How to find out the iPhone release date by serial number and other options. Let's find out the iPhone release date simply

Buying a used device is a good way to save money, since many people sell their phones and tablets almost immediately after purchase, but you still have to reduce the price, and at the current prices for equipment from Apple, this will be a decent discount. But when buying a used device, there is one big risk - paying for a broken or non-original iPhone or tablet. To avoid falling for scammers, you need to check the device before purchasing and follow several rules, which will be discussed in the next part of the article.

How to check an iPhone when buying second-hand

If you still decide to purchase an iPhone, iPad or iPad touch from your own hands, and not from an official store, then the first thing you should pay attention to is the seller himself. This is a weak indicator, but before you buy something from a person, see if he inspires trust. If this is a supplier that is engaged in mass resale of used devices, then read reviews about it, contact its former clients: ask them if they were satisfied with their purchase, if the device broke some time after activation. But remember that many scammers fake reviews, which means not everything said about a seller on the Internet may be true.

If the issue is resolved with the seller, then the next thing worth checking is the device itself.

Appearance

Before buying, go to the official store and hold the desired device in your hands, study the tactile sensations of the material from which it is made. Find out the approximate prices at which you can buy an original device; if its used version differs in price too much, then it’s worth considering.

Items required to test the device

So, if you are making a deal, then in order to be completely confident in the functionality of the device, you need to have the following things with you:

Working headphones, you will need them in order to check whether they work with the device you are purchasing. Do not hesitate to ask the seller to give you the device for testing, this is a mandatory step. You can't buy a device without checking to see if it runs the programs you care about and activates certain features.
A laptop on which iTunes will be installed, which will allow you to check many of the characteristics of the device. How to do this will be discussed below in the same article.
An external battery that can be used to check whether the device is charging or not.
A phone with stable mobile internet.
SIM card - this is useful for checking cellular and Internet connections.
A paper clip or a special key that comes with Apple devices. These items will be needed to remove the SIM card tray from the device body.

Having the above things, you can easily check the operation of all functions and applications of the purchased device. What parameters you will need to pay closer attention to will be described further.

How to distinguish the device model

If this is not your first time encountering Apple devices, you can skip this point. But if this is your first time buying equipment from Apple, then this information will be very useful for you. It's easy to distinguish an iPhone 5 from an iPhone 6, but it's a little more difficult to distinguish an iPhone 4 from an iPhone 4S.

The two models are distinguished by their model number, which can be found on the back cover when turning the device face down.

Also distinguishing one model from another is the appearance of the rear camera and the Home button. The iPhone 5 has a narrower camera, while the iPhone 5S has a square on the Home button, which indicates the presence of the Touch ID function.

Various cameras

It is easier to distinguish these two models - just turn the front side of the device with the screen down, and on the back check for a diamond-shaped icon with the English letter S.

Differences between models

Here the situation is similar to the iPhone 5, since you can check the device model using the code on the back of the case:

The device model can also be determined by the location of the antennas.

Various antenna locations

You can read more about all device models on the official Apple website by clicking on the following link - https://support.apple.com/ru-ru/HT201296.

Checking the water sensor

Before purchasing a device, you need to make sure that it has not been recessed. If water gets inside your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, it can either break down every second or corrode the metal, leading to failure weeks or months later. Another important factor is the fact that a device exposed to water will automatically void the warranty.

Apple devices have a special external sensor - Liquid Contact Indicators, a humidity indicator. If water has ever gotten inside the device, this sensor changes color from gray or white to bright red. More details about where this indicator is located on different phone models are outlined in the table:

Looking for the location of the indicator for your device

Equipment

Now let's look at what should be in the box, besides the phone itself:

All other accessories must be purchased separately. If one of the components of the package is not in the box upon sale, then this must be separately agreed with the seller and will affect the price of the product.

