5K Serial Number Doesn't Mean It's Refurbished?

[Collin789]

So today I took my iPhone in to the Apple store because it was making weird noises when listening to music through USB. Once the guy said he would replace it he said, "I'll replace the phone for you and give you a new one."
I ended up getting a 5K model and have read in previous threads that the 5K meant that it was refurbished. Once he told me he would give me a NEW phone I asked him if it was actually going to be a refurbished model. He told me that they don't replace phones with refurbished ones. I asked him why and he basically said for a bunch of reasons.
I wouldn't say he's lying about it, but i'm not sure. What do you think?

 

[AndrewR23]

So today I took my iPhone in to the Apple store because it was making weird noises when listening to music through USB. Once the guy said he would replace it he said, "I'll replace the phone for you and give you a new one."
I ended up getting a 5K model and have read in previous threads that the 5K meant that it was refurbished. Once he told me he would give me a NEW phone I asked him if it was actually going to be a refurbished model. He told me that they don't replace phones with refurbished ones. I asked him why and he basically said for a bunch of reasons.
I wouldn't say he's lying about it, but i'm not sure. What do you think?

Its a remanufactured phone.

 

[RafaelT]

Its a remanufactured phone.

+1

I think Apple can make a case that the replacements are more then just refurbs, they don't just fix what is wrong, the actually re manufacture it using the working internals. The outside is always changed and the battery is swapped out if it holds below a certain percentage.

I wouldn't call that a new phone but some Apple employee's may feel comfortable stretching the definition of new to cover that so they don't have to hear the masses whine about refurbs.

 

[iAmYou]

5K serial has been beaten to death.
It is a remanufactured phone, refurbished iPhone, whatever words you choose.

However apple remanufactured iPhones tend to almost be better than brand new, as they are actually tested before release.
Sealed ones are simply run off the line boxed shrink wrapped and sold.

 

[barkingDog]

5K serial has been beaten to death.
...<snip>

Agreed.

One thing I notice is that 5K replacements I've received have the "warmer" hue to the screen than other non 5K serial numbers. I've had to get a few replacements, and the all 5K models had it (aka "the Yellow Tint" syndrome.)

So this last time I requested a "non-5K" replacement and received one. And it doesn't have the warm/Yellow-ish screen. Some folks prefer this tint, some folks don't notice, some don't care, etc.

I didn't replace it for this reason, but have had bad luck in regards to a few different hardware parts of the iPhone go bad/intermittent.

 

[acfusion29]

unless they physically open a brand new iPhone and give you that, then 99% chance you got a refurb/remanufactured (whatever the hell you wanna call it) phone. there's a chance that the phone isn't refurbished, but rather a new one that sent to the store for replacement stock.

seriously, ask yourself this question. what is Apple doing with all the phones they accept from people for warranty purposes? they can't use those parts in new phones (illegal).. so instead the only logical thing is that they take those phones, fix them (refurb/remanufacture), give them a new serial # and send them off to the stores as replacements.

FWIW, my replacement didn't have a 5K serial. don't care if it's a refurb because it works. and you shouldn't care either as these phones are less likely to have problems because they aren't just taken off the assembly line and thrown into a box.

barkingDog - my non-5k replacement has a yellow hue. it's something your eyes adjust to and i don't notice it at all.

 

[barkingDog]

<snip> ...

barkingDog - my non-5k replacement has a yellow hue. it's something your eyes adjust to and i don't notice it at all.

Yeah - I hear ya. The only reason I'm noticing it is because we have a newly acquired VZ iPhone in the family to compare it with. Otherwise, I'd probably never had known/cared/etc.

Interesting though, when I compare this replacement next to the VZ iPhone, I find it has a (very) slight "red" hue to it. Go figure.

But since I haven't compared them for a couple days, the colors look just great as of late. Heck, even with the slight red tint, it's still fine.

 

[awadeee]

You will get used to whatever screen you have as long as you don't compare it to other iOS devices.

All 5K phones are "remanufactured". Basically a little bit better than simply replacing the parts that don't work.

 

[Collin789]

Before the replacement I have now, I had another refurbished phone where I could diffidently notice a different hue from my older one. I didn't even have to compare it to another phone.
The one I have now is much better.

 

[awadeee]

Before the replacement I have now, I had another refurbished phone where I could diffidently notice a different hue from my older one. I didn't even have to compare it to another phone.
The one I have now is much better.

That's good! The yellow tint hits some screens harder than others. Hopefully a quality control issue that will be eradicated with the next model.

 

[The Californian]

I posted this a while ago, but it's a pretty solid explanation what a 5K serial number means.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/757758/

 

[AndrewR23]

I posted this a while ago, but it's a pretty solid explanation what a 5K serial number means.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/757758/

Ive noticed with every 5K ive had and my friends, the same exact scratches appear right between the + volume button and the mute switch.

They are light but you can see them in sunlight easily.

 

[The Californian]

Ive noticed with every 5K ive had and my friends, the same exact scratches appear right between the + volume button and the mute switch.

They are light but you can see them in sunlight easily.

Do you all happen to use the same case?

 

[AndrewR23]

Do you all happen to use the same case?

No it was noticed right out of the black box. My friends saw it too. We assume its from bumpers.

 

[awadeee]

No it was noticed right out of the black box. My friends saw it too. We assume its from bumpers.

I thought all the screens and backs were brand new on the refurbs? Maybe they thought it was passable and just let it go without changing them out.

 

[AndrewR23]

I thought all the screens and backs were brand new on the refurbs? Maybe they thought it was passable and just let it go without changing them out.

No im talking about the steel band. I think they do not replace that although I'm not sure.

 

[awadeee]

No im talking about the steel band. I think they do not replace that although I'm not sure.

OH, I thought you meant the screen! Yeah, the metal band I think they keep the same since it's the middle of the phone that everything sorta attaches to.