The serial number is a unique identifier of the iPhone; for most users, you will never need it, but if you need to know the status of Apple coverage or the iPhone’s age, the serial number becomes indispensable.

What does iPhone serial number meaning

You should know that starting in 2021, Apple started assigning random serial numbers to its devices, including the iPhone. This affected the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone SE, iPhone 13 mini and the next generation iPhone 14. So it’s now impossible to know anything from the serial number. I checked the serial numbers on checkcoverage.apple.com and I can tell you that the numbers are completely random, there is no longer any pattern to the serial numbers assigned. I’ll go into more detail on phone serial numbers before 2022 and iPhone serial numbers after 2022 in this article.

New iPhone serial numbers 2021-2024, starting with iPhone 13

As I said before, the iPhone 13 received random serial numbers. The serial number itself has been reduced from 12 characters to 10. If you want to know if there is any information in the serial number, count how many characters. If 12, you can find out the date of manufacture and the model of the phone, if 10 characters, it is a new serial number, it has no information in it. You can only check if the serial number exists and if it is in the Apple database. You can do this on Apple’s website at https://checkcoverage.apple.com.

How iPhone serial numbers are assigned starting in 2022

Although serial numbers are random, they are in Apple’s database. Serial numbers are likely to be assigned as follows. Several million serial numbers are generated. These serial numbers are stored in a common Apple database. When the iPhone is assembled at the factory and the operating system is installed. A random serial number from the database of generated serial numbers is written to the operating system. Once the number is written into the phone’s operating system, a sticker is printed, the phone is packaged in a box, a sticker is placed on the box, the box is sealed, and the phone is shipped to the retailer.

Old Serial Number iPhone 2010-2021

The serial number for Apple iPhone smartphones is assigned according to a special algorithm, only phones up to iPhone13. Such a serial number contains information about the manufacturer, the date of manufacture of the phone with details up to a week, the phone model number and some technical specifications. From 2010 until 2022, the iPhone serial number has 12 digits and contains some information, the most valuable of which is the information about the iPhone’s build date.

Serial number iPhone meaning

Apple serial number meaning, of course you can apply the principle of decoding serial numbers I described for other Apple products as well.

IPhone 11 Pro Max 512Gb Model A2161 S / N G6TZL899N70M serial number decode example

iPhone serial number starts with C, with D, with G

  • G6T – is the identifier of the factory where the iPhone is assembled. The main assembly site of the iPhone is China, but the phones are assembled in many factories. The average user does not particularly need this information, it is more in demand by Apple to determine where the phone is assembled. More details:
    • G6 – factory in China, located in Shenzhen, the plant is owned by OEM assembler Foxconn.
    • T – identifier of the assembly line number on which the phone is assembled; the information is necessary for Apple to control the quality of manufactured devices.

