How to know if iPhone is refurbished or not?

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:

1. Open the “Settings” app on the iPhone
2. Go to “General” and then go to “About”
3. 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:

Pay careful attention to the model number, because this will reveal the origin of the iPhone.

• If the model number starts with M, it was purchased new from Apple.
• If the model number starts with F, it was refurbished by Apple or a carrier.
• If the model number starts with P, it was sold as a personalized iPhone with an engraving.
• If the model number starts with N, Apple provided it as a replacement device for a malfunctioning iPhone.

If you find that your phone was refurbished, it is not necessarily cause for alarm. Apple puts its Certified Refurbished products through a rigorous process that makes them like-new. They clean each unit thoroughly, replace any broken parts if necessary, and change the battery and the outer shell.