Authentication

The next step is to verify the authenticity of the device using the serial number and unique IMEI code. This data can be found on the back of the box, on a special sticker. But this data should not be trusted, since the box may be from another device or the sticker may be fake.

Looking for IMEI and serial number

There is a more reliable way to find out this information - through the settings of your phone or tablet, where no one can falsify them.

Another way to find out the codes we need is to pull out the tray where the SIM card is located and read the serial number and IMEI indicated on it. You can remove the tray using a paper clip. This method has one drawback - not all device models have codes indicated on the tray.

We look at the IMEI code and serial number

The last way to find out the IMEI is to turn the back of the device and look at the small letters and numbers at the bottom of the cover, among which our treasured number is located.

We look at IMEI

As soon as you are done finding out the numbers and codes, you should go to one of the sites suggested below and enter the necessary data there. The site will show you detailed information about the device: color, release date, contents and filling, model number. Compare all the data with what you see on the device itself and with what the seller himself told you. If everything matches, then you can understand further. List of sites providing similar services for providing information about Apple devices:

Checking for recoveries

Enter the serial number

Checking for blocking

There are three types of Apple mobile devices:

Lock - phones that only work with one pre-defined carrier. That is, if you purchase such a device, you will be able to use the services of only one company that provides cellular communications and mobile Internet, and no other.
Neverlock is a device without any restrictions in the field of operator choice.
Softunlock is a device that used to belong to the Lock group, but then was “unlocked” by software, that is, it now has all the parameters characteristic of Neverlock.

Of course, Lock devices are a little cheaper than Neverlock, but this saving will not lead to anything good, and there will be quite a lot of problems with a predefined operator, without the right to change it.

How to identify an unlocked device?

There are several characteristic signs that help to identify a device that was unlocked software:

Functional and physical testing

Now there is the last, but practically the most important stage - checking the standard capabilities of the device and its appearance.

Frame

Check if there are any noticeable dents, cracks, or broken pieces on the case. All of these parameters can tell you how often the device has been dropped and subjected to other physical impacts. Particularly dangerous are damage to the antenna area, which can lead to communication interference.

Checking for external damage

Screws

There should be two unscrewed screws near the USB cable input. If they are missing, then we can safely say that the device was disassembled manually and, accordingly, the warranty does not apply to it.

Checking for screws

Buttons

Check how well all the buttons perform their functions, since replacing buttons in the service can require a lot of money.

Camera

Check the front and rear cameras for external damage. Try to photograph something with both cameras. If you notice inaccurate colors, the camera sensor may be damaged.

There should be no scratches on the camera

Screen

Open various applications, restart your device, check for dead pixels (black dots). If when you press the screen there is a crunch, or you feel unevenness or emptiness, then the screen is not original, it has been replaced. Pay attention to the uniformity of brightness and color reproduction.

The screen must not be scratched

Screen sensor

Move icons around your device menu, making sure they move smoothly. Try using the device in horizontal and vertical positions. If possible, quickly type the message on the keyboard, and all the letters you press should appear on the screen. If this does not happen, then the device has obvious problems with the sensor.

Checking the sensor

Battery

Start shooting a video and check how much the device shrinks in 2-3 minutes. A range of 1–5% is acceptable, all other parameters mean there is a problem, and no one wants to change the battery immediately after purchase.

Cellular connection

Speaker

Everything is simple here - turn on any melody and check how well the device reproduces it. There should be no interference, no jumping, no rustling. You can also check the speaker during a telephone conversation.

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

Check if these two functions work. Remember that Bluetooth only works with other Apple devices; it will not transfer files with Android. The device must quickly connect to the Wi-Fi network and be able to download files through it.

Charger

For this item, you took a third-party battery with you. Connect it to your device and check if it charges.

Connecting to iTunes

If you happen to take your laptop with you, try syncing your device with iTunes. This will confirm its authenticity. You should not buy a phone or tablet that is not recognized in iTunes.

