In the course of getting yourself an iPhone device, it’s necessary you know the state of the iPhone so that it can serve the purpose for which you’re buying it.
This article will show you a simple DIY guide to decipher if your iPhone is either New, Refurbished, Replaced, or Personalized.
This knowledge is important, especially when you’re buying a used iPhone or from a local store near you to know if the phone left Apple as a brand new device or one that had been previously refurbished.
How to Know if Your iPhone is New, Refurbished, Replaced or Personalized
Below is the easiest way to tell the buying state of an iPhone (and probably an iPad too) device.
- Open the Settings app on the iPhone
- Go to General > About
- Check for the model and you’ll see an identifier that looks like this “MN092LB/A“, here, the first character will identify if the phone is New, Refurbished, Replaced, or Personalized.
- M – A newly purchased device from Apple
- F – the device has been refurbished by either Apple or its carrier
- P – the iPhone was sold with personalized engravings
- N– the device is a replacement device for a malfunctioning iPhone
That’s all.
In addition, if you find out your iPhone is refurbished then there’s no cause for alarm since Apple certified refurbished products to look like new ones, and can enjoy every benefit that the new products do. i.e part replacement
Nevertheless, you should note that some model identifiers are different from the rest (iPhone ) which might seem a bit confusing since they all have similar labels. but entirely different.
Finally, if your phone was refurbished by a company that isn’t authorized by Google then they won’t necessarily reflect that because few third-party vendors have the stringent standards for refurbishment as Apple does, so it is best to avoid third-party refurbished devices if possible.
You can also see 9 Things You Should Stop Doing With Your iPhone
