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iPhone SE (2016) Did iPhone SE ever ship sealed with iOS 12.1

A

Amatell4685

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 8, 2019
18
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Did iPhone SE ever ship sealed with iOS 12.1?

My new, sealed, unboxed iPhone SE (from a reputable uk retailer), after setting it up for the first time - is runnning iOS 12.1

iOS 12.1 was released on October 30th - how is this possible?!

Is there something fishy here?
 
I bought a new SE in December and that one came with ios 11.4 (based on the serial number it was manufactured in July 2018). Apple has replaced it twice and one of the devices came with ios 12.1 (production date: december 2018) and the other with ios 12.1.2 (production date: january 2019). Hope it helps.
 
HitBit said:
I bought a new SE in December and that one came with ios 11.4 (based on the serial number it was manufactured in July 2018). Apple has replaced it twice and one of the devices came with ios 12.1 (production date: december 2018) and the other with ios 12.1.2 (production date: january 2019). Hope it helps.
Click to expand...
HitBit said:
I bought a new SE in December and that one came with ios 11.4 (based on the serial number it was manufactured in July 2018). Apple has replaced it twice and one of the devices came with ios 12.1 (production date: december 2018) and the other with ios 12.1.2 (production date: january 2019). Hope it helps.
Click to expand...

Hi, many thanks for your help, much appreciated.

This might suggest that perhaps an iPhone SE manufactured in December 2018 may be shipped from the factory with iOS 12.1 pre-installed?
 
Amatell4685 said:
Hi, many thanks for your help, much appreciated.

This might suggest that perhaps an iPhone SE manufactured in December 2018 may be shipped from the factory with iOS 12.1 pre-installed?
Click to expand...
You are welcome. I'm glad I was helpful. Regarding your question, the answer is definitely a yes. IOS 12.1 was released on October 30 2018, so a device manufactured in December at least must include that version and, depending on the week in which it was manufactured, it may even come with iOS 12.1.1 or 12.1.2.
 
It may also be possible that even phone has been manufactured a long time ago, it still comes with IOS 12.
My current iPhone X I got in December (brand new unopened sealed retail box from authorized reseller) was manufactured in August (based on the serial number) but on the box there is also date code saying 11/2018 or 12/2018 (can't remember exactly which it was and I'm too lazy to find the box) and it came with IOS 12!!! Also based on the battery cycles I could see it was recharged at least once, so that also suggests it have been updated after actual manufacturing date.

So obviously they sometimes even update phones at the factory they have already built before. Not sure if they even rebox them (based on the cosmetic marks on mine that is possible) or are they just sitting there and boxed right before actually shipping them out of the factory. And before anyone jumps in commenting I was sold a used one, I saw myself how dealer took the box from the cabin where they keep all their new retail iPhones and he just randomly picked up the one. Also when checking warranty and support details from Apple web site everything matches to unused brand new phone.
 
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I checked the serial and I realised it actually seems the phone was made in May of 2018?

This would seem a long time before the 30th of October 12.1 iOS release.

It is possible I guess that apple had stock “lieing around” - that it hadn’t yet sealed in plastic wrapping - and perhaps performed an update of the firmware without turning it on? But this sounds unlikely. Why would they go to all this effort, when the customer would just update as soon as they received it if they wanted?!

I can’t really imagine why apple would do this?
 
Why they would not? I don't think they can just afford to throw them away even the products are celebrating their birthdays still lying around the factory. However, I'm not too happy with this as obviously mine had been even recharged at the factory (2 cycles out of the box) and battery is performing very badly. Batteries obviously take some hit due to long shelf time but I guess that recharge is probably better than letting them be long time with empty battery. But seriously still selling these as brand new at full price in sealed retail boxes, WTF?

Does yours also have this date code (month/year) printed on the serial number label on the box?
 
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0906742 said:
It may also be possible that even phone has been manufactured a long time ago, it still comes with IOS 12.
My current iPhone X I got in December (brand new unopened sealed retail box from authorized reseller) was manufactured in August (based on the serial number) but on the box there is also date code saying 11/2018 or 12/2018 (can't remember exactly which it was and I'm too lazy to find the box) and it came with IOS 12!!! Also based on the battery cycles I could see it was recharged at least once, so that also suggests it have been updated after actual manufacturing date.

So obviously they sometimes even update phones at the factory they have already built before. Not sure if they even rebox them (based on the cosmetic marks on mine that is possible) or are they just sitting there and boxed right before actually shipping them out of the factory. And before anyone jumps in commenting I was sold a used one, I saw myself how dealer took the box from the cabin where they keep all their new retail iPhones and he just randomly picked up the one. Also when checking warranty and support details from Apple web site everything matches to unused brand new phone.
Click to expand...

iOS 12.0 had been released for manufacturing in August. Your case isn't that surprising.
[doublepost=1550165114][/doublepost]
Amatell4685 said:
I checked the serial and I realised it actually seems the phone was made in May of 2018?

This would seem a long time before the 30th of October 12.1 iOS release.

It is possible I guess that apple had stock “lieing around” - that it hadn’t yet sealed in plastic wrapping - and perhaps performed an update of the firmware without turning it on? But this sounds unlikely. Why would they go to all this effort, when the customer would just update as soon as they received it if they wanted?!