Sign out of your Apple ID account

The last thing you should do before paying money for a device is to completely sign out of the old Apple ID account that belongs to the previous owner. Otherwise, he can declare the device missing at any time and block it remotely, without asking your consent at all.

When purchasing a previously used iPhone, you need to know how to check it by IMEI. This is a special device identification number confirming its authenticity and originality. After checking, you can find out a lot of information about the phone, for example: the date of its purchase and activation, whether it is refurbished, its OS version and much more. How to do this? The following describes several basic and proven methods.

There are 4 main ways to do this. Let's take a closer look at them.

For the first option, you need to enter *#06# in the dialing line. The phone will automatically perform the combination and the IMEI code will be displayed in the window that appears.

Go to the settings menu and open “General” - “About this device”. An information panel will open where the IMEI code, model and other individual data will be entered.

On the back of the factory box. In addition to the IMEI code, on the back there is the serial number of the device and brief information about it.

Take a look at the back cover of the phone.

IMEI information is required to check iPhone Activation Lock. If it is activated, the new owner will not be able to enter his data and fully use the device. By checking, you can make sure that the iPhone is really new and has not been used before. If the phone is purchased second-hand, then you will know exactly the date of its initial activation.

Compare the code on the box and the phone

First of all, after you get the iPhone into your hands, you need to compare the information indicated on the box and in the device settings. If all numbers, including IMEI, serial number and model, match, then you can proceed to the next stage of verification. If differences are noticed, this indicates that the box is not original and was taken from another device.

Attention! Do not purchase an iPhone if the IMEI code on the box does not match what is specified in the device settings.

In this case, it is worth thinking about the origin of the device and the reasons why they are trying to slip you a completely different box. There can be a variety of options here, for example, the real owner had his iPhone stolen or he lost it, and a stranger is trying to sell the found or stolen item. In this case, the real owner will contact the police and the device will be wanted. This situation can bring you a lot of trouble, so avoid such dubious transactions.

Check through the official Apple website

There are many different services for checking IMEI, but first of all you should contact the official website. There you are guaranteed to receive reliable and free information. This instruction will not be difficult if you follow the step-by-step guide:

Find out the IMEI code of the device. How to do this is described above.
We open the corresponding section on the Apple website for checking - https://checkcoverage.apple.com/ru/ru/. In the space provided, enter the IMEI that you found out earlier, and a special code for checking for spam. Click “Continue”.

We study the received data. Under the picture of the iPhone its model and IMEI number are displayed.

Under the first paragraph there is information about the actual date of purchase.

Attention! It is important that the first paragraph has a green checkmark. If this parameter is not present, then your device is not original and has nothing to do with Apple.

The following shows a notification about the technical support period for the device. If there is an orange exclamation mark to the left of the inscription, then the phone’s warranty period has expired and the device is not subject to factory service and telephone support. The third paragraph stipulates the possibility of repairing the phone at official service centers.

Thus, you have received reliable information from the official Apple website about the originality of the device, as well as the timing of its maintenance and support. You can also make sure that the case has not been changed, since the color on the website and “in real life” will be different.

Using this instruction, absolutely all Apple devices are checked, including iPad, iMac, MacBook, iPod, etc.

Enter the code on the International Mobile Equipment Identity website

This resource is no less popular than the official Apple website and provides the same reliable information, but in greater detail. Let's look at the step-by-step instructions.

Enter the website http://www.imei.info/ in the browser line.

On the main page, in the appropriate column, enter the IMEI code. Below we go through a quick check by clicking on the “I am not a Robot” checkbox. Click the “Check” button to the right of the entered code.

After this, detailed information about the device will be displayed on the monitor screen. You can find out the phone model, year of manufacture and other technical parameters. If this information does not seem enough, click on the “Read More” button to get more data.

Both of the above methods are reliable.

Attention! To obtain a complete package of information about the device, we recommend using several IMEI checking services.

Let's look at a few more popular ways to check an iPhone by IMEI code. All described web resources may differ in the amount and volume of information provided.