How do I know when my iPhone is assembled

  • ZL – G6TZL899N70M the date of manufacture of the phone. Apple specified the date of manufacture of the phone in the serial number. The two letters Z and L (which are the fourth and fifth characters of the serial number) indicate the date the phone was manufactured. Apple indicates the year in two different letters: the first half of the year and the second half of the year. The fifth character indicates the week of the year. To make it easier to understand the year letters and weeks, I made a table with all the information, just find the letters you need and determine the production date of your iPhone.
    • ZL – means the phone was manufactured in 2019, week 46. November 2019 In more detail, the phone was assembled between November 11, 2019 and November 17, 2019.
monthweek
code
week of
the year
2010
2020
2011
2021
2012
2022
2013
2023
201420152016201720182019
C/DF/GH/JK/LM/NP/QR/ST/VW/XY/Z
January11C1F1H1K1M1P1R1T1W1Y1
January22C2F2H2K2M2P2R2T2W2Y2
January33C3F3H3K3M3P3R3T3W3Y3
January44C4F4H4K4M4P4R4T4W4Y4
February55C5F5H5K5M5P5R5T5W5Y5
February66C6F6H6K6M6P6R6T6W6Y6
February77C7F7H7K7M7P7R7T7W7Y7
February88C8F8H8K8M8P8R8T8W8Y8
March99C9F9H9K9M9P9R9T9W9Y9
MarchC10CCFCHCKCMCPCRCTCWCYC
MarchD11CDFDHDKDMDPDRDTDWDYD
MarchF12CFFFHFKFMFPFRFTFWFYF
MarchG13CGFGHGKGMGPGRGTGWGYG
AprilH14CHFHHHKHMHPHRHTHWHYH
AprilJ15CJFJHJKJMJPJRJTJWJYJ
AprilK16CKFKHKKKMKPKRKTKWKYK
AprilM17CMFMHMKMMMPMRMTMWMYM
MayN18CNFNHNKNMNPNRNTNWNYN
MayL19CLFLHLKLMLPLRLTLWLYL
MayP20CPFPHPKPMPPPRPTPWPYP
MayQ21CQFQHQKQMQPQRQTQWQYQ
MayR22CRFRHRKRMRPRRRTRWRYR
JuneT23CTFTHTKTMTPTRTTTWTYT
JuneV24CVFVHVKVMVPVRVTVWVYV
JuneW25CWFWHWKWMWPWRWTWWWYW
JuneX26CXFXHXKXMXPXRXTXWXYX
JuneY27CYFYHYKYMYPYRYTYWYYY
July128D1G1J1L1N1Q1S1V1X1Z1
July229D2G2J2L2N2Q2S2V2X2Z2
July330D3G3J3L3N3Q3S3V3X3Z3
July431D4G4J4L4N4Q4S4V4X4Z4
August532D5G5J5L5N5Q5S5V5X5Z5
August633D6G6J6L6N6Q6S6V6X6Z6
August734D7G7J7L7N7Q7S7V7X7Z7
August835D8G8J8L8N8Q8S8V8X8Z8
September936D9G9J9L9N9Q9S9V9X9Z9
SeptemberC37DCGCJCLCNCQCSCVCXCZC
SeptemberD38DDGDJDLDNDQDSDVDXDZD
SeptemberF39DFGFJFLFNFQFSFVFXFZF
SeptemberG40DGGGJGLGNGQGSGVGXGZG
OctoberH41DHGHJHLHNHQHSHVHXHZH
OctoberJ42DJGJJJLJNJQJSJVJXJZJ
OctoberK43DKGKJKLKNKQKSKVKXKZK
OctoberM44DMGMJMLMNMQMSMVMXMZM
OctoberN45DNGNJNLNNNQNSNVNXNZN
NovemberL46DLGLJLLLNLQLSLVLXLZL
NovemberP47DPGPJPLPNPQPSPVPXPZP
NovemberQ48DQGQJQLQNQQQSQVQXQZQ
NovemberR49DRGRJRLRNRQRSRVRXRZR
DecemberT50DTGTJTLTNTQTSTVTXTZT
DecemberV51DVGVJVLVNVQVSVVVXVZV
DecemberW52DWGWJWLWNWQWSWVWXWZW
DecemberX53DXGXJXLXNXQXSXVXXXZX

How to find out the phone model by serial number

  • 899N70 – a unique code in which the technical parameters of the phone are encrypted. Moreover, N70 is the phone model code in this case, it is the Pro Max model
    • N70 – iPhone 11 Pro Max
    • N72 – iPhone 11
    • N73 – iPhone 11
    • N6X – iPhone 11 Pro
    • KPF – iPhone XS
    • KPH – iPhone XS MAX
    • KXK – iPhone XR
    • JCL – iPhone X
    • JC6 – iPhone 8
    • JCL – iPhone 8 plus
  • M – is the phone’s color identifier. But Apple doesn’t have a single standard for color coding a phone. The color palette is standardized for a particular series of phones. For example, one set of letters is used for iPhone 11, for other phone models the same letters mean completely different colors.

IPhone 11 Pro Max Phone Color Code Example

  • K, P, F, V – Gold
  • W, G, L, Q – Midnight Green
  • D, J, N, T, Z – Silver
  • M, H, X – Space Gray
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