In case you are shopping for a used iPhone, you may want to know if the iPhone on Sale is New or Refurbished. You will find below the steps to check if iPhone is Refurbished or it was bought as a brand new device by the seller.
Is your iPhone Refurbished?
As you must be aware, Apple sells certified refurbished devices and many users prefer buying refurbished iPhones due to their lower prices and high quality of refurbished devices as sold by Apple.
While the quality of Apple certified refurbished iPhones is quite high, it is a fact that the seller who is now trying to sell you the iPhone bought it for a lower price, compared to a new device.
Hence, you can make use of this information to strike a good bargain while shopping for used iPhone’s.
Since a Seller is not likely to volunteer this information, you can take a look at the model identifier number to check if iPhone is Refurbished or if it was bought as new device.
Steps to Check if iPhone is Refurbished or New
Follow the steps below to find if iPhone is refurbished or New.
1. Open Settings > tap on General.
2. On the General Settings screen, scroll down and tap on About.
3. On the About screen, take a look at the Model Number.
The first character of the Model number indicates whether the iPhone is Refurbished, New, a Replacement device or a personalized iPhone.
Here is a summary of What the First Character Indicates
- M: New device, iPhone was bought as a brand new device.
- F: Refurbished device, iPhone has gone through refurbishing process.
- N: Replacement device, originally bought iPhone was replaced by this device.
- P: Personalized device, the device was personalized with engraving.
Note: Tap on the Model Number, in case you see a model number starting with letter A. This will switch the model number to the one starting with letter M, F, N or P.
Confusing as it sounds, Apple uses two numbering systems for its device. The first type of numbering system starts with the letter “A” and is followed by 4 numbers.
The second type of model number usually starts with letter M and can also start with F, N and P depending on the device.