International mobile phone verification service SNDeepInfo

To obtain more detailed information about the device, there is another popular service - SNDeepinfo. If when you enter the serial number, no result is displayed, you should think about the originality of the gadget and postpone its purchase. Let's look at the step-by-step instructions:

Go to the official website of the SNDeepinfo service.

Make sure that the “Apple” column is highlighted in the panel above the IMEI code entry line. Next, enter the gadget’s personal code in the appropriate line and put a tick in front of the inscription “I am not a robot.” This is a standard spam check. Click the “Continue” button.

At the beginning of the page there will be a picture in the style of a warranty sticker. It contains the phone model, its IMEI, as well as information about whether it is stolen.

Free of charge, this service provides information about the technical characteristics of the device, decoding of the IMEI code, color and originally intended region of sale.

To find out which countries the iPhone is adapted for, you need to enter the letters of the phone model on the same website, as shown in the screenshot below.

In order to find out your phone model, you need to go to “Settings” - “General” - “About this device”. In the menu that appears there will be a corresponding line “Model”. On the site you only need to enter the penultimate two letters (circled in the screenshot below).

We enter the data and get the following result:

For an additional fee, you can find out additional information about your iPhone on the same service:

country of purchase;
name of the organization that completed the sale;
the estimated and recorded date of purchase of the device;
information about the status of the “Find my iPhone” function;
iCloud information.

Checking the authenticity of the back cover of a smartphone

The authenticity of an Apple gadget can be determined by the first external signs. Immediately pay attention to the back cover of the device. In all models starting from iPhone 5, the IMEI code is written on the cover. In older versions, the serial number information is printed on the SIM card slot.

There are 3 more main factors based on which we can draw conclusions about the originality of the iPhone. You just need to look at the back cover.

There should not be any crooked or blurry inscriptions, hieroglyphs, typos, etc. All letters are made very carefully and accurately. If you see that the words on the back cover are uneven or sloppy, then you are most likely holding a replica.
Mandatory inscription on the surface of the cover: iPhone, Designed by Apple in California, Assembled in China. Next comes the phone model and certification mark.
The cover cannot be removed simply by hand. On the original device, it will in any case be secured with bolts or will not be removable at all.

Attention! Even if the iPhone seems original by all external features, do not forget to check its IMEI code on the appropriate sites.

Summing up

When buying an iPhone secondhand, be careful and carefully check the phone for all the signs described above. It is better to spend a little more time on the verification procedure, but you will be sure that you bought a high-quality and original product.

Apple official website;
IMEI website;
Service SNDeepinfo;
External inspection of the back cover.

The above describes several ways to check an iPhone for originality. Choose the one that is most convenient for you. There is another very simple and quick way to verify the authenticity of the phone. To do this, simply go to the App Store. The problem is that no matter how good the replica is, it will still end up in the Google Play store.

Video instructions

This video describes some methods that will help you get detailed information about the originality and condition of your Apple device.

After purchasing an iPad in a store, the first thing you need to do is activate it. Without initial activation, the tablet simply will not work. Previously, activation was possible only using a PC (those were fun times), but now an activation option is available without a computer.

In this article we will look at how to activate an iPad in two ways. We will also answer the question: how to find out the iPad activation date. The instructions are fully suitable for iPhone and iPod Touch, so owners of these gadgets can safely put it into practice.

How to activate iPad

Method 1. The most obvious and oldest method of activation is through a computer. This method worked with the first iPad and will work with the newfangled iPad Air and iPad Mini with Retina.

1. To do this, first install the official application from Apple - iTunes (for Windows, in OS X iTunes is a built-in program).

2. Connect the iPad to the computer via the cable supplied with the tablet.

3. Press and hold the power button on the iPad (it is located on the top end) until a white apple appears on the screen.

4. iTunes will launch and the iPad will be activated for the first time.

