If you’re buying a used iPhone or repairing an iPhone, you may wonder if you can find out if the iPhone was bought as new, is a refurbished model, or is a replacement device provided by Apple via a service request.
Wonder no more, you can use an interesting device model identifier trick to discover if an iPhone is new, refurbished, a replacement, or even personalized by engraving. This can be helpful information for buyers of used devices, if you’ve received a device as a gift or hand-me-down, if you’re troubleshooting or repairing an iPhone, and more.


How to Determine if iPhone is New, Refurbished, Replacement, or Personalized

You can decipher the device model prefix to determine the original status of an iPhone (and probably an iPad too) device, here’s how:

Open the “Settings” app on the iPhone

Go to “General” and then go to “About”

Look for “Model” and then read the model identifier next to that text, it will look something like “MN572LL/A”, the first character will let you know if the device is new, refurbished, replacement, or personalized

M – Brand new device, meaning the device was purchased new

F – Refurbished device, meaning the device has been through refurbishing process

N – Replacement device, meaning the originally bought device was replaced by this model likely due to a service request

P – Personalized device with engraving, meaning the device was customized with an engraving on purchase

That’s all there is to it, now you know how to determine if an iPhone is new, referred, replaced, or other. It’s possible there are some other identifier prefixes for iPhone devices that aren’t listed here, if you know of any do share them in the comments.

I have tested this with a handful of my own iPhone devices that I know are either new, refurbished, or replacements, and it has held up. I haven’t personally seen the “P” identifier however.

By the way, it’s important to note the model identifier shown here (like MN572LL/A) is different from the general model (like iPhone X) and model number of the iOS device (like A1822) – admittedly a bit confusing since they all have similar labels, but they are indeed entirely different things.


http://osxdaily.com/2018/01/27/determine-iphone-new-refurbished-replaced/

What about Samsung?

Good info.

Wow.

insightful

Iyeeee!!! My 8plus nah N, make I go house go check this Xs max first

This is coming late jor. I bought one just 2 weeks ago.

Fake or real or refurbished or thiefed , wetin I know be say Iphone na iPhone

Triniti:
Iyeeee!!! My 8plus nah N, make I go house go check this X max first

you mean Christmas

Samsung dial ×#0×# if nothing display oga na refurbished

My own na Cha Cha. We don’t do fakes.

Always buy your phone BRAND NEW..

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Lol

Legiit

No time to check anything... We just buy and use our damn phone

Nice op.... how can you download status on whatsapp and video on IG with iphone

M

All these no follow If you jam grade 1 refurbished. If you know, you know.

justino57:
Samsung dial ×#0×# if nothing display oga na refurbished

stop commenting on things you don't know just to sound intelligent... Any original samsung either refurbished or not will display the testing menu once that code is inputed only fake clone Samsung won't Display that.

Educative.


However there are lots of ways to know.
For example, You could have a black 7plus with you physically. If you run checks on the imei and it shows a Rose Gold 7plus. This means refurbished.

Other ways to know could be via storage. Sometimes when you go to settings under about section you may have a 32GB phone showing as 28.38 Storage capacity.


This means refurbished as well.

Abaski9:
Lol

hahahahaha .. baba spin that phone inside lagoon straight up

Nice info but if you have taken the phone home before checking it the seller will not take it back.

Android users please gather here

khalazi:
Educative.


However there are lots of ways to know.
For example, You could have a black 7plus with you physically. If you run checks on the imei and it shows a Rose Gold 7plus. This means refurbished.

Other ways to know could be via storage. Sometimes when you go to settings under about section you may have a 32GB phone showing as 28.38 Storage capacity.


This means refurbished as well.

no lol. For that GB stuff I disagree. On ios 10 a 32gb will show 28. But when you upgrade to 12 it shows the full 32.

good