All iPads Difference between 'replacement unit' and 'refurbished unit'?

[ssong]

I recently had to get an ideavice replaced and I was wondering what the difference between replacement units and refurbished units are?

I read that there are largely 4 model classifications (the first letter on model number)

M - retail unit
N - replacement unit
F - refurbished unit
P - personalised unit

So I'm just wondering what the difference between these are?

Is the replacement unit essentially a unit produced separately as replacements?
I also read an article that apple had started giving out new models as replacements instead of refurbished models in 2013


Just curious

 

[xraydoc]

What you receive as a warranty replacement all depends on what the current inventory channel has to offer - you're typically going to get a remanufactured unit (which comes in a special box and includes no accessories). These are units that have been factory refurbished to include new casing, battery and, typically (in my experience) display glass. Whether the circuit board and LCD panel is new or remanufactured from returned parts differs from unit to unit, though Apple does use such parts in replacement units (and refurbished units on the Apple Store).

Refurbished units for sale will include all the same accessories that a new device comes with, though they are packed in a non-retail box and receive a different serial number.

Occasionally, new units (as in 100% new parts) are used in the replacement channel, particularly when a product is new and there aren't any remanufactured units available. For example, if you had a DOA iPad Pro on day one of release, it's replacement would likely be either a new retail unit or a new white-box unit since there obviously won't be any remanufactured devices yet available.

 

[ssong]

Thanks for the explanation. That by far as the most straightforward answer I could find on the web