Method 2. Activation directly from the tablet. For this method, you only need a Wi-Fi network with the Internet. It's much simpler than the first one. This feature became available with iOS 5.

1. After unpacking the iPad, turn it on while holding the button (the Power button is on the top end).

2. We act according to the instructions that will be shown on the screen. These instructions will include steps that will activate the iPad.

This is called initial device setup. If you are not confident in your abilities and knowledge, then follow the instructions for Firmware for iPad to iOS9. Initial setup. I don’t show the activation screen in those instructions, because I was flashing iOS 7 on an already activated tablet, but you will have it - don’t worry.

How to find out when iPad is activated

What is this for?

1. You buy an iPad second-hand. Use these instructions to find out when your iPad was first activated. That is, the real “mileage” of the device.

2. From the moment the device is activated, its warranty begins to apply. Not from the moment the tablet was delivered to the store, not from the moment of purchase, not from the moment you gave it as a gift, etc., namely from the moment the iPad was activated!

So iPad activation date can be very important. In order to find out, we need the iPad serial number. You can find the iPad serial number in two ways.

Method 1

Connect iPad to computer. Launch iTunes. In iTunes, find your iPad and click on it. The Device Information (Overview) displays the Serial Number.

In the menu you can select Edit->Copy serial number and this number will be on the clipboard.

Method 2

On iPad go to Settings->About this device. Among all the useful information there will be a serial number.

If you hold your finger on it, you will be prompted to copy it to the clipboard.

Next, we try to find the activation date using the serial number. We go to the Apple website using a special link. And paste the serial number into the empty field. Click the Check button.

Now two situations are possible. If your warranty has not expired (that is, less than a year has passed since activation), then you will see this picture.

The date in the screenshot, May 7, 2014, means that the product was activated on May 7, 2013, which is exactly one year before the specified date.

If you see a picture like the one in the screenshot below, it means your iPad was activated more than a year ago.

Should we be content with only this information? Not really. We can find out the production date by the serial number. But as practice shows, the production date may differ greatly from the activation date. The devices may be in warehouses. But for general development, let's find out.

How to find out the iPad production date

There is a service on the network that, based on the serial number, will determine when and where the device was manufactured. .

What is a serial number?

The manufacturer assigns each released device a unique serial number, which encrypts all information about the device model, country, and release date. The serial number is unique for each device from the same manufacturer.

What is IMEI?

Mobile phones, in addition to the serial number, have a so-called IMEI code. IMEI is an international identifier unique to each mobile phone. IMEI is a generally accepted standard for all mobile devices, which is “sewn” into the phone during manufacturing at the factory. This is something like a serial number that is broadcast to the operator when authorizing the phone on the network. The IMEI code format is the same for all phones, regardless of manufacturer. Also, the IMEI code is used to track and block stolen phones at the level of the cellular operator, which subsequently prevents the use of such a device in the network of this operator. However, blocking the IMEI code with one operator does not prevent it from being used on other networks.

How can I find out the device serial number?

As a rule, the serial number is printed on the packaging and duplicated on the device body; in most cases, the serial number is accessible through the software shell.

How to find out the IMEI of a phone?

To check your phone's IMEI, dial *#06# and the call button on your phone. The phone's IMEI looks like a 15-digit digital code. The IMEI code is duplicated under the battery of your phone, on the packaging and in the warranty card.

Why do I need this?

SNDeepInfo is the most affordable way to find out all the information about a device before you pay money for it. Enter the device serial number or phone IMEI in the input field and get accurate information about the phone model. Apple users receive extended information indicating physical and technical characteristics (device color, memory size, production date, firmware version when selling the device, unlocking and jailbreak methods).

What is this all for?

SNDeepInfo will protect you from buying a fake device. If, when checking, the serial number is not in the system, think about whether you are buying counterfeit equipment.

