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Will it be a Refurb?

bowlby87

bowlby87

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 11, 2009
66
0
York, UK
Got an appointment on Friday at the Genius to take my White 3GS, it has a couple of cracks and a slanted on/off switch.

All being well hopefully i'll get a replacement but will it be a Refurb or a new one?

Cheers
 
Refurb, but there is always skepticism. One genius told me when returning a 3G that the replacement in the "white box" was in fact new. However, from everything I have read on MR has indicated that those are in fact refurb's.

Search does wonders;)
 
It depends how many units the store has swapped. They get so many White boxed phones to swap out as these are exhausted there replaces with refurbs. Chances are it'll be new given it's not been out for long and it's White
 
bowlby87 said:
Got an appointment on Friday at the Genius to take my White 3GS, it has a couple of cracks and a slanted on/off switch.

All being well hopefully i'll get a replacement but will it be a Refurb or a new one?

Cheers
Click to expand...

It seems as if everyone here is providing false information, so I'll be more than happy to give you the correct information.

You will get a new phone. How do I know? I just replaced my 3Gs and my serial number starts with an 8. All refurbished phones start with a 5. This was confirmed by an Apple Genius when I replaced my phone.

If that STILL isn't enough proof for you: http://www.everythingicafe.com/foru...phone-is-really-new-or-refurbished-37648.html

When you get your phone swapped, you'll see it starts with a 7 or 8.
 
bboucher790 said:
It seems as if everyone here is providing false information, so I'll be more than happy to give you the correct information.

You will get a new phone. How do I know? I just replaced my 3Gs and my serial number starts with an 8. All refurbished phones start with a 5. This was confirmed by an Apple Genius when I replaced my phone.

If that STILL isn't enough proof for you: http://www.everythingicafe.com/foru...phone-is-really-new-or-refurbished-37648.html

When you get your phone swapped, you'll see it starts with a 7 or 8.
Click to expand...

Apple stopped the whole 5K thing for refurbished phones some time into the 3G's life cycle.

Refurbs are no longer distinguished with a 5K.

You want some real evidence? Ask yourself how logical it would be if Apple replaced everyones problematic phone with a brand new one.

Its one giant loop, as long as there is phones with problems, Apple will fix em and ship em out to the stores to be used as replacements.
 
I got mine swapped out and it starts with a 5k. Changes are it will be a refurbished. But who cares? There is no difference in them except for the serial number.
 
I have read that it depends on whether you take it back to Apple or AT&T. For Apple you get a refurb that is a good as new (new case, battery, etc.) and it gets extra attention that a normal phone off the factory line doesn't get. For AT&T, the phone could be used. That could be hearsay though, I've never had to get a replacement.
 
aprofetto said:
Apple stopped the whole 5K thing for refurbished phones some time into the 3G's life cycle.

Refurbs are no longer distinguished with a 5K.

You want some real evidence? Ask yourself how logical it would be if Apple replaced everyones problematic phone with a brand new one.

Its one giant loop, as long as there is phones with problems, Apple will fix em and ship em out to the stores to be used as replacements.
Click to expand...

That's correct. The refurb iPhones can start with an 8 as well now. There is absolutely no way to tell if you get a refurb anymore. They look brand new and there is no difference.
 
aprofetto said:
Apple stopped the whole 5K thing for refurbished phones some time into the 3G's life cycle.

Refurbs are no longer distinguished with a 5K.

You want some real evidence? Ask yourself how logical it would be if Apple replaced everyones problematic phone with a brand new one.

Its one giant loop, as long as there is phones with problems, Apple will fix em and ship em out to the stores to be used as replacements.
Click to expand...

Unless the Genius told me incorrectly, he said all of the phones that come from Apple are brand new. Regardless of serial, he told me it was a new phone...and the serial matches. I trust him.
 
It is all psychological, isn't it?

