I remember reading somewhere that on average, due to Apple's efficient supply chain management, iPhones often spend a relatively short time in a box before being sold to customers. I bought a new iPhone SE3 approx 11 days ago, but I haven't had time to open it because I've been busy. I was planning to open it today, but I started wondering if the battery might have completely drained and if that could be bad for the battery. Or is 11 days such a short time that I shouldn’t worry? I even thought about returning it and buying another one just like it to open it immediately, but that seems a bit silly. What do you think?
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Other For how long iPhones sit in boxes between being manufactured and bought by customers?
- Thread starter Sami13496
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If the battery were to be dead, you should still be fine. There is nothing to fret over. Open the box, charge the phone and enjoy.
As I understand it, phones can easily spend months in a box without even the slightest issue, as long as they're charged to a certain level beforehand (around 40% to 60%).
^This.
I keep my old SE 2020 sitting in a drawer for a "just in case" phone (ie. something to use while I order, make the 20min drive to Apple, pickup, setup) and that has been holding at about 75-80% charge. The occasional software update via Mac tops off the battery enough to keep it stable. Only turn it on about once a month to do a Coconut Battery check on it.
I keep my old SE 2020 sitting in a drawer for a "just in case" phone (ie. something to use while I order, make the 20min drive to Apple, pickup, setup) and that has been holding at about 75-80% charge. The occasional software update via Mac tops off the battery enough to keep it stable. Only turn it on about once a month to do a Coconut Battery check on it.
Yeah, it’s not a matter of weeks or single-digit months that’d cause damage from disuse. It’d be well over a year, so the at-risk items would be “new old-stock” iPhone 13s for example.
Back in 2013, my wife's iPhone 5 was purchased in August. According to its serial, that was about one year after it had been made. Powered up fine, was used as a primary phone by my wife until late 2015 and then passed on to my daughter some time in 2018.
I don't expect new phones to have battery issues, even if they sit for that long. I do expect to get phone that have sat a while though as we purchase the max capacity when we buy new phones. Since those are more expensive, they sit longer until sold.
Your 64, 128 and 256GB phones don't sit very long.
I don't expect new phones to have battery issues, even if they sit for that long. I do expect to get phone that have sat a while though as we purchase the max capacity when we buy new phones. Since those are more expensive, they sit longer until sold.
Your 64, 128 and 256GB phones don't sit very long.
That is true, but I would say that the lower capacity models sell the fastest. Most cellphone carriers in the US do not even stock the higher capacity models - they have to be ordered. Why? Because despite 'Demand is off-the-charts all months of every year', not enough are sold to justify having them in stock.
Size and model also factors in I think as to what sells faster. I imagine the Pro sells faster than the Pro Max, while other models sell faster than both of those.
Bought a 128GB 6 Plus in 2015. Had to be ordered. Bought a 128GB 6S Plus in 2015, had to be ordered. Bought a 512GB 11 Pro Max (my current phone) in February 2021. Had to be ordered. My carrier did not keep those phones in stock because they would not sell fast enough to justify the shelf space they took up in the back.
So, my point is that you're right - there is demand. It's just that some phones DO sit around for longer periods. Even if those periods might be a shorter amount of time than Apple's competitors.
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Stocking levels are a complicated algorithm. You never want to stock for peak demand because then you have excess stock sitting around, and that costs money. You also have variable demand by location to take into account. Colors add another variable. So it becomes a case of predicting demand based on sales and trends.
Some models will sell at relatively high rates so you can stock more, and may show less variability than higher priced models. For models with more variability and lower sell rates, central stocking and shipping makes sense because you can keep fewer in stock overall and the demand variations will level out.
Probably, but with good planning you won't have very long self times for any products.
Yes, but having to plan means that there is a variable demand. For the iPhone, color, price, capacity, model, etc all contribute to the level/frequency of that demand. But I feel that the user I quoted doesn't take variable demand into account. Just because it's an iPhone.
It's a mic drop with no nuance.
I had bought myself an iPhone SE3 from Walmart last year when they went on sale through Straight Talk some time before BF. To my surprise when trying to activate it, it still had a 3/4 charge left on the battery.
If you're interested, contact Apple Support and they will tell you the date of manufacture.
There was a website that did this using your serial number, but it wasn't working the last time I checked.
There was a website that did this using your serial number, but it wasn't working the last time I checked.
Because Apple has moved to random serial numbers, so the old formula no longer works.
EDIT: and even when the formula sorta worked, not always accurate. Recall threads here where s/n of iPhones showing manufactured at Fountain, Colorado plant, which never made phones since closed in 90s (let alone no iPhones made in US).
Apple Planning Switch to Randomized Serial Numbers for Future Products Starting in 'Early 2021'
Apple will soon be making a significant change to its serial number format for future products that will see some key information stripped out. In...
www.macrumors.com
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Sorry but that's very silly indeed.
Open it, use it, and don't give the battery a second thought!
this is the most ridiculous thing i've ever seen posted in a forum