I sent my iPad in to Apple for warranty repair and they are sending me a new one. (Touchscreen was flaky).

It was a, 2nd gen iPad Pro 12.9" 256 Wifi, and they are sending me the same but with added cellular.

I looked up the serial number of the new one from the email they sent and it shows that it's a 2nd gen (discontinued last year) but it shows a manufacturing date of earlier this month.

2 questions:

Does Apple continue to produce old models even after they are discontinued so they can be used as warranty replacements?

Is there any downside to having the added cellular, like lower battery life?

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Athens, OH

Just a guess, it's refurbished, not brand new, and it was given a new serial number and "manufacturing date" at the time it was refurbished.

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GGD
Just a guess, it's refurbished, not brand new, and it was given a new serial number and "manufacturing date" at the time it was refurbished.

What he said

It'll come in a plain brown wrapper, no retail packaging.

Once you unbox and unwrap it, you won't be able to tell it from brand new.

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I am that Masked Man.

All you can do, is all you can do.

There’s trouble — it's time to play the sound of my people.

Your boos mean nothing to me, I've seen what you cheer for.

Insisting on your rights without acknowledging your responsibilities isn’t freedom, it’s adolescence.

I've been to the edge of the map, and there be monsters.

We are a government of laws, not men.

Everybody counts or nobody counts.

When a good man is hurt,
all who would be called good
must suffer with him.

You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.

There is no safety for honest men except
by believing all possible evil of evil men.

We don’t do focus groups. They just ensure that you don’t offend anyone, and produce bland inoffensive products. —Sir Jonathan Ive

An armed society is a polite society.
And hope is a lousy defense.

You make me pull, I'll put you down.

I *love* SIGs. It's Glocks I hate.

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RAMd®d
It'll come in a plain brown wrapper, no retail packaging.

Once you unbox and unwrap it, you won't be able to tell it from brand new.

It's possible that it will come in full retail packaging, Macs that I've purchased from the refurb store have always come in plain packaging, but refurb iPhones that I've purchased came in full retail packaging, everything looked the same as brand new. It's possible that they do the same for all iOS/iPadOS/watchOS/tvOS devices.

Then again, this is a warranty / service replacement, which may differ from the refurb store conventions.

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Carm

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GGD
Just a guess, it's refurbished, not brand new, and it was given a new serial number and "manufacturing date" at the time it was refurbished.

What he said

What they said.
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Just another guess, but maybe the iPP was given a new back (w/ a new serial number) because the original was scratched/dinged up beyond Apple's stringent release in the wild requirements, so the database tracked from there.

Congrats, either way on the nice Afikomen/Easter Egg. As to packaging, I've gotten both original and plain wrap on refurbs/replacements, and just like for Apple to think different, when expecting original it's plain wrap, and vice-versa.
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Quote
Buzz
Just another guess, but maybe the iPP was given a new back (w/ a new serial number) because the original was scratched/dinged up beyond Apple's stringent release in the wild requirements, so the database tracked from there.

The description of the refurb'ing process for iPads has always stated that it included a new case - the current wording is "A new battery and outer shell". They say the same for iPhones, did not bother looking at other iOS devices.

but refurb iPhones that I've purchased came in full retail packaging, everything looked the same as brand new. It's possible that they do the same for all iOS/iPadOS/watchOS/tvOS devices.


Fair point.

Maybe it's just not enconmical to produce additional, non-retail packaging for iDevices.

Apple sells more iDevices than Macs, so there are probably more warranty/refrubs replacements.

But the refubed device will still be indistinguishable from new, based on my experience with Mac refurbs.

---

I am that Masked Man.

All you can do, is all you can do.

There’s trouble — it's time to play the sound of my people.

Your boos mean nothing to me, I've seen what you cheer for.

Insisting on your rights without acknowledging your responsibilities isn’t freedom, it’s adolescence.

I've been to the edge of the map, and there be monsters.

We are a government of laws, not men.

Everybody counts or nobody counts.

When a good man is hurt,
all who would be called good
must suffer with him.

You and I have memories longer than the road that stretches out ahead.

There is no safety for honest men except
by believing all possible evil of evil men.

We don’t do focus groups. They just ensure that you don’t offend anyone, and produce bland inoffensive products. —Sir Jonathan Ive

An armed society is a polite society.
And hope is a lousy defense.

You make me pull, I'll put you down.

I *love* SIGs. It's Glocks I hate.

Quote
JoeH

Quote
Buzz
Just another guess, but maybe the iPP was given a new back (w/ a new serial number) because the original was scratched/dinged up beyond Apple's stringent release in the wild requirements, so the database tracked from there.

The description of the refurb'ing process for iPads has always stated that it included a new case - the current wording is "A new battery and outer shell". They say the same for iPhones, did not bother looking at other iOS devices.

Only really meant it vis a vis the hardware inscribed serial number, and as a vehicle for the "Just a guess/Just another guess" play on words.
BTW, sent in an iPhone 4s way back when, and expected plain-wrap replacement packaging, but got new retail box. Mrs. Buzz's company bought a ton of iPhone 7+'s, w/ many coming plain-wrapped, and as would be expected w/ a bunch of proprietary software and peripherals, there were lots of go-backs, w/ almost all of them coming back plain-wrapped. Macs over the years have also been confusingly packaged.... especially cancelled bulk orders that are/were auctioned off to resellers. IOW, edu packaging needed to be 86'ed before items could be sold to the public, etc..
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