Posted on 07/11/2017 6:11:22 PM PDT by be-baw
I have an iPhone 5s that is approx. 4 years old, never been used, never even been turned on. Verizon pre-programmed it with a specific phone number, but it requires ditching your current phone in order to activate.
I wish to send it cross country to the person for whom I originally got it. Was wondering if anyone can help me...? Questions:
1. Will the battery still be good? 2. Should I check the battery before sending it, and charge it if it's dead? 3. What's the best way to send it? I know how to package it, but can I send it via USPS? 4. If I tell USPS that it's a cell phone, will they ship it or not? 5. If not USPS, what are my best alternatives?
Any and all help would be greatly appreciated...
They won’t want it ,, it’s “too old”.
It will work but may be a bit slow with the new operating system.
Could Fed Ex it signature required. I wouldn’t use U.S mail.
Why spend money shipping it if it may not be functional?
Which end is better at trouble-shooting and getting the phone repaired?
Charge it up. Then test the capacity of the battery. Then charge it up again.
The battery is probably dead and will not properly take a charge. Those things don’t last forever, especially if you don’t use them regularly.
Sadly, it’s most likely a paperweight.
I think the battery will still be good, but you should probably try and charge it first to be sure. Shipping by ups or PO is no problem.
Charge it to check the battery, let it discharge and charge it again. See how long it holds just incase you want to get a new battery for it. Send it Priority Mail, it is light and they track and insure. They have delivered both my iPhones.
Ship it in the original box in a USPS flat padded envelope; you can mention it is a cell phone in the original box, the clerk at the counter will nod and send it on through. It is a little more complicated if you use print at home labeling which may send it via ground only. It is possible the box might get slightly crushed in transit, but honestly, should be just fine.
I wouldn't bother with more than the $50 default insurance that comes with priory mail; make sure you've got the accurate address.
I use a 5s everyday...It’s not too old. Just can’t cram it up with 2000 pics. Otherwise, perfect
iphone5 will run the current ios 10.3.2 and it suppose to run ios 11 when it comes out too.
I would plug it in and charge it first but it should work.
If you take it to an Apple store, they'll replace the batteries if needed. The problem is... It's crazy expensive. They replaced my 5s battery last year at an Apple store and it was ridiculous... I think $89 iirc.
You can buy a much cheaper replacement battery on Amazon. For $20 or less. The problem with that is... It's a pain to open the case, so they include a little cheap specialized set of tools that let you do the job yourself. But my experience with them (on a different model phone)is... they are cheap for a reason... expect about three months service out of those phones. Still, you might want to do that just to see if it's leaking and if it isn't (and can't be charged), then take it to Apple for a new battery.
Your 5s will definitely work, but the battery may be too old and not hold a charge. Plug it in to the charger and it will start up automatically....basically what everyone else has already said here. It’s a fine phone and will work well with a new battery. The phone should be stored long-term with a 50% charged battery, so this one is probably not going to hold a charge well. You can get one replaced at a iPhone repair shop for probably $75.00 or so.
the whole point of having an Apple is their hand holding customer service... call support make them figure it out
I think all cells phones can call 911 even if they aren’t on a company plan.
So...charge it up, dial 911 and ask the 911 operator...”Can you hear me now?”.
(Just kidding...don’t call 911.)
I agree ,, that’s why I put “too old” in quotes ... utility means nothing to most people ,, they just want to brag about having the newest.
The phone should work fine.
Good idea...
To alleviate your concerns though I recommend dropping by an Apple store to get their Genius folks to test it out. It's free. They will also get you fixed up with an iTunes account. If the battery is wiped out, they can replace it for about $80. Assuming all is good and the phone powers up properly, they have a diagnostic tool that takes just a couple of minutes to run that throughly checks the hardware.
The iPhones are tough suckers. I used my iPhone 4 for several years then passed it to my 5yo grand daughter. She thought she had the coolest iPod in town for games - Took the SIM card out of it so it was WiFi only with the parents controlling the iTunes password. It even ran with a cracked screen for a year or two. Lol... Now she's using my hand me down iPhone 5 and is old enough that she facetimes with friends and family, which the parents monitor plus keep control of the iTunes password.
Back to the battery... Plug your unused iPhone 5S into a charger for about 12 hours so it can soak up whatever maximum charge it is capable of. Then do the Apple store thing I mentioned above if you need to or if you just want the piece of mind of a formal checkup.
I wouldn’t charge the battery. It’s 4 years old? So could be unstable or become unstable under charge, ‘specially if it’s chinese. Take it to an apple store, or bestbuy, and have them plug it into a hard line to see if the phone lives, (it might have bricked itself but it can be woken up). And ask what it will take to get it ‘unlocked’ for any number. They might even firmware update it for you for free. The person receiving it can get a new battery on their end.
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