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Does the genius bar give refurb 3GS's or brand new replacements?
- Thread starter louis0nfire
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Refurbs usually. Sometimes refurbs are said to be better than brand new phones because they've been pre-tested and fixed for you.
Although, I just exchanged my 3GS (phone order though) and it looks like I got a new one -- I looked it all over and checked every minor detail and it appears to be new.
Although, I just exchanged my 3GS (phone order though) and it looks like I got a new one -- I looked it all over and checked every minor detail and it appears to be new.
Its better to get a refurb because if you get a new one and you JB its gonna be tethered (cant reboot without blackra1n) they gave me a refurb 3GS and its better than the one i exchanged it for.
Refurbs always now after all this time since it came out.
They use a new case and battery. So, it only looks new. You can tell for sure by looking at the serial number.
I currently have a refurb and it is better than new
Ah I see. Well, no dust under the screen. I had to figure that at least some of it is refurbished.
What about the serial can tell me if it's refurbished?
if the 2nd digit is a letter K, then its refurbed/remanufactured. my 3GS is as well, but its WAY better built than my original 3GS from launch, and not to mention my wifi actually picks up signal now.
My replacement appears to be new as well, but like yours, it is a refurb.
The build quality of my refurb is superior to the original 3GS that it replaced. The power and home buttons click better.
What did the box that it arrived in look like?
The ones at the store come in a white box. When the new phone/ipod com es out, they have just white boxes with new products, but after a while, it goes to a refurbished in a white box. When doing an advance replacement, they send you a box, that has 2 boxes inside, one is black and it has the iPhone. It has a picture of the 1st gen iPhone. It's a smaller Original iPhone box. Then you have a white box, you put the faulty iPhone into that, and send it off.
complete lie
you can't tell a refurb from a new by just the serial number, its the packaging
new = refurbished in terms of quality
complete lie
all replacements given at the genius bar come packaged in a white box, regardless of if they're brand-new or refurbished
I'm not "lying." The serial number is changed for refurbs. Look on the Apple site regarding refurbs (I don't feel like finding you the link). Anyway, it's possible I'm misinformed or misread something, but I'm not lying, as you put it.
http://store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/apple_certified.html
The reusable white boxes that Apple uses for in-store iPod/iPhone replacements can contain either brand new or refurbished products.
Maybe your Apple Store is testing something new for the chain, but the ones I've worked in have used the white, reusable boxes (with the gazillion bar codes on them) for in-store replacements. Genius opens box, removes replacement phone, and puts in customers old phone (to be returned to the depot for service/disposal/whatever).
