Resolved Buying a used iPhone, how to distinguish between 4 and 4S

[sviato]

Hey,

I'm planning on buying an iPhone 4S later this week when I sell my Blackberry. I will likely be buying off of someone as it will be cheaper than buying it from Apple directly.

Now if the phone is still not shrink wrapped, is there a quick way to check on the device if it's a 4 or a 4S? The phone will likely not be activated yet and I'm not sure if I'll be able to have an activated micro-sim when I do the purchase as my current phone uses a regular sim.

Thanks

 

[crackedandblack]

Hey,

I'm planning on buying an iPhone 4S later this week when I sell my Blackberry. I will likely be buying off of someone as it will be cheaper than buying it from Apple directly.

Now if the phone is still not shrink wrapped, is there a quick way to check on the device if it's a 4 or a 4S? The phone will likely not be activated yet and I'm not sure if I'll be able to have an activated micro-sim when I do the purchase as my current phone uses a regular sim.

Thanks

Does the new one not have 4S on the back?

 

[AndrewR23]

Does the new one not have 4S on the back?

Wow.

Anyways, I have no idea. I know with a 4S, serial numbers start with C36, C37, C38, C39, DNP. etc..

 

[sviato]

Does the new one not have 4S on the back?

I'm fairly sure it just says 'iPhone", I'd love to be wrong though

 

[treyjustice]

Look at the back model number the iPhone 4 is A1332. The iPhone 4S's model number is A1387.


If it is for AT&T also could look at antenna band. iPhone 4S has break on top right iPhone 4 does not.

 

[DryEyez]

For the 4S you have the two tiny slits at the top of the phone as well as at the bottom, unlike the 4 which just has two tiny slits at the bottom....


Also...there is Siri.

 

[dan5.5]

if its a Verizon or Sprint phone, there should be a sim card slot.

 

[nostresshere]

For the 4S you have the two tiny slits at the top of the phone as well as at the bottom, unlike the 4 which just has two tiny slits at the bottom....


Also...there is Siri.

To clarify, those little slits, or breaks in the band on on the SIDE towards the top and bottom.

 

[sviato]

Look at the back model number the iPhone 4 is A1332. The iPhone 4S's model number is A1387.


If it is for AT&T also could look at antenna band. iPhone 4S has break on top right iPhone 4 does not.

Is that model number for all colors and storage amounts?

For the 4S you have the two tiny slits at the top of the phone as well as at the bottom, unlike the 4 which just has two tiny slits at the bottom....


Also...there is Siri.

Ah! I forgot about the new antenna. If it's not activated then Siri wouldn't work.

if its a Verizon or Sprint phone, there should be a sim card slot.

I'm from Canada actually, so all of our iPhones have sim slots.


With the model number and the antenna I think I'll be able to distinguish it if I need to. Will try to do the transaction by an Apple store so I could check just in case too maybe.

Thanks a lot

 

[Dave Felix]

Siri isn't enough to tell the major difference?

----------

if its a Verizon or Sprint phone, there should be a sim card slot.

I have ATNT and there is a sim card slot of my iPhone 4

 

[likethesoup2]

I'm fairly sure it just says 'iPhone", I'd love to be wrong though

Unfortunately it does just say iPhone.

And without activation, doubt Siri will come up.

But it does, on the back, say model A1387; which is the 4S model number.

The model numbers for iPhone 4 are:
CDMA -- A1349
GSM -- A1332

So you're covered.

 

[fuxl]

To clarify, those little slits, or breaks in the band on on the SIDE towards the top and bottom.

What's interesting is, that when I looked at the iPhone 4 at my local Apple store the other day, they looked exactly the same as the iPhone 4S.
Now I'm wondering, if they changed the antenna on the new 8GB iPhone 4 or if the downgrade the display models. Siri wasn't working on them, just the voice command. Didn't check anything else...

 

[MrRon]

For the 4S you have the two tiny slits at the top of the phone as well as at the bottom, unlike the 4 which just has two tiny slits at the bottom....


Also...there is Siri.

ALL OF THE ABOVE + SIM SLOT

(iPhone 4 CDMA has the tiny Slits but without the Sim slot)

Also the best way is to get the serial number and enter the serial number into this link

https://selfsolve.apple.com/agreementWarrantyDynamic.do

GOOD LUCK!!

 

[awadeee]

The dude said he was from Canada so the CDMA iPhone 4 isn't worth mentioning.

Rule of thumb: The antennas are different.

 

[DirtySocks85]

The model number is going to be the most surefire way to check. It's written right there on the back of the device. This is of course someone hasn't gone to extra effort to swap the back glass. Hrmm, now that sounds like a scheme waiting to happen somewhere.

 

[al0513]

What's interesting is, that when I looked at the iPhone 4 at my local Apple store the other day, they looked exactly the same as the iPhone 4S.
Now I'm wondering, if they changed the antenna on the new 8GB iPhone 4 or if the downgrade the display models. Siri wasn't working on them, just the voice command. Didn't check anything else...

Siri doesnt work on the 4.... only the 4S

 

[fuxl]

Siri doesnt work on the 4.... only the 4S

What did I say?

 

[al0513]

???

I thought you were confused about Siri on 4S and 4. just stating that it doesnt work on the 4.

 

[LapsangSouchong]

ALL OF THE ABOVE + SIM SLOT

(iPhone 4 CDMA has the tiny Slits but without the Sim slot)

Also the best way is to get the serial number and enter the serial number into this link

https://selfsolve.apple.com/agreementWarrantyDynamic.do

GOOD LUCK!!

+1 for entering the serial number.

 

[fuxl]

???

I thought you were confused about Siri on 4S and 4. just stating that it doesnt work on the 4.

I know that Siri only works on the 4S, but I was questioning if the antenna is still a valid feature to distinguishe between 4 and 4S since they looked alike in the Apple store.

 

[ilovemyibook]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

The Verizon iPhone 4 looks identical to the 4S, right? I know he's in Canada, but it seems like people are misinformed. If I understand correctly the Verizon iPhone 4 antenna is different than the AT&T iPhone 4 antenna. And the Verizon iPhone 4s and 4 are physically identical.

 

[ilovemyibook]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

The Verizon iPhone 4 looks identical to the 4S, right? I know he's in Canada, but it seems like people are misinformed. If I understand correctly the Verizon iPhone 4 antenna is different than the AT&T iPhone 4 antenna. And the Verizon iPhone 4s and 4 are physically identical.

 

[mKTank]

As far as I know, the iPhone 4 has the FCC, trash, CE, etc icons on the back under the small text under "iPhone" but the 4S doesn't. The 4S just has iPhone then the small text, but no logos under it.

Unless I'm high on something.

 

[204353]

As far as I know, the iPhone 4 has the FCC, trash, CE, etc icons on the back under the small text under "iPhone" but the 4S doesn't. The 4S just has iPhone then the small text, but no logos under it.

Unless I'm high on something.

I've attached a photo of the back of my 4S that I took just after opening the box. It's got all those logos on it.

 

[siurpeeman]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

The Verizon iPhone 4 looks identical to the 4S, right? I know he's in Canada, but it seems like people are misinformed. If I understand correctly the Verizon iPhone 4 antenna is different than the AT&T iPhone 4 antenna. And the Verizon iPhone 4s and 4 are physically identical.

not true. on the right side of the iphone 4s, you'll see the black slits near the top and bottom with a sim card tray in the middle. the cdma 4 has the slits but no sim tray. the gsm 4 has the tray but only has one of the black slits (the bottom one).