How do you tell if your iPhone 5 is a refurbished unit?

[AlphaDogg]

Originally Posted by Blorzoga

I've read numerous accounts of people receiving a color swap.

Sure, within the 14 day return period. There are zero accounts of people receiving a color swap post this 14 day period.

[Blorzoga]

Originally Posted by AlphaDogg

Sure, within the 14 day return period. There are zero accounts of people receiving a color swap post this 14 day period.

Zero? You've read ALL posts?
I guess you must've missed this one.

SwimmingPool
macrumors newbie

Join Date: Oct 2012
Black iPhone 5 Replaced with White one, should I ask for more compensation?
I got my black iPhone 5 on September 21st 2012. Early this month I have been having problems with with the sim card being read.

I got the phone replaced with express replacment and still had the same problem.

Apple support escalated the issue to somebody at Apple HQ. And I got a call a few days later.

Turns out I needed to get a whole new iPhone. While she was setting up the order she asked if I wanted to change the color of the phone, I said yes and she did.

With this replacment I am getting a new iPhone, not a refurbished one, I get all new cables and everything. Then I need to ship my broken black iPhone back.

Should I ask for more in compensation? I was without an iPhone for 5 days and was on tech support with Apple for over 7 hours before someone that knew what they were doing could help me.
Last edited by SandboxGeneral; Feb 20, 2013 at 06:33 AM. Reason: Restored original post

[AlphaDogg]

Originally Posted by Blorzoga

Zero? You've read ALL posts?
I guess you must've missed this one.

SwimmingPool
macrumors newbie

Join Date: Oct 2012
Black iPhone 5 Replaced with White one, should I ask for more compensation?
I got my black iPhone 5 on September 21st 2012. Early this month I have been having problems with with the sim card being read.

I got the phone replaced with express replacment and still had the same problem.

Apple support escalated the issue to somebody at Apple HQ. And I got a call a few days later.

Turns out I needed to get a whole new iPhone. While she was setting up the order she asked if I wanted to change the color of the phone, I said yes and she did.

With this replacment I am getting a new iPhone, not a refurbished one, I get all new cables and everything. Then I need to ship my broken black iPhone back.

Should I ask for more in compensation? I was without an iPhone for 5 days and was on tech support with Apple for over 7 hours before someone that knew what they were doing could help me.
Last edited by SandboxGeneral; Feb 20, 2013 at 06:33 AM. Reason: Restored original post

That's a completely different situation. That's not committing insurance fraud to get a new iPhone for $50 (which it seems you intend to do), that's dealing with a defect twice. Unless you want to beg the claim to Apple that it's their fault you broke your phone more than once and succeed, then it's possible you'll get it replaced for a phone of a different color. Do what you want, but there's essentially zero chance you'll get a different colored iPhone.

[walmartmartyr]

Originally Posted by madkir

the refurbished iphone 5 serial number starts with dq this time around.
I got one at the end of december: In many respects it was better than other 5 new units it replaced.

+1

[Blorzoga]

Originally Posted by AlphaDogg

That's a completely different situation. That's not committing insurance fraud to get a new iPhone for $50 (which it seems you intend to do), that's dealing with a defect twice. Unless you want to beg the claim to Apple that it's their fault you broke your phone more than once and succeed, then it's possible you'll get it replaced for a phone of a different color. Do what you want, but there's essentially zero chance you'll get a different colored iPhone.

How do you know what I intend to do? I was only asking a question. When did I say I intend to commit insurance fraud? And how is this a completely different situation, please explain; you seem to know so much.

[AlphaDogg]

Originally Posted by Blorzoga

I have a white 5 and was wondering if I were to "break" it and use one of my AppleCare+ replacements, would they allow me to get a black one as a replacement?

There you go. If that doesn't display intent to commit insurance fraud, then my name is Barack Obama.

Also, it's different because in that guy's case, the faults lie with Apple and surfaced multiple times, so they did all they could to correct the issue and still have a happy customer. There's nothing wrong with your phone, you just want to exploit the system.

[617aircav]

Originally Posted by THX1139

Apple doesn't do refurbished phones. They make 100% certified remanufactured phones. They rebuild the phones from scratch using brand new parts of expendables such as batteries, displays, enclosures. They might reuse things that don't wear out such as antennas or internal non-degradable hardware if they deem them to be 100% usable. In many ways, the remanufactured iphones are better than those coming off the assembly lines because they are built by hand using known good parts.

That being said... the iPhone is still very new so Apple hasn't built up enough used inventory to justify remanufacturing. So replacement iPhone 5's are probably from new stock. The older phones certainly are remanufactured because there are far more old ones than new.

By the way, you'd all know this if you actually read the warranty.

Um that's refurbished in it.

[Goodeye]

Had to have my phone replaced today (I tried to get them to repair it as I was going to lose Gmail Exchange) as the power button was giving out.

Got the slim white boxed replacement. Looks like a brand new out of box device. Only interesting thing was it had iOS 6.0.2 on it.