I can’t really imagine why apple would do this?
Click to expand...

What are the 4th and 5th characters of your serial number?

Let's first make sure it's not a user error in decoding the S/N.
 
JPack said:
iOS 12.0 had been released for manufacturing in August. Your case isn't that surprising.
Click to expand...
Actually, I knew I should have been more clear in my post but I could not remember what IOS version was exactly, so I checked it. Mine came with IOS 12.1! Manufacturing date based on serial August 2018 but box has date code 11/2018 (it is printed on the retail box serial number sticker in new product, not sure when they began to do that but my first X did not have it and it was only few week "older").​
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/what-ios-version-is-on-your-iphone-x-out-of-the-box.2083848/

JPack said:
W = 1H of 2018
Q = Week 25 (June)
​
Click to expand...
Wrong! You need to drop the vowels when counting it. It's week 21.

​
The box has likely been opened and resealed. What are the details shown when you check your warranty coverage?

https://checkcoverage.apple.com/
Click to expand...
Mine showed there just fine even it was in the condition I described...
 
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0906742 said:
So this is your way of saying you admit it is week 21, like I said? ;)​
Click to expand...

Sorry, you are correct about the date code.

[doublepost=1550168091][/doublepost]
0906742 said:
Well, I added some information in my previous post about that. Any ideas why two different date marking based on the serial and date code on the box?
Click to expand...

Apple doesn't print date codes on their boxes because the S/N already conveys that information.
 
Aren't we talking about 5th letter being Q? So 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,C,D,F,G,H,J,K,L,M,N,P,Q=21? What am I thinking wrong???

Person said 4th letter is W (=1 half 2018) and 5th letter Q (week 21).

You are simply trying to go easy way and count backwards something that is not supposed to.
You can only count it right the hard way. ;)

Edit: OK, so you obviously noticed that too and edited your post.
[doublepost=1550168896][/doublepost]
JPack said:
Sorry, you are correct about the date code.
Click to expand...
Right. And as a side note W represents the last week of the first half of the year.

Apple doesn't print date codes on their boxes because the S/N already conveys that information.
Click to expand...
But they do. Not sure when they began to do that but it can't be very long ago. Even Airpods I recently bought for the present had similar date code printed on the serial number sticker on the box. Those had 12/2018 printed on the label but also serial number matched that, so those did not celebrate their birthday at the factory before shipped out...
 
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Amatell4685 said:
Hi there, many thanks

W and Q are the 4th and 5 th characters.
Click to expand...
JPack said:
Sorry, you are correct about the date code.

[doublepost=1550168091][/doublepost]

Apple doesn't print date codes on their boxes because the S/N already conveys that information.
Click to expand...

Sorry. My reply has arrived too late.

I'm also sure too that Q represents week 21:

W is the fourth character and represents the first half 2018.

For the fifth character, representing the week:

C=10, D=11, F=12, G= 13, H=14, J=15, K=16, L=17, M=18, N=19, P=20, Q=21

Then: R=22, T=23, V=24, W=25, X=26, Y=27. Letters S and Z are excluded.
 
Amatell4685 said:
I didn’t think there was a date printed on the back of the box?

How do I find it?
Click to expand...
If you still have retail box it came in, look at the back side where your can find phone serial number it is printed small somewhere around barcode on the same sticker.
 
0906742 said:
If you still have retail box it came in, look at the back side where your can find phone serial number it is printed small somewhere around barcode on the same sticker.
Click to expand...

Ah I see. Thanks.

Yep, it is consistent with what setting app says.
 
HitBit said:
C=10, D=11, F=12, G= 13, H=14, J=15, K=16, L=17, M=18, N=19, P=20, Q=21

Then: R=22, T=23, V=24, W=25, X=26, Y=27. Letters S and Z are excluded.
Click to expand...
That is correct. And weeks only used up to letter W on the first half of the year, so WW is week 26 2018 and week 27 is X1, week 28 X2 and so on...
[doublepost=1550170173][/doublepost]
Amatell4685 said:
Ah I see. Thanks.

Yep, it is consistent with what setting app says.
Click to expand...
What you mean? What is says for the month/year there?
 
0906742 said:
That is correct. And weeks only used up to letter W on the first half of the year, so WW is week 26 2018 and week 27 is X1, week 28 X2 and so on...
[doublepost=1550170173][/doublepost]
What you mean? What is says for the month/year there?
Click to expand...

Ah, just simply that the serial number as stated in the “about” page of the “settings” app, has the same serial number as the one printed in the back of the box as “(2) Serial No.” (the 12 character series of letters and numbers) - I couldn’t find any other reference to a date.
 
0906742 said:
If you still have retail box it came in, look at the back side where your can find phone serial number it is printed small somewhere around barcode on the same sticker.
Click to expand...
I have checked my retail box out of curiosity and no date is printed on the sticker.
 
Interesting. If you mean it is unit made 12/2018 or 1/2019? Maybe they don't use that marking everywhere. So far I've seen it on my current X (first one did not have and neither another X we got the same time earlier) and Airpods.
 
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