When you take your iPhone to Apple’s official technical assistance and they need to change the device, there is always that doubt in everyone’s mind: did they exchange it for a new device? Or would it be a refurbished one?
Fortunately, Apple is quite transparent about this, and you can check this information on the system itself.
In technical assistance, when they exchange the device for you, it usually gains the status of replacement device. It should work like a new device just out of the box, adding value if you want to resell it.
Already products reconditioned (or remanufactured) are those that have been completely disassembled, cleaned, battery and defective parts exchanged and everything has undergone strict quality control, to certify that it works like a newly manufactured iPhone. It even has its warranty void, valid for one year after purchase. In Brazil, Apple does not offer the sale of refurbished products, but in other countries the discount is around 15% of the price of a new one.
Already products custom are those where the buyer asked to record a message on the back, or that has some personalized detail at the time of purchase. This happened a lot with iPods touch and iPads, when the laser engraving service on aluminum was offered.
To find out if your iPhone (or another Apple product) is new or has another type of classification, just see its model code in the System Settings. See the step by step on the iPhone:
Step 1: Open the System Settings.
Step 2: Open the menu General.
Step 3: Touch the option On.
Step 4: Search the screen for the model your device.
Step 5: The information you need to get is the first letter of the model code. It will tell you which category of device you have in hand.
- M ⇒ New device
- N ⇒ Replacement device
- F ⇒ Refurbished appliance
- P ⇒ Custom appliance
Therefore, by looking at the first letter of the model code (found in Settings), it is possible to know the origin of your device.
Of course, everything is just curiosity, since if you buy a used one from someone, it obviously will not be a new device (even the model with an M), and if you receive it in exchange for assistance, it in theory it has everything to work perfectly well.
So it’s not something you have to worry about too much, but extra information is always good.