SNDeepInfo protects you from buying stolen goods. Each user who has become a victim of theft or lost a device has the opportunity to leave the stolen phone number or device serial number in the IMEI database. Therefore, SNDeepInfo is not only a service for checking IMEI and serial numbers, but also a database of stolen phones and devices.

SNDeepInfo helps you find stolen and lost items. Enter the code of the stolen phone or the serial number of the missing device into the IMEI database and increase the chances of finding the loss. If upon inspection the device is found to be listed as stolen, you can return it to its rightful owner and receive a reward if nominated by the owner.

SNDeepInfo is not just a phone IMEI database and serial number check, it is an in-depth device quality check service, a seller integrity test, and a search service for stolen phones and lost devices.

Currently, the service supports checking IMEI codes of all phones, including IMEI Apple iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X, as well as Samsung Galaxy S8, and Galaxy Note 8! It is planned to expand the service for checking device serial numbers for any electronic equipment.

Hello everyone! What is the iPhone activation date? In fact, this is the date of the first full activation and registration of the device on Apple servers. Immediately after this moment, almost always (there are nuances -) the countdown of the warranty period begins and the phone becomes at least slightly used.

Why even find out this very date? The first thing that comes to mind is to check the iPhone when purchasing. After all, if we are told that the phone is new (not broken, not painted, just purchased), and its activation date was more than a year ago, then this is, to put it mildly, a lie. But we don’t want to be deceived and waste our money, do we? No!

So let's figure it out: how to check when the iPhone was activated for the first time? Let's go! :)

Now let's definitely go!

Method 1. You can find out the activation date on the official Apple website

In fact, Apple is a “great fellow” - on its official website there is a very good tool for checking any “Apple” devices. How to use it?

Open the page “Checking your right to service and support” - here is the link.

Enter the serial number.
Enter the verification code.
Click continue.

A window with the results appears. We are interested in the line - “the right to maintenance and repair”. And it, in turn, contains the expected expiration date.

As you can see in the picture, in this particular example it is October 31, 2018. So, to calculate the exact activation date, you need to subtract 1 year from this period and add 1 day.

As a result, we get that the iPhone from this example was fully turned on and registered on Apple servers for the first time - November 1, 2017.

I think the meaning is clear - if you have questions, write in the comments :)

However, when checking, you may encounter other results (), but we are only interested in two:

“You need to activate your iPhone” - do you see this inscription? Wonderful! Your iPhone is new and has never been turned on.
Right to service and repair: the period has expired - this means that more than a year has definitely passed since the iPhone was activated.

If in the first case everything is clear - you just need to be happy with the new iPhone, then what to do in the second? After all, the activation date was more than a year ago - this is too vague data, I would like specifics! I have them...

Method 2. Alternative sites to check

They are also called “checkers”. What are their advantages? The fact is that they provide much more information than the official Apple website (for example,) and store this data for a much longer time. There are also disadvantages - this is still not an official tool with all the ensuing consequences.

Well, okay, let's move on to checking. We will use one of the most famous and popular checker sites.

Open the resource using this link.
We also indicate the serial number.
We look at the activation date (also known as the Warranty Start Date).

Note 1. What’s nice is that the site provides a lot of other, no less useful, additional information about the device.

Note 2: I have no affiliation with the iPhone review resource in question. But that's it, just in case :)

Note 3 (2019). Unfortunately, the resource has become paid. However, judging by the comments:

They ask for little money.
The activation date is shown accurately.

To use it or not? It's up to you to decide.

So, as you can see, quite a lot of time has passed since the first turn on. Almost two years. Therefore, if you are offered to buy something similar and they call it a new or “refurbished” device, it is better to refuse the purchase - they are simply trying to deceive you.

P.S. Did you manage to find out the iPhone activation date? Let's like and click on the social network buttons - the author will be very grateful. Thank you very much!

P.S.S. Do you have any questions or questions? Don’t be shy, “like” and feel free to write in the comments! It’s possible without the “+1”, but it’s somehow more pleasant! :)