Refurb question

[casjohnr]

I got a refurb iPhone 5 from the Apple Store the other day, I put the serial in the lookup utility and found the following

Nice Name: iPhone 5 (GSM/LTE135/International)
Machine Model: iPhone5,2
Name: iPhone 5
ModelCode: iphone_5
Family name: A1429
Model Number: MD299
Group1: iPhone
Group2:
Generation: 7
CPU speed: 1.3GHz
Screen size: 4 inch
Screen resolution: 1136x640 pixels
Colour: Black
Production year: 2013
Production week: 43 (October)
Model introduced: 2012
Capacity: 32GB
Memory - flavour: xx
Factory: DQ (China - Foxconn)
External link: Repair guide by iFixit

Does this mean I've actually been given a new iPhone rather than a refurb? (It was in a white box). As I got a previous refurb before and the Factory was 'C7 (Maybe Refurbished?)'

 

[Tyler23]

I got a refurb iPhone 5 from the Apple Store the other day, I put the serial in the lookup utility and found the following



Does this mean I've actually been given a new iPhone rather than a refurb? (It was in a white box). As I got a previous refurb before and the Factory was 'C7 (Maybe Refurbished?)'

Nothing here can tell you. It could be a refurb, could be new. I'd always assume refurb, however.

 

[eyoungren]

Based on that I'd say new, but you can't tell. My wife's iPhone 5 was bought new in September 2013, but it was made in November 2012.

Your iPhone is indicating a manufacturer date of almost a year after my wife's iPhone 5.

Thus, I'd say it's new. But it could just be that Apple refurbed it and gave it a new serial. Who knows?

What I can say though is that the phones in the white boxes are a mix of refurb AND new phones. Apple takes a certain amount of new phones off the production line and puts them directly into a white box. The intent is to have stock on hand for replacement purposes at their stores. The refurbs of course always go in the white boxes. This makes it impossible to tell if it's new or not.

Regardless, all refurbs undergo a refurb process that makes them impossible to distinguish from new. There is literally no difference between an Apple refurb or new. So, enjoy your new phone without worry.

 

[617aircav]

obviously it looks brand new, what difference does it make though?

 

[rablat]

DQ is a refurb. But if it looks like a new iPhone and works like a new iPhone why worry about it?