Ok, so as a number of you have probably seen in my other posts/comments, I got a used Galaxy A6+ a week ago as a holdover phone (my previous phone's display died and I need something to get me through the next 2 weeks until move back to the US and get a local phone there). I'm making this post both to share my experience and raise awareness of weird things that used phones might do to you.
So it all began when a week ago I went to a small local phone repair shop that also gets used phones from people who change their phones every 2 months to a year and then resells said phones. I walk in with my father and ask what kinda used phones they have that accept 2 SIM cards and an SD card simultaneously. I picked the A6+ because it was the cheapest, had very decent specs (SD450, 4GB RAM, AMOLED, etc...). So I walk out all happy and everything. I then pop my cards in and install DevCheck from a spare APK, only to notice the first weird thing: the CSC code was for the UAE (later noticed the country label in the About Phone screen). I then proceed as per usual to open the Play Store to login to my GMail. Well, it got stuck on Checking Info. So in a desperate measure I switch the mobile data from my normal Telenor internet-only card to the mt:s calls and texts card (which has some very limited data) and then the GMail login worked normally. So yeah, at this point I was already getting suspicious. I also noticed that most of the pics on the SD card that were taken with the previous phone were gone, although I highly doubt that has anything to do with this phone being used. So then a few days later I had the *genius* idea to check the Play Protect certification. Phone not certified. At this point I downloaded TWO SafetyNet testers and both said the phone doesn't pass. What the...?!?! So then I check the OEM Unlock (bootloader unlock) option in the dev settings and it was unlocked.
So at this point I don't know what to make of it. Aside from the aforementioned weird quirks, I got a pretty decent phone in good condition for half the original retail price. I have my suspicions as to why the bootloader is unlocked, but I'd like to hear from you guys what that might be all about. If you absolutely need SafetyNet passing and a locked bootloader (and any secure apps that check for this stuff), steer clear of used phones. If your use case is like mine where bootloader unlocking doesn't really affect me too much, then go ahead and get a used device but still be cautious.
P.S. Another anomaly I noticed using another app is that this phone I got is lacking the original CSC code, and only has the one for the firmware. This seems a bit shady.
So it all began when a week ago I went to a small local phone repair shop that also gets used phones from people who change their phones every 2 months to a year and then resells said phones. I walk in with my father and ask what kinda used phones they have that accept 2 SIM cards and an SD card simultaneously. I picked the A6+ because it was the cheapest, had very decent specs (SD450, 4GB RAM, AMOLED, etc...). So I walk out all happy and everything. I then pop my cards in and install DevCheck from a spare APK, only to notice the first weird thing: the CSC code was for the UAE (later noticed the country label in the About Phone screen). I then proceed as per usual to open the Play Store to login to my GMail. Well, it got stuck on Checking Info. So in a desperate measure I switch the mobile data from my normal Telenor internet-only card to the mt:s calls and texts card (which has some very limited data) and then the GMail login worked normally. So yeah, at this point I was already getting suspicious. I also noticed that most of the pics on the SD card that were taken with the previous phone were gone, although I highly doubt that has anything to do with this phone being used. So then a few days later I had the *genius* idea to check the Play Protect certification. Phone not certified. At this point I downloaded TWO SafetyNet testers and both said the phone doesn't pass. What the...?!?! So then I check the OEM Unlock (bootloader unlock) option in the dev settings and it was unlocked.
So at this point I don't know what to make of it. Aside from the aforementioned weird quirks, I got a pretty decent phone in good condition for half the original retail price. I have my suspicions as to why the bootloader is unlocked, but I'd like to hear from you guys what that might be all about. If you absolutely need SafetyNet passing and a locked bootloader (and any secure apps that check for this stuff), steer clear of used phones. If your use case is like mine where bootloader unlocking doesn't really affect me too much, then go ahead and get a used device but still be cautious.
P.S. Another anomaly I noticed using another app is that this phone I got is lacking the original CSC code, and only has the one for the firmware. This seems a bit shady.
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