Identifying Apple models (iPad, iPhone)
Apple fleets usually import with a model identifier like iPad12,1 instead of a name you can read, and with no lifecycle dates at all. Identify model turns that into the real model name, the date Apple shipped it, and an estimated end of support.
Just need to decode one identifier? Use the free Apple model identifier lookup, no account needed.
One device
Open the device and click Identify model. It shows exactly what it will fill in before writing anything, so nothing changes until you say so.
A whole fleet
Devices → Identify Apple models does the same across every Apple device at once. It reports how many it can help with, and a sample of the changes, before applying.
It only fills blanks
Anything already recorded is left exactly as it is. Run it as often as you like — a second pass simply finds less to do.
| Field | What you get |
|---|---|
| Model | The real name, e.g. iPad12,1 becomes "iPad (9th generation)". A model name you typed yourself is never overwritten. |
| Model released | When Apple started selling that model. Useful as a floor on a device's age when the purchase date was never recorded. |
| Est. end of support | Release date plus the support window that family typically gets. This is what lets Apple devices appear in the budget forecast, the same way AUE does for Chromebooks. |