How to know if an iPhone is ref

Smartphones

How to identify a restored iPhone

Contributor(s): Jack Lloyd. Jack Lloyd is an author and editor who writes about technology for wikiHow. Has more than two years of experience in writing and editing articles on technical topics. A technology enthusiast and English teacher.

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In this article, we’ll tell you how to know if an iPhone has been refurbished or not. A refurbished iPhone is a new smartphone that has been malfunctioning and that Apple has repaired and then put up for sale.

  • If the first letter is “M” or “P”, the iPhone is new;
  • If the first letter is “N”, the iPhone has been refurbished by Apple;
  • If the first letter is “F,” the iPhone has been reactivated by the carrier or some other company.

Understand how this method works. If you are buying a smartphone that has already been activated, it does not mean that it has been refurbished; however, you can use this method to distinguish an iPhone that has been used, but is being sold as “new”.

Scroll down to the “Serial Number” section. You will find numbers and letters (e.g. ABCDEFG1HI23). Copy this number, because it must be entered into Apple’s database.

Open the “Verify Service and Support Entitlement” site. Go to https://checkcoverage.Apple.com/. On the page, enter the copied number to find out if your smartphone was activated earlier.

Enter copied serial number into “Enter serial number” field. It is located in the center of the page.

Enter the verification code. Do this under the line where you entered the serial number. Verification code ensures that the serial number has not been entered by malware.

Apple offers exclusively manufacturer refurbished (Apple Certified Pre-Owned). all iPhone, iPad, Mac and other refurbished devices are subject to a thorough inspection, replacement (not repair) of all problematic nodes and modules, cleaning, installing the latest version of the current operating system, etc.д. In other words, the buyer receives an absolutely perfect, working device, in addition to being accompanied by a warranty.

Only since 2014 have original refurbished iPhones from Apple started to be sold in Russia.

The white box is a sign of a refurbished iPhone

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Apple has clearly thought out a mechanism for selling refurbished iPhones. On the website of the company there is an opportunity to buy them at nice discounts.

Nevertheless, even the appearance of the box of a refurbished iPhone tells you that it is not a new device. So, an iPhone that has been restored comes in a white package without any pictures of the device on it.

On the front of the box will be written iPhone model, and on the bottom is a small “Apple Certified Pre-Owned” inscription. Some scam artists manage to stick a picture of iPhone on the box to hide the scam. But the original new iPhones are delivered in a sealed package in which the image of the device is already printed. Stickers can be present only on the back side!

How to distinguish a refurbished iPhone from a refurbished one

In addition to iPhone factory refurbished, there is iPhone refurbishing. Buying such a gadget you take a risk, because you do not know who did the repair of the smartphone. often than not, “recovery from the seller” is done by companies that actively buy up smartphones, promising a new one at discounts. Then a new iPhone is assembled from three old iPhones. This can be done even in a regular service center, it is another matter that neither a further guarantee will be given, nor any responsibility for the result does not bear. Post-repair tests don’t go as well as we’d like.So how do you tell the difference between a factory-restored iPhone and a refurbished one??

  • Check the model numbers in the phone’s settings, on the box, and in iTunes;
  • Check with iTunes to see if your smartphone is already registered. “Reset” all history by serial number can only be done at the factory. “Refurbished” iPhones are always sold unactivated, just like a regular new smartphone;
  • To see when the smartphone you’re selling was first activated, you need to enter its IMEI number on the website. It will say when the smartphone was activated (or not), what rights it has to warranty and service;
  • Examine the model. Only in factory conditions you can absolutely tighten the screws, fixing the lower part of the body, “homemade” work will give out loose fitting flats.

How to distinguish a new iPhone from an original remanufactured

There are a few details to distinguish a refurbished “iPhone” from a new one. This:

Note. in the original “restored” smartphones of Apple corporation the box is pure white. There are no pictures of the phone itself on the packaging, no bright elements. Only the name of the presented model of cell phone and branded “apple” are specified. If there is a photo on the box of the recovered smartphone. the product is not from the official manufacturer.

The film on the package is sealed neatly on both the original manufacturer’s refurbished and new products. No protruding seams, bubbles and folds. Seam seams go all around the perimeter of the box, thin, no damage. There are transverse short thin strips around the edges of the longitudinal seams. However, on the box of the new smartphone there is a photo of the presented product. How, for example, to distinguish the packaging of the original new iPhone 7 from that of a remanufactured iPhone7:

The back of the package of the reconstructed original contains the phone model itself, serial number, IMEI. Specified in clear legible font, no illegible inscriptions. According to the company’s standard, all the inscriptions on the back of the package are printed on stickers. The sticker with the serial number and model shows the refurbishment of RFB. Reconditioned by an official representative model numbers on the label have the original letter F. New devices. the letter M. Let’s take the iPhone 6 smartphone as an example.

