My iPhone Serial Number Starts With "F". Is it a refurbished one? It's serial number goes as "F2RL...". I want to verify if it is a refurbished one or a brand new one. It's supposed to be brand new.
It's an iPhone 16 Pro Max.
iPhone 13 Pro Max, iOS 18
The starting character of “M” indicates that it was sold as a new unit.
As above, the starting character of the serial number is not relevant to the new/refurbished/replacement/personalized status.
For future reference, the model number starting characters:
M = New
N = Replacement
F = Refurbished by Apple
P = Personalized
3 or 5 = Refurbished by Apple approved facility.
Came across some articles telling about the serial number's meaning. That made me confused a bit. For example, this: https://www.php.cn/faq/703125.html#:~:text=In%20Apple%27s%20official%20serial%20number%2C%20the%20beginning%20of%20F%20means%20that%20the%20device%20is%20a%20repackaged%20product%2C%20usually%20called%20%22Refurbished%22.
If the serial number doesn't tell if the iPhone is new or refurbished, what information does it say?
Apple has switched to randomly generated serial numbers, thus any information you may have found about being able to decode the number are now not valid. The numbers may mean something to Apple themselves, but can not be used by end users to determine information such as dates, manufacturing plants, status, etc.
The information at the site you linked above is NOT correct. However, if you have a device that does not meet your needs or expectations, return it for a refund, then purchase from an authorized retailer.
The starting character of the serial number is not related to the new/refurbished status.
What is the model number at: Settings - General - Model = ??
The details are as follows:
Model Number: MLJ...
Serial Number: F2RL...
My iPhone Serial Number Starts With "F".