The thought of receiving something that has possibly been used before and/or fixed due to a problem may be unbearable to some. Me, I'm fine as long as it's "pretty" new and works. :)

My very first iPod (a green iPod mini) had a bad hard drive. It would not play any of the stored songs. It happened the day I bought it, fresh out of the box. I took it right back and sure enough, got a refurb. (The store guy told me outright that it was a refurb.) It's been five years since, and the mini is still working well. :)
 
Thanks for all your replies...

I'll be sure to let you know what happens tomorrow when i go. I'll also ask the Genius person and see if he says whether its new or refurb.

Cheers
 
referbs are better as they are individually checked and tended two than mass produced factory line iphones.

Many posts on here about this. Spoke to apple tech's that confirm and my own personal experience of having a referb phone which was better quality (higher quality control) than a 'new' iphone.
 
Well got it swapped over on Friday, asked the guy and he said its 100% brand new..

He said there store didnt have refurbs.
 
musio said:
referbs are better as they are individually checked and tended two than mass produced factory line iphones.

Many posts on here about this. Spoke to apple tech's that confirm and my own personal experience of having a referb phone which was better quality (higher quality control) than a 'new' iphone.
Click to expand...

Yes, that applies to ones from Apple store, but supposedly you get a different outcome from an AT&T store (e.g., used with no checks at all). IDK if that's actually true, but just something to look out for, if you do go with AT&T.
 
iphone.aggie said:
I have read that it depends on whether you take it back to Apple or AT&T. For Apple you get a refurb that is a good as new (new case, battery, etc.) and it gets extra attention that a normal phone off the factory line doesn't get. For AT&T, the phone could be used. That could be hearsay though, I've never had to get a replacement.
Click to expand...

This is absolutely correct. AT&T doesn't refurbish iPhones, they just rebox and resell. My original AT&T "Refurb" had a scratched screen and fingerprints all over it. The white box replacements may be new or refurbs, but you'll never know. 5K DOES NOT DESIGNATE A REFURB. This is where people get confused, halfway through the 3G lifecycles they stopped using 5K to designate refurbs and it now designates "Replacement" iPhone. Apple produces some replacement iPhones directly off of the brand new assembly line with a 5K serial.

This far into the lifecycle though you're most likely to receive a refurb, which is just as good as new. Unless you get lucky and the stores all out of refurbs that is.
 
xbuddycorex said:
This is absolutely correct. AT&T doesn't refurbish iPhones, they just rebox and resell. My original AT&T "Refurb" had a scratched screen and fingerprints all over it. The white box replacements may be new or refurbs, but you'll never know. 5K DOES NOT DESIGNATE A REFURB. This is where people get confused, halfway through the 3G lifecycles they stopped using 5K to designate refurbs and it now designates "Replacement" iPhone. Apple produces some replacement iPhones directly off of the brand new assembly line with a 5K serial.

This far into the lifecycle though you're most likely to receive a refurb, which is just as good as new.
Click to expand...

And I have noticed that everyone who gets a replacement at the Apple store is told they are new when asked. Of course they aren't going to say it's a refurb. I've never heard anyone being told by an Apple employee that they are being given a refurb.
 
SpaceKitty said:
And I have noticed that everyone who gets a replacement at the Apple store is told they are new when asked. Of course they aren't going to say it's a refurb. I've never heard anyone being told by an Apple employee that they are being given a refurb.
Click to expand...

Apple has a huge problem with the word "Refurbished" when it comes to the iPhone for some reason. They will always say that they don't sell refurbs, only the carrier does. Apple likes to use to term "Reserialized" with iPhones, which basically means it's completely disassembled and the case and battery are tossed along with any damaged components. The rebuild iPhones using these parts along with new components, they then give it a new serial number.

So it's not completely a refurb because there are always new components, and a new case and battery, but it can't be sold as new cause it's not. I'm guessing they know iPhone users would be sensitive to receiving refurbs as replacements.
 
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