Picture ” Label of the officially restored iPhone 6 ” Picture ” Label of the new iPhone 6

What is a refurbished smartphone

Refurbished smartphones, or more correctly, Refurbished (REF, RFB, CPO) iPhones are two types of devices:

  • Were in use for a while, and then their owners returned them under the trade-in program.
  • There was some defect in the production process, and as a result they were never offered for sale.

Such devices are officially restored by the manufacturer. They can be equipped with new frames and displays or have other parts replaced, which turned out to be defective. After reconstruction such smartphones are given a new branding, and then they go on sale as Refurbished iPhones.

At the same time, such iPhones are no different from new smartphones. What’s more, they are even covered under warranty. The only disadvantage is the very fact that the smartphone was used by someone or was defective. Many users are not particularly pleased to realize this. But, this drawback is covered by the price, which is usually 15 percent lower than for new smartphones.

It must be said that there is another kind of restored iPhone. unofficially, that is, privately, anyone can buy up old broken smartphones and then repair them themselves. As a rule, the sellers themselves are engaged in restoration. That’s why they are also called “Refurbished seller”. Such devices are assembled in “artisanal” workshops from various parts, partly used, partly cheap Chinese. Of course, there is no quality guarantee in such a case. It’s better to refuse to buy such smartphones, despite their much more attractive price than even officially refurbished ones.

That this is a refurbished smartphone, can say the designation of its model

What’s the difference between a refurbished (refurbished) iPhone and a new or used one?

In the winter of 2015-2016, a number of Russian Apple retailers (Svyaznoy, MTS, M.Video) launched the sale of remanufactured (refurbished) iPhones. Let’s find out how attractive this offer is in the material below.

What is a refurbished iPhone

To begin with we need to define the concepts. A refurbished or “refurbished” iPhone is not always a used smartphone that’s completely free of defects. It may be a new smartphone, which, but for some reason (for example, a defect in the production process) has been interfered with by the manufacturer’s technical service.

From service centers around the world iPhone with damage get to partner factory Apple, where they do a full replacement (not repair) of all problematic modules, mandatory replacement of the screen housing, reinstall the software and remove the device from the database of used (activated) gadgets.

Which iPhone has the best battery life??

In this “as new” iPhone gets a new serial number, manufacturer’s warranty (the same as the new one. 1 year), documentation, charger, headphones (t.е. the entire new set) and is sent to the shelf of the Apple Store or reseller’s store.

Naturally, the final price of such a device is lower, but the difference is not as significant as we would like it to be.

How to distinguish a refurbished iPhone from a used one

It is extremely undesirable to buy a new iPhone in ordinary small online stores and sellers from “flea markets” (of course, about large official retailers, such as Svyaznoy, MTS, M.Videos, etc.д. is out of the question). Most of these phones will be packaged second-hand with non-original kit. In this case it is best to buy an official refurbished iPhone, refurbished by Apple specialists.

It is quite easy to distinguish between a truly refurbished smartphone by the manufacturer.

First of all the box says it. it is noticeably different from the packaging of a new iPhone (photo below), and also has a corresponding inscription on the bottom of the front side. “Apple Certified Pre-Owned”.

In addition, the model of a refurbished iPhone begins with F and sometimes contains the abbreviation RFB (refurbished).

As mentioned above, the buyer of a refurbished iPhone is entitled to a year of free warranty service, which you can easily check using these instructions:

How to distinguish a refurbished (CPO, refurbished) iPhone from a regular new or refurbished used one

It is highly undesirable to buy a new iPhone at small online stores and sellers from “flea markets” (of course, the large official retailers, such as Svyaznoy, MTS, M.Videos, etc.д. is out of the question). Most of these phones will be packaged second-hand with a non-original kit. In this case it’s best to buy an official refurbished iPhone, refurbished by Apple specialists.

It is quite easy to distinguish a truly remanufactured smartphone.

First of all, this is evidenced by the box. it is noticeably different from the packaging of the new iPhone (photo below), and also has a corresponding inscription at the bottom of the front side. “Apple Certified Pre-Owned” (CPO).

The photo below shows photos of the boxes of the new iPhone 11 Pro and the original refurbished (ref, CPO, “as new”) iPhone 11 Pro:

Refurbished (refurbished) iPhone 11 Pro

Also, the model of a refurbished iPhone begins with an “F” and sometimes contains the abbreviation RFB (refurbished), while the model of a new iPhone always begins with an “M”. Details.

As mentioned above, the buyer of a remanufactured iPhone is entitled to one year of free official Apple warranty service, which you can easily check using these instructions:

And yes, the official CPO (“like new”, ref) is always sold unactivated, just like a regular new Apple smartphone. You can easily check this by following these instructions.