Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
I believe I have Apple's first refurbished iPhone 5
- Thread starter Maverick1337
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
The first 2 characters in the serial number denote the factory where it was built. Unlikely that you got a refurb at this point.
Side note, the guy that swapped my phone at the genius bar told me that they don't stock refurbs at the genius bar. Nope. Just remanufactured items, which may have some used parts in them (his words).
Side note, the guy that swapped my phone at the genius bar told me that they don't stock refurbs at the genius bar. Nope. Just remanufactured items, which may have some used parts in them (his words).
They don't SELL refurbished phones directly to the public (like some of the carriers do), but Apple most certainly gives out refurbished phones as warranty replacements.
FWIW, all Apple iPad/iPod/iPhone refurbs come with a brand new exterior shell and brand new battery, so you shouldn't visually be able to tell if it's refurbed or not.
I'm glad you recognize that it shouldn't matter.. Anything that was defective with the replacement phone is still defective (if anything), and everything that was perfect is still perfect.. Clearly factory phones are not always perfect - or even functional - yet the idea of a refurb that likely gets way more one on one quality control checks bummed you out, and the cure was the word of what I assume are strangers telling you your assumption was wrong.. (Not knocking you personally, I just find the mind path of this one fascinating).
I won't make that assumption. All those scuffed Iphone since day 1 are being worked on somewhere. They probably take out the shell, put on a new one, test it and use it as refurb. It is nothing wrong with a refurb. Just make sure that there is no scuff marks and everything work. A "new" one was manhandled in the plant site by a lot of people doing testing, packaging etc... So there is no real "new" Iphone anywhere...
Why would anything be defective? They replace the shell and the battery so you get a scratchless phone with a battery that lasts as long as a new phone (because it's a new battery). They re-use the internal parts to keep costs down. But they dont re-use parts from phones that were returned because they were broken. Many phones are returned because the previous owner wanted a different colour or more storage, etc. Not re-using those phones would be a giant waste.
First, you completely missed my point.. My point was he was bummed about his replacement phone when he thought it was a refurb, and felt better when people he likely doesn't know told him it wasnt; meanwhile nothing about the physical characteristics of the replacement phone changed. Second, you apparently missed my parenthetical where I qualified my statement with "if anything." Third, as a previous owner of a defective refurbished iPhone 3G, and a visibly used replacement for that refurbished phone, I know for a fact they are not always perfect.
Factory-new phones aren't always perfect either. But if you get a refurb from Apple, it should be indistinguishable (without opening it up at least) from a factory-new device.
I'm glad you agree with me.
I'm not knocking refurbs at all, I wasn't even passing judgement on refurb vs new.
Last edited:
It didn't take long for me to forget my launch day 3GS replacement came out of a plain white box.
refurb serial number possibility
I think Apple has a refurb on the way to me.
I have a week 38 location code F2L with the wifi wpa2 issue.
F2L seems to trace back to the plant with scratching; FoxConn in Zhengzhou, China
I addressed the wpa2 issue yesterday and received an email last night with the serial number of the replacement phone. I decoded the serial number and:
Week 38 F2L location code..........
Also, the letters in position 7 & 8 have been replaced with numbers: 50
I will be calling Apple to confirm if this is a refurb. *Not sure I can accept that for a device less than 30 days old. *
The location code bothers me most, if the info is correct, more than likely this is a cosmetic return and will still have the wifi wpa2 issue.
Will update.
Here is a useful link on the matter:
http://www.brucetdoesit.com/2012/09/iphone-5-dropping-wifi-internet-work.html
I think Apple has a refurb on the way to me.
I have a week 38 location code F2L with the wifi wpa2 issue.
F2L seems to trace back to the plant with scratching; FoxConn in Zhengzhou, China
I addressed the wpa2 issue yesterday and received an email last night with the serial number of the replacement phone. I decoded the serial number and:
Week 38 F2L location code..........
Also, the letters in position 7 & 8 have been replaced with numbers: 50
I will be calling Apple to confirm if this is a refurb. *Not sure I can accept that for a device less than 30 days old. *
The location code bothers me most, if the info is correct, more than likely this is a cosmetic return and will still have the wifi wpa2 issue.
Will update.
Here is a useful link on the matter:
http://www.brucetdoesit.com/2012/09/iphone-5-dropping-wifi-internet-work.html
I'm curious, did you expect to receive a DIFFERENT phone with the SAME serial number??
Why in the world are you making such a big deal out of this. A refurbished phone in all honesty is better then a factory sealed one. For one you know for a fact that the phone was inspected, taken apart, battery replaced, externals replaced, put back together, and inspected again.
And if you are so hung up on getting a phone from a sealed box you should have returned your old phone and bought a new one. I swear 1st world problems.
I would prefer a NEW replacement for a device that is only three weeks old and this issue has been known from day 1.
Guess I shouldn't have had put my .02 in in an effort to help others.
----------
I just remembered why I never joined this site before.
Deactivating account now, I would rather not be ridiculed by a bunch of pretentious and condescending Apple Richards for offering useful information.
Peace.
If something refurbished is indistinguishable from something that is new it should not matter. And in Apple's case their refurbs are not.
What you say makes sense. Hopefully it wasn't a cosmetic return and the wifi is working properly.
Thank you for the constructive input, I appreciate it.
Last edited:
Very interesting. I also have a Week 38 iPhone 5 (Black/32GB) from F2L factory and it is cosmetically perfect. I have no scratches or scuffs on it. I also have absolutely no WiFi issues at all.
Besides your particular phone, where have you gathered this mass amount of data to conclude that ALL phones from F2L during Week 38 are flawed? I would like to know... I saw the link and still find that inconclusive as the riot happened on Oct 6th which is WAY past when the week 38 phones were built.
There is no one factory where problem phones are coming from; it can be traced to all of them as well as the scratches and build week correlation. Some people have flawless week 35/36 phones and some have scratched week 40 ones. Correlation FAIL, you LOSE therefore you get NOTHING, good day, sir.
If it is a replacement for factory damage then there is no need to accept a refurb, legally a replacement for that has to be new in box saleable as new (unless you agree otherwise, which you dont have to).
In terms of determining if it is, why bother trying to decode serial numbers. Just send an email asking.
In terms of determining if it is, why bother trying to decode serial numbers. Just send an email asking.