iPhone 5 no serial number after Genius Bar appointment

JodyK · Feb 17, 2014

Took my old iPhone 5 (now belongs to my wife) to Apple store under AppleCare plus warranty for battery issue. It would show 20% charge remaining and then shut down. After testing the battery was bad. There is also a hair line crack on the front that they said is very rare but is manufacturing not from a drop. Wasn't dropped and also no nick in glass.

They offered a replacement on the spot but I asked if battery could be replaced. The iPhone is signed on the back by Atlanta Falcons Quarterback Matt Ryan. They were very accommodating and said they would put in a new battery and even replace the front (screen and glass). Said see you in an hour.

2 hours later with iPhone in hand they explained they couldn't get it out of DFU mode. They did and gave it to me to sign in to restore from iCloud. It my wives so I didn't have her login and password so asked if I could do later and she said yes and if there was an issue with it looping back into DFU to bring it back to swap for a new one.

Took it home to have my wife restore and it would not respond to pushing power or home buttons. I plugged it in and the screen then came on and the iPhone responded. My wife put her info in and it started it's restore. It got to the end and went into DFU showing plug into iTunes.

I plug it into iTunes and it show the iPhone but says no serial number. I went through the restore and update. It failed time and time again. Buttons wouldn't respond and I would have to plug it in every time to get it to wake up and try and restore. It would just go into DFU every time. Weird ... Will have it swapped for another which is a 2 hours round trip for me.

Anyone heard of an iPhone having the serial wiped after service? Did they replace such a pivotal part that the iPhone lost it's core programming? Sorry this is a book but wanted to share the full story.

carjakester · Feb 17, 2014

JodyK said:
Took it home to have my wife restore and it would not respond to pushing power or home buttons.

Seems to me this is where things went south

T5BRICK · Feb 17, 2014

That certainly isn't normal. Back when I used to work at an Apple authorized service provider, we would receive replacement logic boards that weren't programmed with a serial number. It was our responsibility to flash that into them using a special utility so it would show up in the system profiler.

Maybe something similar happened here.

JodyK · Feb 17, 2014

T5BRICK said:
That certainly isn't normal. Back when I used to work at an Apple authorized service provider, we would receive replacement logic boards that weren't programmed with a serial number. It was our responsibility to flash that into them using a special utility so it would show up in the system profiler.

Maybe something similar happened here.

This would explain what's going on ... And since restores have to authorize through Apples servers it would explain why it won't let the iPhone restore since it can't verify the serial ... And probably the IEMI etc

T5BRICK · Feb 18, 2014

JodyK said:
This would explain what's going on ... And since restores have to authorize through Apples servers it would explain why it won't let the iPhone restore since it can't verify the serial ... And probably the IEMI etc

I'd take it back to the Apple store and have them finish the job. Most likely they had to replace the logic board, but didn't complete the process.

*edit* or they botched the repair job and damaged something? It's hard to say.

Max(IT) · Feb 18, 2014

It's a pity about the sign on the back, but I think it would be safe to have a refurbished unit back .... The logic board seems to be screwed to me

Agent-P · Feb 18, 2014

I know this doesn't really help the OP's problem, but why didn't the Apple store just take the signed back off the existing iPhone and put it on the replacement rather than replacing the screen and battery on the broken one? Seems like it would've been less hassle and this issue probably would've been avoided too (especially since they had already offered a replacement in the first place).

JodyK · Feb 18, 2014

Agent-P said:
I know this doesn't really help the OP's problem, but why didn't the Apple store just take the signed back off the existing iPhone and put it on the replacement rather than replacing the screen and battery on the broken one? Seems like it would've been less hassle and this issue probably would've been avoided too (especially since they had already offered a replacement in the first place).

This would have been ideal but I think the serial # is on the back which is actually is the whole body as the iPhone 5 is made from one piece of aluminum similar to the MacBooks. I didn't think they could transfer over a serial but considering what has happened I think it is possible but perhaps not common place / supposed to be known. Probably will be at Apple store tomorrow and will give everyone an update.

sulpfiction · Feb 19, 2014

Matt Ryan?? I'd swap it out just because of the signature.

IndoX · Feb 19, 2014

Apple Retail does NOT replace logic boards for iOS devices at all. There is always a chance of failure whenever doing a modular repair - be it a display, battery, speaker module, receiver, etc.

This is in the terms & conditions you signed prior to the repair being done. The battery replacement failed. When battery replacement fails, the device goes into DFU mode and cannot be restored due to hardware failure.

The next step would be to have the device swapped. The FRS or Genius who helped you should've explained that to you. At this point your options are limited.

EDIT: They also don't move components from one device into another. They do not touch, move, or replace the enclosure. There are only two types of repairs Apple does for iPhones: modular (speaker, receiver, camera, display, battery, vibe motor) and full unit swaps (no power, loose battery, sleep/wake button or volume button issues, faulty logic boards, liquid damage, damaged or dented enclosures).

JodyK · Feb 23, 2014

Finally made it back to the Apple store yesterday and they were miffed by it not showing a serial number. Immediate unit swap and my signed iPhone was handed over. Oh well I have the video of it being signed ... pics ... and the memory of it signed.

In the end Apple is an awesome company with awesome products that they stand behind and an awesome team that tries to accommodate their customers.

JodyK · Feb 23, 2014

A pic of the back of the iPhone

Agent OrangeZ · Feb 24, 2014

I just don't get why you'd have him sign your iPhone. That iPhone isn't going to last you forever... I would have had him sign something else.

imux98 · Jan 28, 2015

Error restoring iphone, please help me. I'm desperate.

Hi everyone, I have been reading a lot of forums and blogs related with, I replaced some parts of my iphone, particulary camera and module of charge, I used the aluminum case of another iphone, this is because the original was completely damaged. When I start my iphone, I was unable to activate it, so I tried the restoration from itunes. The restoration process fails and iphone stucked on DFU mode. When I tried again to restore it, there appears an error: "An error ocurred and iphone cannot be restored (1)" (something like that), and every time is the same message. Serial number is shown as N/A. This leads me to think that probably is there any lock in the case connectors (which has the IMEI and other info printed in the back side of aluminum case) that prevents the installation of a logic MB (with an IMEI, SERIAL, etc...) over a case with different information printed outside. Please if any of you have any information that could be helpful, let me know. Thank you.

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iPhone 5 no serial number after Genius Bar appointment

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