Apple planning to switch to randomized serial numbers for future products starting in ‘early 2021’

Soon, Apple will make a significant change to its serial number format for future products that will see some important information deleted.

In an internal email from AppleCare this week, obtained by MacRumors, Apple said the new serial number format will consist of a random 8-14 character alphanumeric string that will no longer include manufacturing information or a configuration code. Apple said the serial number format transition is scheduled for “early 2021” and confirmed that IMEI numbers will not be affected by this change.

All Apple products currently shipped will continue to use the current serial number format, while future products will use the new format, according to Apple. The new serial numbers will initially have 10 characters, the company said.

Apple’s current serial number format has long allowed customers and service providers to determine the date and location a product was manufactured, with the first three characters representing the place of manufacture and the next two characters indicating the year and date. week of manufacture. The last four characters currently serve as a “configuration code”, revealing a device’s model, color and storage capacity.

Apple initially planned the transition to the new serial number format in late 2020, but postponed it.