You always wonder about the phone’s history after buying a used iPhone. When the iPhone was first sold, did it leave Apple as a brand new device or one that had been earlier refurbished? Here’s how to check if your iPhone was refurbished or not.
How To Check If Your iPhone Was Refurbished
Step 1: First find Your iPhone’s Model Number
Step 2: Then open the Settings app and navigate to General > About.
Step 3: Once you click on About, you will be presented with a list of important information about the iPhone, including the device’s name, its software version, and a model number.
Now pay careful attention to the model number, because this will reveal the origin of the iPhone.
1. In case the model number starts with M then, it was purchased new from Apple.
2. In case the model number starts with F then, it was refurbished by Apple or a carrier.
3. In case the model number starts with P then, it was sold as a personalized iPhone with an engraving.
4. In case the model number starts with N then, Apple provided it as a replacement device for a malfunctioning iPhone.
If you find that your phone was refurbished then, it is not necessarily to cause an alarm. Apple usually puts its Certified Refurbished products through a rigorous process that makes them like-new.
They thoroughly clean each unit and replace any broken parts if necessary, they also change the battery and the outer shell.
Generally, Apple Certified Refurbished products look and operate like brand new iPhones. However, for legal reasons, Apple still cannot sell them as new. Apple usually offers these refurbished products at a sizable discount, so they can be a great deal.
Carriers such as AT&T and Verizon also refurbish iPhones and sell them at a good discount. However, unlike Apple, they may not change out the battery or provide a new 1-year warranty on the phone.
You can also check the warranty status on your iPhone by visiting Apple’s warranty site and entering the device’s serial number.
Third-Party Refurbished Devices
In case your phone was previously refurbished by an independent repair operation that isn’t authorized by Apple then, the model number would not necessarily reflect that.
Few third-party vendors have the strict standards for refurbishment as Apple does, hence it is best to avoid third-party refurbished devices if possible.
Whereas knowing that the Apple-based origins of your iPhone won’t make much difference in how it functions. It totally depends more on how previous owners treated it. Also, it is always good to be more informed, and this quick tip does the job.