old company phone when listing for resale. Furthermore, it can increase your confidence when buying a used phone from the open market. However, most buyers and sellers don’t know how to carry out an efficient check. That’s where Phonecheck Diagnostic Software comes in.
Our enterprise diagnostic software lets you carry out mobile certification, ensuring your ESN or IMEI is clean. After diagnosis, it’ll provide you with a certified device history report which serves as a stamp of authenticity and efficiency regarding the device’s working conditions. Therefore, you can buy or sell your used phone in good faith and without worry. Don’t buy a used phone without a Phonecheck Certified History Report, for about the cost of a cup of coffee.
