A report in March claimed that Apple will switch to the randomized serial numbers for its products in 2021. It seems that the transition is now complete as the company has started selling Purple iPhone 12 with randomized serial numbers in many countries.

The new randomized serial numbers is the company’s other step to protect user’s privacy. The new numbering format will contain a serial number of a randomized alphanumeric string of 8-14 characters, pushing Apple’s privacy claims even further. MacRumors has now reported that Apple has indeed switched to this numbering system with Purple iPhone 12.

However, it says “It remains to be seen if the new iMac, iPad Pro, and Apple TV have randomized serial numbers when they launch in the second half of May.”

It’s has been reported that a lot of information about an Apple product, like its manufacturing date and location, can be revealed through its serial numbers. The first three characters of the current serial numbers represent the manufacturing location of the device. The next two characters reveal the year in which the device was manufactured, while the next to detail the week it was manufactured in. The last four digits unveil the configuration of the device, revealing its color, model, and storage capacity.

This has been used earlier to scam Apple users. Fraudsters would remove original components out of iPhones and replace them with fake components. They would then ask Apple for a replacement. Once they receive the original iPhone from Apple, they would sell that device and then by selling original iPhone parts.

This would not be possible with the new randomized serial numbering system.

Did you know that a serial number can decode information about your Apple product? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!