Is my iPhone 4 Genuinely NEW or Refurbished? Please HELP!!
I just received my BRAND NEW, SEALED, iPhone4 32 GB FACTORY UNLOCKED which I bought from Ebay. After unboxing, I switched on the phone to find that it was already activated, and did NOT show the "Connect to iTunes" screen, which gave me doubts whether this phone is actually brand new, the phone does have that protective film on the front and back which normally comes with brand new iPhones, anyhow I went online and did some intense research and found interesting facts about the serial number, and from my understanding the phones with serial numbers starting with 5K could be a refurbished phone, and indeed my supposedly BRAND NEW iPhone which came in a sealed retail box with all accessories does have a 5K serial number, so I did some more googling and came across a web site which gives details about an iPhone with its serial number and it shows this phone is a refurbished one. I checked on Apple website for warranty and it says "We're sorry, but this is a serial number for a product that has been replaced. Please check your information and re-enter your serial number. If your information is correct, you may need to contactus."
Now all you good knowledgeable people out there, please please shed some light on this matter.
- Is this really a genuine brand new phone? When I contacted the seller regarding the phone being already activated, he said it is normal with phones which are factory unlocked. But I believe it is actually supposed to show - “Connect to iTunes” screen. That was how it was with my iPhone 3G. At least right out of a brand new box. Am I correct?
- How can a refurbished iPhone come in a sealed retail box? Even if that was the case, would it cost the same as a normal brand new FACTORY UNLOCKED iPhone because I paid US $ 904.00 for this.
- Does Apple sell refurbished iPhones as new? What confuse me is that the box have all the labels intact as it was a sealed box, and the serial number and IMEI number match with the actual phone.
- Should I consider this a genuine product that Apple meant to sell as it is or better I go for a claim and either get a refund or replacement from the seller on Ebay?.
Thank you very much in advance for all your kind help and insights. Attached are few images of the phone.
iPhone 4, iOS 4.2
