Reference
Used iPhone inspection glossary.
A plain-language reference for the terms refurbishers, resellers, and buyers use every day — what they mean, and how they fit into a certified inspection. Written to be accurate and neutral.
Glossary
Inspection
- Certified check
- A single completed inspection of one iPhone that runs the full inspection set and produces a verifiable certificate. Each certified check draws one credit from your team pool.
- 50-point inspection
- The fixed set of hardware and condition checks Synapse runs on each iPhone — display, touch, cameras, speakers, microphones, sensors, Face ID and Touch ID, buttons, and connectivity. A fixed list gives every technician the same checklist. See the diagnostics detail for the full coverage.
- On-device testing
- Inspection results measured directly on the iPhone through the Synapse iOS app, rather than estimated from a model lookup or self-reported condition. On-device results reflect the specific unit in front of you.
- Estimated condition
- A condition judgment inferred from model, photos, or seller input instead of measured on the device. Synapse records measured results, not estimates.
- Battery health
- The iPhone’s maximum battery capacity relative to when it was new, reported as a percentage. It is one input to overall condition and grading.
- IMEI
- The International Mobile Equipment Identity — a unique number that identifies a specific cellular device. It is commonly used to look up carrier lock and blacklist status before resale.
Glossary
Lock and wipe
- Activation lock
- An Apple security feature, tied to Find My, that ties an iPhone to its owner’s account so it cannot be reactivated without their credentials. A locked device cannot be safely resold. Synapse checks for activation lock before a sale.
- Find My
- Apple’s device-location and anti-theft service. When Find My is on, activation lock is enabled, so the device must be signed out of the owner’s account before resale.
- Wipe verification
- Confirming a device was erased by a real signal — the device actually returns to an unactivated state — rather than relying on a timer or assumption. The verified result is recorded on the certificate.
Glossary
Certificates
- Synapse certificate
- The server-issued record produced by a certified check. It carries non-PII device facts only — model, iOS version, capacity, pass and fail counts, inspection date, and validity. Explore the certificate in detail.
- Verifiable certificate
- A certificate a buyer can confirm independently from a scannable reference, with no account or login required. Verification shows the recorded result without exposing any private data.
- Tamper-evident
- A property of Synapse certificates: because each is server-issued, any change after issuance is detectable, so the recorded result cannot be quietly edited after the fact.
- Scannable reference
- The code or link a buyer scans to verify a certificate. It opens the public verification result without requiring a login.
- Certificate validity
- Whether a certificate currently represents a true, in-force result. Verification shows validity so a buyer knows the certificate still stands.
- Refund invalidation
- The rule that a refunded purchase invalidates its certificate. This keeps each certificate tied to a real, completed sale rather than a transaction that was reversed.
Glossary
Grading and condition
- Grading
- Assigning a condition grade to a device based on inspection results and cosmetic wear, so buyers and sellers share a common quality language. See the grading guide for how grades are defined.
- Grade A / B / C
- Common condition tiers for used devices. Grade A is near-mint, Grade B shows light wear, and Grade C shows heavier wear. Exact criteria vary by seller, which is why a measured inspection helps.
- Refurbished vs used
- “Used” describes any previously owned device. “Refurbished” describes a used device that has been inspected, repaired as needed, and prepared for resale to a known standard.
Glossary
Team and access
- Credit pool
- The shared balance of certified checks included with a plan. Every technician seat draws from the same credit pool, which refills each billing period.
- Technician seat
- A licensed user on a Synapse plan. Each plan includes a set number of seats; technicians sign in and run certified checks that draw from the shared credit pool.
- Owner, admin, and member roles
- The access levels in Synapse team management. Owners control billing and the team, admins manage members and settings, and members run certified checks.
Glossary
Selling and returns
- Buy-back
- A program where a shop or counter purchases used devices from the public, typically inspecting and grading each device before paying. A consistent inspection supports a fair, repeatable offer.
- Dispute / return
- A buyer’s claim that a device differs from how it was described, or a request to send it back. A verifiable certificate gives both sides a shared, factual record of the device’s inspected condition.
Turn an inspection into proof.
Run the 50-point inspection, issue a certificate your buyer can verify, and share one credit pool across your whole team.