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pianoman88

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 20, 2010
219
57
I'm asking because Apple wants me to erase all content and settings.
Why do I need to do this if they are replacing the battery?
I'm concerned about getting a refurb.
 

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It seems to be the standard operating procedure that they issue whenever there is an issue with an iPhone. Apple has been hesitant to straight up swap devices since a few years ago, going with in-house hardware repairs when possible.
 
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They're just asking you to back it up and erase all content and settings in case they need to replace it instead of repair it.
 
they tell you that because when they do the battery replacement if something doesnt work correctly they will end up replacing the device. hopefully your phone is still under warranty or you have apple care + in case they need to replace the entire phone. if not i'm not sure what your options are.
 
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I don't want refurbished - I'll get less when I sell the phone.
I wonder if talking to the manager will make a difference?
Or perhaps ... pay an outside company to do the work and submit the receipt, since there appears to be a mechanism is place to do this.
 
Is there actually any way to tell if a replacement is refurbished? A replacement can be either new or refurbished and both should be just as reliable anyway.
 
Is there actually any way to tell if a replacement is refurbished? A replacement can be either new or refurbished and both should be just as reliable anyway.
I think that they add an "R" or another letter to the serial number.
When I think about it, this is like buying a new car, having the dealer acknowledge that it is a "lemon" and then offering a used car as a replacement.
 
I think that they add an "R" or another letter to the serial number.
When I think about it, this is like buying a new car, having the dealer acknowledge that it is a "lemon" and then offering a used car as a replacement.
If we are going down the path of car analogies, it's more along the lines of having a used car that that has been in use for some time already and now has a recall on some component of it and getting that component fixed or replaced. And in the world of cars, if that recall fix or replacement isn't successful for some reason will you get a brand new car out of it or anything like that? At best you might get a payment equivalent to the price of your used car at that time.
 
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what OP doesnt understand is that a refurb unit is practically brand new, as everything is tested to work correctly. ive gotten refurbs from apple before which ended up being perfectly functioning units. and it will be most definitely better than your aging iphone 6s. id much rather get a refurb than just a battery replacement.
 
what OP doesnt understand is that a refurb unit is practically brand new, as everything is tested to work correctly. ive gotten refurbs from apple before which ended up being perfectly functioning units. and it will be most definitely better than your aging iphone 6s. id much rather get a refurb than just a battery replacement.

The OP is more worried about resale value than operability, though.

I was always happy with the brand new exterior parts of the refurbished units.
 
I think that they add an "R" or another letter to the serial number.
When I think about it, this is like buying a new car, having the dealer acknowledge that it is a "lemon" and then offering a used car as a replacement.
It's actually the model number they change the first letter (been googling). The model number usually starts with an M on retail iPhones but replacement iPhones start with an N (these can be new or refurbished aparently), if it starts with an R it's definitely refurbished though.
Just had my iPhone 7 replaced this week at the Apple Store and the model number does indeed start with an N, my original phone started with an M so it seems there is some truth to what I've just read online.
Cheers
 
I don't want refurbished - I'll get less when I sell the phone.
I wonder if talking to the manager will make a difference?
Or perhaps ... pay an outside company to do the work and submit the receipt, since there appears to be a mechanism is place to do this.

You seem to be worrying way to much. No matter if it's refurbed or new, your device is covered with Apple.
 
Yes. Create a backup before you go there and erase the phone. During battery replacement they'll do that anyway.
 
My battery capacity was down to less than 80% towards the end of the Apple Care + period. Also, I had a small scratch on the screen and a tiny little crack on the corner of the display.

I was offered a choice: 1) either get the battery replaced free of charge or 2) Use one of the two of my Apple Care + allowance to replace the device with either a new or a refurbished one. I asked them if I was going to pay the flat fee for the replacement. They said no, because this is not an accidental damage replacement case, it is simply a battery repair case. Well, I didn't have to think twice, I walked out of the store with a seemingly brand new phone without paying a dime. I just used up one of the accidental replacement allowance I had, that's all.

I don't know if the phone was brand new or refurbished, but it sure looked new. I made numerous purchases in the past from the refurbished store and all of them were physically flawless.

In the end, even if I ended up with a refurbished phone, my two year old cracked and scratched phone with a dying battery was replaced with a phone in brand new condition with a battery with zero cycle count. As far as I'm concerned the resale value of my phone has gone up.

OP is worrying too much for no reason.
 
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It's reasons like this why I never worked retail when I was younger. Bunch of entitled and ridiculous people with stupid demands.

I was at the Apple Store in the summer and overheard this lady yelling at the poor apple guy cause her iPhone 5, yes iPhone 5, was not working. Apple said they'll replace it out of warranty for whatever the cost was but she was demanding a brand new iPhone 6S for FREE.
 
I'm asking because Apple wants me to erase all content and settings.
Why do I need to do this if they are replacing the battery?
I'm concerned about getting a refurb.

No, it's not a refurb. Logic boards, casings, SSDs, displays, all of that can be refurbished and sent to Apple Stores for use/reuse. Batteries were one of the only things that were not allowed to be refurbished. We were specifically required to pack each one up and send back to Apple corporate for proper disposal, so each battery we replace is the same that goes in a brand new phone. It's also not going to decrease your resale value, especially if you have it done at an actual Apple Store.

As for nuking the device, erasing it can clear out any software anomalies causing quick battery drain. 95% of the battery complaints I saw were software issues, not hardware. The device can qualify for the replacement program but not be affected; your Apple store likely wants to do this to rule out software. Just because it qualifies doesn't automatically mean the battery is your problem/they're automatically replacing your battery. They'll still want to diagnose it.
Source: former Genius.
 
You will simply get the battery replaced unless the employee damages your phone beyond repair, at which point you would get a refurb. I ( and many others) have been through this before and the recommendation is the same, however I didn't wipe the phone and I simply had to provide the password for them to be able to get into the phone. If you are not comfortable doing that, yes, wipe it.

Apple basically doesn't want to be responsible for any data loss on your side. It's as simple as that.

As far as resale value, it will be so negligible that I wouldn't even worry about it. In fact, if you are thinking of paying a third party, you can consider yourself having lost more in repair fees than you would in resale. I have sold so many phones at this point, some of which have been refurbs, that it simply isn;t worth thinking twice about.
 
I think that they add an "R" or another letter to the serial number.
When I think about it, this is like buying a new car, having the dealer acknowledge that it is a "lemon" and then offering a used car as a replacement.
If you want to use the car analogy it would be like getting a used car which has new panels and paint. New interior. New wheels and rims. And any moving parts under the hood replaced. So pretty much a new car.
 
If you get a refurb, it'll be in better condition than your current phone. If anything, it'll be worth more than the one you already have, not less.
 
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