[macingman]

Originally Posted by Blorzoga

Something tells me your Macrumors classification is going to your head. I don't believe I said I wanted to intentionally break my phone, I was posing a hypothetical question. And I can say with 110% certainty that you don't know what you're talking about. I've read numerous accounts of people receiving a color swap. In the future, don't be so quick to judge or to make assumptions.

I know what I am talking about. You asked a question and then when you got an answer you didn't like, you refuse to accept it. Why did you even need to ask the question if you seem to think you know the answer?

[THX1139]

Originally Posted by 617aircav

Um that's refurbished in it.

Um no. Refurbished implies that they took a part or the unit that was defective, fixed it or cleaned it up and then sent it back out. The remanufactured iPhones are rebuilt from scratch using 100% new parts or used parts that are 100% non-degradable and certified by Apple to meet a standard. Nothing in the phone is fixed and reused. It's not that hard to understand but you are just paranoid thinking that the big bad Apple is out to rip you off.

What baffles me is when people expect to get a new retail phone when they are turning in a defective USED phone. If it's over 30 days, it's used... why should Apple be expected to give a NEW phone to replace a USED phone? Most of the defective phones turned in are in far worse cosmetic shape than the phones that Apple replaces them with.

----------

Originally Posted by Goodeye

Only interesting thing was it had iOS 6.0.2 on it.

Why is that interesting? The phones are remanufactured and then installed with latest software at that moment. Then the phones sit in boxes waiting until they are needed. It could take a couple of months and they don't get updated while they wait to go into service. Apple techs don't always update the OS before handing it to the customer because it would take too long.

[Goodeye]

Originally Posted by THX1139

Why is that interesting? The phones are remanufactured and then installed with latest software at that moment. Then the phones sit in boxes waiting until they are needed. It could take a couple of months and they don't get updated while they wait to go into service. Apple techs don't always update the OS before handing it to the customer because it would take too long.

Interesting because any iPhone I have has replaced from the original iPhone to the iPhone 4S that was either replaced by warranty issues or AppleCare were always up to date. I would have at least expected 6.1 based off my prior experience.

Do you have a need to nit pick everyone's posts?

[aristobrat]

Originally Posted by THX1139

Um no. Refurbished implies that they took a part or the unit that was defective, fixed it or cleaned it up and then sent it back out. The remanufactured iPhones are rebuilt from scratch using 100% new parts or used parts that are 100% non-degradable and certified by Apple to meet a standard.

FWIW, as someone already pointed out, Apple follows the exact same process with iPods/iPads and clearly calls them "refurbished".

[Mrbobb]

Originally Posted by Algo922

How do you tell if your iPhone 5 is a refurbished unit?

When the label says "John's iPhone" or there is an existing iCloud account, or the complete Bob Dylan compendium is included free.

Dunn worry about it, after your first dent (soon) u will forget this.

[Algo922]

Originally Posted by Mrbobb

When the label says "John's iPhone" or there is an existing iCloud account, or the complete Bob Dylan compendium is included free.

Dunn worry about it, after your first dent (soon) u will forget this.

Doubt that, I won't be getting a dent anytime soon.. How people have cracked screens on their iPhone is beyond me

[XboxMySocks]

If you can't even tell whether it's a refurb or new, what the hell does it matter :s?

[Goodeye]

Originally Posted by XboxMySocks

If you can't even tell whether it's a refurb or new, what the hell does it matter :s?

Exactly!

[XboxMySocks]

Originally Posted by Goodeye

Exactly!

"Omg, someone else may or may not have run code through the motherboard I'm using, my iPhone experience is ruined ((((((((((" Like honestly

[aristobrat]

Originally Posted by XboxMySocks

If you can't even tell whether it's a refurb or new, what the hell does it matter :s?

If you're OCD, it matters. Personally, I don't get if, but I'm not OCD. But I've seen enough posts here over the last eight years to know that for some, it really does matter. ::shrug::

[UTMAC]

Originally Posted by syd430

No. that's just carried over from your backup data on your old phone.

Funny because the system was down so I had to set up as a new phone when I got it, so no backup was restored.

[kissnoob]

Originally Posted by Goodeye

Had to have my phone replaced today (I tried to get them to repair it as I was going to lose Gmail Exchange) as the power button was giving out.

Got the slim white boxed replacement. Looks like a brand new out of box device. Only interesting thing was it had iOS 6.0.2 on it.

Ditto this.

I got my ip 5 replaced 2 weeks ago due to no sound coming out of earpiece. It is a white box, iOS 6.0.2 and serial# starting with DQ. It works well now.

[Goodeye]

Originally Posted by kissnoob

Ditto this.

I got my ip 5 replaced 2 weeks ago due to no sound coming out of earpiece. It is a white box, iOS 6.0.2 and serial# starting with DQ. It works well now.

Serial starts with the same on mine too.

[Jimmy James]

If its a refurb it will have dents all over. Or not. If you can't tell it really doesn't matter.