iPhone SE (2016) Did iPhone SE ever ship sealed with iOS 12.1

[JPack]

You can check the first activation date by counting backwards from the Estimated Expiration Date.

If your box has ever been opened and iOS updated, the phone will have been activated.

https://checkcoverage.apple.com/

 

[0906742]

Those match in mine. So to sum up my X is made in August 2018 (based on the serial) and it also has 11/2018 printed on the serial number label on the box and it came with IOS 12.1 and based on the checkcoverage page it has never been activated before.

Obviously they have a way to bypass activation if they use these at the factory, but still FTS.

 

[Amatell4685]

Those match in mine. So to sum up my X is made in August 2018 (based on the serial) and it also has 11/2018 printed on the serial number label on the box and it came with IOS 12.1 and based on the checkcoverage page it has never been activated before.

I don’t understand, how can your box have a date printed on the serial number label?

Did you mean there were two different serial numbers:

One serial number on the iPhone itself (as described on the settings app)

and a different serial number printed on the box?

 

[0906742]

I don’t understand, how can your box have a date printed on the serial number label?

Did you mean there were two different serial numbers:

One serial number on the iPhone itself (as described on the settings app)

and a different serial number printed on the box?

No I mean that there is additionally also date marking on the label, so the label has serial number (exactly the same as the phone) AND month/year marking. For example like SERIAL12345 and 11/2018.

Look carefully that serial number sticker on the box, look everthing it says. It can be easily missed (I'm not sure if it is used everywhere but like I said my latest X and Airpods have that). Also I've seen that same marking on the all iPhone leather and silicone case boxes, so it has been used in some products for a long time.

 

[Amatell4685]

You can check the first activation date by counting backwards from the Estimated Expiration Date.

If your box has ever been opened and iOS updated, the phone will have been activated.

https://checkcoverage.apple.com/

That’s the confusing thing, I did check the date the “limited apple warranty” expires using the check coverage page you referred to and it gave a year -1 day from the day I opened it and set it up.

It does suggest it hasn’t been activated (if we are describing the same thing).

 

[0906742]

Probably nothing confusing. I think yours is like mine, it has been opened at the factory for some reason, or maybe it has waited for being packed for a long time. There is really no way to know for sure. Mine definitely looks like it may have been repacked at the factory due to cosmetic failures (then again my first X also had cosmetic failures even it was obviously not repacked/waited for packing a long time, so it may be just the way QC is today). They of course have a way to reseal them in a way that it will acts as new, just as it should be when you buy it from store as brand new sealed. There is not magic in that. They probably and likely can even update and use these during tests at the factory without going to activation process what normal users are required to do.

How's is your battery working? Mine is definitely stale even it is not as old as yours, so definitely this procedure may have negative effect that buyer has to suffer from. From now on, if I ever buy iPhones again (pretty disappointed with the quality these days, it is far from what it used to be in my previous iPhones), I will demand to see the serial number first and check the mf date myself, or buy from places with liberal return policy. For a 1k I expect nothing but top quality, if it was like 1/3 of that what similar competition phones cost, I would lower my expectations.

 

[Amatell4685]

Fair enough. I’m sorry to hear about your negative experience.

I agree. I feel something worrying has happened and there is nothing I can do about it. I can’t imagine the retailer will give me a refund (since it has been opened).

What really annoys me is Apple Support on Twitter have ignored my tweets and direct messages on questions around this subject.

They respond in minutes to most people’s questions, but it’s like they don’t want to approach certain subjects. Perhaps what we have discussed exposes something about how they make iPhones that they don’t want the public to realise?

The Apple customer support via phone is also useless. They are described as technical support, but they don’t have the info and aren’t willing to forward it on to find out things for you. You’d think the question “I’m very worried that my iPhone se came with iOS 12.1, can you tell me if Apple ever shipped a device to a retailer with iOS 12 on it?” - would be straight forward for them to answer or be a reasonable duty for them to find out for you. I mean Christ, you would think a technology company should at least be able to answer that!

 

[0906742]

I guess main thing is that phone is considered brand new in terms of warranty, so you should not need to worry about that, if phone does not have any visible failures.
However as I mentioned, batteries rarely get better in time, so extra shelf time definitely is something that is left for client to worry about later on, so it would be fair in my opinion to have some marking on the box telling about that. It would be best if all product with batteries had best before date marking on them (just like when you buy normal batteries there is always date markings telling that).

My main concerns with my current phone is that beside battery there are some cosmetic issues that may cause problems later. I know peeled off colour in steel rim is considered normal use but mine is also very slightly bent. I'm not sure what their manufacturing tolerance is for bending. I hope it is not going to cause problems eventually. Luckily bent is so slight it is hard to see naked eye (but can be verified by placing a ruler across the screen) and so far no issue with iPhone leather case fitment or non 3D tempered screen protector. I'm not sure if 3D screen protector would hold as well due to that problem since those are more rigid.

 

[Amatell4685]

Just from curiosity, any chance you could upload a photo of your box with the date on it to show me what it looks like?

 

[Amatell4685]

I guess main thing is that phone is considered brand new in terms of warranty, so you should not need to worry about that, if phone does not have any visible failures.
However as I mentioned, batteries rarely get better in time, so extra shelf time definitely is something that is left for client to worry about later on, so it would be fair in my opinion to have some marking on the box telling about that. It would be best if all product with batteries had best before date marking on them (just like when you buy normal batteries there is always date markings telling that).

My main concerns with my current phone is that beside battery there are some cosmetic issues that may cause problems later. I know peeled off colour in steel rim is considered normal use but mine is also very slightly bent. I'm not sure what their manufacturing tolerance is for bending. I hope it is not going to cause problems eventually. Luckily bent is so slight it is hard to see naked eye (but can be verified by placing a ruler across the screen) and so far no issue with iPhone leather case fitment or non 3D tempered screen protector. I'm not sure if 3D screen protector would hold as well due to that problem since those are more rigid.

It would be really helpful if I could see a photo of the date as printed on the sticker on the back of the box, as you were describing?