refurbished phone

[aprofetto]

With the first generation iPhones, refurbs always started with a 5K serial number. With the 3G and 3G S, the serials can also start with an 8 so there is no longer any way to tell if the phone is new or refurb.

...

Thats what Apple tells everyone to make them sleep better at night.

Just kidding.

 

[psychotropic]

If your replacement iphone was sent to you in plastic wrap and in a smaller box it was more than likely a refurbished phone. When I received my refurbished phone it came exactly as you described and was a refurb. If it is a brand new phone they should send you an email with you new warranty. If you don't receive this, the serial number is updated in their computers and provides you the refurbished warranty.

I am just speaking from experienced when I had problems with my 2g iphone, they sent a refurbished...I different problems with this one. I spoke with att and they apologized for what I had gone through and told me they would send me a brand new 3G iphone, I happily agreed. When the package arrived I received a brand new 3GS with new ear buds and charging cords. The next day they sent me an email with proof of warrant on my new phone. So if you didn't receive the same thing as I did chances are its a refurb (not that anything is wrong with refurbished items).

 

[hazza.jockel]

Refurbs look new because they are given new cases with glass and a new battery.

Are you sure about that?
Not saying your wrong but i just received a replacement (most likely refurbished but I'm not fussed) and the battery seems to be much worse then my old iPhone. I only got 4hr 40min usage (mostly listening to music)with about 15 hours standby before the 20% warning came up along. About 2hrs 40mins was with push off, gps off, 3g off, fetch to hourly and auto screen brightness. This is much worse then i use to get.
Who knowns though could be just because its only on its first few cycles.

 

[fishmd]

Just went in to my local Apple store today and got my iPhone 3GS swapped out cause I actually had a physical gap inbetween the bezel and the plastic housing and this was letting dust in underneath the glass!

Anyways, I think it was still a brand new one if you go by the whole theory that new serial numbers start with 8xxx and refurbs with 5xxx cause I got one that starts with 87 and is week 27 production.

Just wanted to let people know that they can likely still get brand new ones if they have to go in to swap the phone out for something.

Either way I really don't care cause the screen is perfect (no yellow), no dust, no mushy home button, silent switch is nice and stiff and not loose and there are no cracks in the plastic. I had all of this "wrong" with the one I just turned in. I was actually going to keep it till I started to get the dust in there. That was the last straw for me.