How to identify your device, with or without power
Two ways to pin down your exact device: one for when it still powers on, one for when it's dead. iPhone, Samsung, Android, iPad, MacBook, Windows and Apple Watch.
Last updated 2026-06-13 · 7 minute read · Applies to: Phones, Tablets, Laptops, Watches
Before any repair or quote, the most useful thing you can tell us is exactly which device you have. The same phone often ships in three or four regional variants that take different parts, so the marketing name (“iPhone 15 Pro”) isn't always enough on its own. This guide covers both situations: a device that still powers on, where the answer is a few taps away, and a dead one, where you read it off the body or work it out from the shape. Every brand, every device type.
1. Start here: power on, or no power?
Two paths. If the device turns on, its exact model is in the settings, so skip to the with-power section for your platform. If it's dead, you'll read it off the body, the SIM tray or the box, or work it out from the physical shape, so use the no-power sections. One code is worth knowing either way: the IMEI. On almost any phone that still powers on you can dial *#06# (star, hash, zero, six, hash) to show it, and it's also printed on the original box and most carrier paperwork. Run an IMEI through any free online IMEI checker and it returns the exact model and year, which is the quickest unique identifier there is.
2. No power: Apple iPhone
On an iPhone 8 and earlier, the model number (an A-number like A1905) is printed in fine text low on the back. From the iPhone X onward Apple stopped printing it and moved the regulatory label into software, so a dead modern iPhone has no code on the body. Identify it by shape instead: the port (Lightning up to iPhone 14, USB-C from iPhone 15), the front (a Touch ID home button up to iPhone 8 and SE, a notch on X through 14, the Dynamic Island pill on 14 Pro and 15 onward), the screen size, and the camera layout (one, two or three lenses). The original box, receipt or your carrier's records also carry the model and IMEI. When in doubt, bring it in: matching an iPhone by sight takes us seconds.
3. No power: Samsung and Android phones
Samsung: the model code starts SM- (for example SM-S911B for a Galaxy S23) and is printed in tiny text on the rear glass, on the SIM tray on some models, or under the removable back and battery on older ones. Google Pixel: a G-prefixed code sits on the SIM tray and low on the back. Oppo, Motorola, Nokia, OnePlus and the rest: check the SIM tray, the fine print near the bottom of the back, and any sticker on the original box. Every one of these phones also has an IMEI on the box and often on the SIM tray, and an IMEI lookup returns the exact model and year. Older removable-battery phones usually print the full model under the battery, so pop the back and look.
4. No power: iPad and Android tablets
iPad: straightforward even when dead. Every iPad has its A-number engraved on the back in the fine print near the bottom (for example A2436); match that number and you have the exact model and generation. Samsung and other Android tablets: the SM- or model code is on the rear, sometimes under a pop-off SIM or microSD flap, and on the box. Size, the port type (micro-USB on older, USB-C on newer) and whether there's an S Pen slot narrow Samsung tablets down quickly.
5. No power: MacBook and laptops
MacBook: flip it over. The underside is etched with MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, the screen size, and a Model A-number (such as A2779) beside the regulatory text, plus the serial number. The A-number maps to one exact model and year. Windows laptops: the maker's sticker on the underside carries the model and a service code: Dell prints a Service Tag, HP a Product Number, Lenovo a Machine Type (MTM), Asus and Acer a model line. Entered on the maker's support site, that code returns the full configuration. Desktops: the sticker is on the back or top of the case.
6. No power: Apple Watch and wearables
Apple Watch: the model isn't always obvious cold. Measure the case height: roughly 38, 40 or 41mm for the smaller sizes and 42, 44, 45, 46 or 49mm for the larger sizes and Ultra, which narrows the series considerably. Some case backs are engraved with the collection and an A-number, and the original band and box state the model. Other wearables (Samsung Galaxy Watch, Fitbit, Garmin): the model is on the back of the case or under the band lugs, and on the box. If the engraving has worn away, bring it in with any bands or chargers and we'll match it.
7. With power: iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch
iPhone and iPad: open Settings, then General, then About. The Model Name line gives the marketing name; tap the Model Number line and it flips from the part number (which starts with M) to the A-number that pins the exact variant. Apple Watch: on the watch open Settings, then General, then About, or use the Watch app on your paired iPhone, then My Watch, then General, then About. Note the case size and whether it's GPS or GPS + Cellular, because they take different parts.
8. With power: Android phones and tablets
Open Settings, then About phone (or About device or About tablet, usually right at the bottom). Note the Model name and Model number. Samsung: for full firmware and region detail dial *#1234# on the keypad; for the IMEI, *#06# works on any Android. Pixel and others: the model number under About is all we need. If your menu is themed differently, type “model” into the Settings search bar.
9. With power: Mac
Click the Apple menu at the top-left, then About This Mac. The summary names the model, screen size, chip and year, for example “MacBook Pro 14-inch, M2 Pro, 2023”. For the precise board, click More Info, then System Report, or note the model identifier (like Mac14,5). On older macOS this window also shows the serial number; on the newest it's under System Report. The year and chip are exactly what we need to order the right part.
10. With power: Windows PC and laptop
Press the Windows key + R, type msinfo32 and press Enter. Read System Manufacturer and System Model (for example “Dell XPS 13 9315”). The same details sit under Settings, then System, then About. For the deeper service code, enter the underside sticker (Dell Service Tag, HP Product Number, Lenovo MTM) on the maker's support site to pull the full build. For desktops, the model is on the case sticker and in msinfo32.
11. Decode the number: variant and year
The code does more than name the device. An Apple A-number pins the regional variant: an iPhone 15 Pro sells as A2848, A3101, A3102 and A3104 depending on the country, and they aren't always parts-identical. A Samsung SM- suffix marks the region too (B is global, U is a US carrier model, and so on). A Mac's model identifier plus year fixes the exact logic board. The one thing a model number does not carry is storage size: a 128GB and a 1TB phone share the same A-number, so mention capacity separately if it matters. Fastest of all, the IMEI (dial *#06#, or read it off the box) through an online checker returns model, variant and release year in one go.
Warning: Two traps. First, the model number never encodes storage, colour or carrier, so a matching A-number doesn't guarantee an identical phone: tell us the capacity if you know it. Second, several models look almost identical (the iPhone 13 and 14, or the Galaxy S21 and S22), and a regional variant can need a different screen or battery. If you're not certain, a thirty-second check by us beats ordering the wrong part, so bring the device in or send a photo of the back.
Frequently asked questions
What's the quickest way to identify a phone that still turns on?
Dial *#06# to show the IMEI, then run it through any free online IMEI checker. It returns the exact model, variant and year in seconds, and it works on virtually every phone regardless of brand.
My iPhone is dead and has nothing printed on the back. How do I identify it?
From the iPhone X onward Apple stopped printing the model number on the body. Identify it by shape instead: the charge port (Lightning to iPhone 14, USB-C from 15), the front (a notch versus the Dynamic Island pill), the screen size and the number of cameras. The original box or receipt also lists the model, or bring it in and we'll know it on sight.
Where is the model number on a MacBook that won't boot?
On the underside, etched near the regulatory text: you’ll see “MacBook Pro” or “MacBook Air”, the screen size and a Model A-number such as A2779, plus the serial number. That A-number maps to one exact model and year.
Do I really need the exact model to get a quote?
It helps a lot, because regional variants and lookalike models can take different parts and carry different prices. But you don't need to crack it yourself: tell us what you can see, or drop in, and identifying it is part of our free assessment.
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