macOS Serial Number

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Basic Information

Apple devices post-2010 have serial numbers consisting of 12 alphanumeric characters, each segment conveying specific information:

First 3 Characters: Indicate the manufacturing location.
Characters 4 & 5: Denote the year and week of manufacture.
Characters 6 to 8: Serve as a unique identifier for each device.
Last 4 Characters: Specify the model number.

For instance, the serial number C02L13ECF8J2 follows this structure.

Manufacturing Locations (First 3 Characters)

Certain codes represent specific factories:

FC, F, XA/XB/QP/G8: Various locations in the USA.
RN: Mexico.
CK: Cork, Ireland.
VM: Foxconn, Czech Republic.
SG/E: Singapore.
MB: Malaysia.
PT/CY: Korea.
EE/QT/UV: Taiwan.
FK/F1/F2, W8, DL/DM, DN, YM/7J, 1C/4H/WQ/F7: Different locations in China.
C0, C3, C7: Specific cities in China.
RM: Refurbished devices.

Year of Manufacturing (4th Character)

This character varies from 'C' (representing the first half of 2010) to 'Z' (second half of 2019), with different letters indicating different half-year periods.

Week of Manufacturing (5th Character)

Digits 1-9 correspond to weeks 1-9. Letters C-Y (excluding vowels and 'S') represent weeks 10-27. For the second half of the year, 26 is added to this number.

Unique Identifier (Characters 6 to 8)

These three digits ensure each device, even of the same model and batch, has a distinct serial number.

Model Number (Last 4 Characters)

These digits identify the specific model of the device.

Reference

https://beetstech.com/blog/decode-meaning-behind-apple-serial-number