Smartphone condition grading
Every storefront on WerOrg grades trade-ins against the same honest, five-tier standard — so sellers know exactly what they’ll be paid, and operators price against a consistent yardstick. Here’s the whole scale.
The five grades
Factory sealed, never opened.
Opened or lightly used — looks and works flawlessly.
Normal signs of use, fully working.
Visible damage or a functional fault, but it powers on.
Won't power on, won't hold a charge, or the screen is cracked.
Grading is calibrated so a typical well-kept, everyday phone lands at Fair. Like New is for devices that show no wear at all.
How the grade is decided
The worst part sets the grade
A cracked screen on an otherwise spotless phone is still graded Damaged. One failed component — a swollen battery, a dead camera, no power — grades the whole device Broken. We grade the device you actually have, not its best feature.
Describe it honestly and your quote holds
Your quote is locked for 48 hours. Grade your device as it really is and, when it arrives matching your description, you’re paid the quoted price — no surprise downgrades. If it’s worse than described, you get a revised offer you’re free to decline, and the device ships back at our cost.
Component-by-component criteria
Screen & display
- New (sealed)
- Untouched behind factory film. Zero wear of any kind.
- Like New
- No scratches or marks, even under a bright light up close.
- Fair
- A few fine scratches you catch at an angle. The display is clear in normal use.
- Damaged
- Deep scratches, a chip, or a dark spot / pressure mark you can see while using it.
- Broken
- Cracked glass, dead pixels, burn-in, or unresponsive touch.
Body & frame
- New (sealed)
- Sealed. Flawless on every edge.
- Like New
- No scratches, nicks, or dents anywhere.
- Fair
- Light scratches and maybe a small nick from everyday carry. No dents.
- Damaged
- Clear wear — scratches, a dent or two, or cracked back glass that still holds together.
- Broken
- Bent frame, shattered back, or signs of liquid damage.
Battery health
- New (sealed)
- Full factory capacity, zero cycles.
- Like New
- 90%+ capacity. Holds a charge all day.
- Fair
- 80–89% capacity. A full day of use, just to the charger a little sooner.
- Damaged
- Under 80%, or a battery service / health warning. Works, but a replacement is due.
- Broken
- Swollen battery, won’t hold a charge, or shuts off unexpectedly.
Cameras
- New (sealed)
- Sealed. Every lens flawless.
- Like New
- Sharp on every lens. No marks on the glass.
- Fair
- A faint scuff on a lens cover at an angle. Photos still look clean.
- Damaged
- Visible lens scratches that add haze to photos.
- Broken
- Cracked lens, dead camera, or focus that won’t lock.
Buttons, ports & charging
- New (sealed)
- Sealed. Everything crisp.
- Like New
- Every button clicks cleanly; charges at full speed the moment you plug in.
- Fair
- Buttons work reliably, maybe a touch softer than new. Charges normally.
- Damaged
- A stiff or hit-or-miss button, slow charging, or wireless charging that has stopped working.
- Broken
- A dead button, or a port that won’t charge or cuts in and out.
Function — power, calls, connectivity
- New (sealed)
- Sealed and untested, but factory new.
- Like New
- Powers on, holds signal, Wi-Fi and calls all work perfectly.
- Fair
- Fully functional — powers on, makes calls, connects to Wi-Fi and data without issues.
- Damaged
- Powers on and mostly works, but something is off — a flaky speaker, weak signal, or a muffled mic.
- Broken
- Won’t power on, won’t hold signal, or a core function (calls, Wi-Fi, charging) has failed.
Face ID / fingerprint
- New (sealed)
- Sealed.
- Like New
- Sets up clean and unlocks instantly, every time.
- Fair
- Unlocks reliably day to day; once in a while it needs a second look or touch.
- Damaged
- Works, but noticeably slower or pickier than it should be.
- Broken
- Doesn’t work, or it is disabled in hardware.
Checked, but not graded
Three things affect whether a device can be bought at all — recorded exactly as found, never a judgment call.
Activation / iCloud lock
Find My iPhone or a Google account lock must be turned off before you ship. A locked device can’t be resold, so it can’t be paid out until it’s cleared. We never bypass locks.
Carrier status
Unlocked, or locked to a carrier (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and so on). We record it as-is. A carrier lock can change the offer but doesn’t disqualify the device.
Lost / stolen / blacklisted IMEI
A device reported lost or stolen, or with an unpaid balance, can’t be bought. The IMEI is checked on every device before payout.
Grade once, price everywhere
The same five grades drive every quote on every WerOrg storefront. Launch yours in ten minutes.
Start free trial →