fsjk85 at the Australian Whirlpool forums was playing around with his camcorder's NightShot function when he found something interesting -- a hidden data matrix code on the left side of the iPhone 3G. We're guessing that's where Apple imprints the serial and IMEI numbers of each handset since it can't exactly hide them under a removable battery (cough), but we'll leave it to the rest of you to decode this sneaky tag and solve the mystery once and for all.
Update: We just got a much higher-res image of the code -- check it after the break. [Thanks Ben]
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
posted September 18th 2008 12:13PM
Eh, I've seen weirder stuff show up on night vision.
I tried it with my white iphone and nightvision (sony)... Nothing.
I may have some of the bits wrong, but I think it's as accurate as you can get at that resolution. This is the bottom pic by the way. The extents are marked by all 1's on two sides and alternating 1's and 0's on the other two sides.
Orientation 1: Orientation 2:
101010101010101010 111111111111111111 0001 - 1
111000001001100101 101010001100001010 0010 - 2
101110100101001000 111110011010101111 0011 - 3
111010110000011001 110101011001110100 0100 - 4
100110001010100110 100001001011011101 0101 - 5
101101011001011111 100100001010100000 0110 - 6
100110001010000000 110111110000001101 0111 - 7
101011011011011011 110000110010101000 1000 - 8
110000000010110000 110000001011110011 1001 - 9
111111001100011011 110010111000000100 1010 - A
101100110100000010 101100100111010001 1011 - B
100000110111010011 100101100010100110 1100 - C
100110100001110100 100011000100010011 1101 - D
111000100100100011 111001101110101000 1110 - E
101101100011000000 101000001010101101 1111 - F
111000000010011111 101001000000110010
101100111100010010 111010111010110001
111111111111111111 101010101010101010
Orientation 1: c1 32 74 a4 d6 0c 31 53 6b 2f 31 40 5b 6d 80 58 f9 8d 66 81 06 e9 34 3a c4 91 6c 60 c0 4f 67 89
Reversed: 98 76 f4 0c 06 c6 19 4c a3 43 9e 60 18 66 d8 9f 85 08 d6 b5 04 13 f2 b6 35 13 c0 6d 4a 47 23 1c
Orientation 2: 51 85 f3 57 ab 3a 09 6e 21 50 be 06 86 54 81 79 97 02 64 e8 2c 53 18 89 cd d4 41 56 48 19 d7 58
Reversed: 85 7d 91 84 65 14 4d dc 98 81 35 c2 8e 46 20 79 97 18 45 68 60 eb 05 12 e6 90 a3 ba 75 3f 58 15
omg, global conspiracy. I've just linked the iPhone to crop formations.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/82727621@N00/sets/72057594129393836/
Its the new code they have to type in the new series of Lost
Well I, and a few other folks are getting
'0880807B080802351448XAB'
Any ideas? =/
Here is a picture of the second code:
http://nl.tinypic.com/view.php?pic=5zhav&s=4
Take a look this.
Looks like it is a ID of plasiec case.
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iPhone/iPhone-3G/Rear-Panel/137/12/Page-11 (Step 31)
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iPhone/iPhone-3G/Rear-Panel/137/12/Page-9 (Step 26}
I'm pretty sure you are right.
The number is WAY too long to be an Apple serial number, IMEI's dont have letters in them, nether does the ICCID and it doesnt match MAC address formatting.
Its a data matrix code. 0880807B080802351448XAB
"Don't Panic"
What ever it is, I just absolutely love my iPhone. best phone I ever owned.
Yay! I wondered how long it would be before and engadget article would link to WP (whirlpool). It used to be my favourite forum (as you can see from my post count).
I find the idea interesting. Also it would make sense from a manufacturing point of view. Now we just need to see what i says. :P
I have also taken pics of my 3G and it has the tag also but different in pattern, so it may well be serial number or IEMI.
Check my pics at http://ritpak.com/post/Strange-Tag-On-The-Back-Of-iPhone-3G-Casing.aspx
I tried it on our phone just for sh!ts and giggles but did not find the data matrix code. I took it apart and ours doesn't have it! This phone was an early AT&T iPhone 3G, if it means anything.
It's a 2 dimensional barcode as others have mentioned. It's used in the manufacturing process! As a part is prepared, a laser marks it with the 2d code and timestamps it into a computer. That code is then read by each machine it passes through, with the time it passed by that process. If there is a defect it is easier to identify what process had the problem, as well as how many parts where run and what failures need to be addressed in manufacturing. The serial barcode usually the same as the 2d barcode and is printed for shipping purposes.
OMG WHAT A CONSPIRACY :O
ROFLSPAM
Although initially used for tracking parts in vehicle manufacturing, QR Codes are now used in a much broader context, including both commercial tracking applications and convenience-oriented applications aimed at mobile phone users (known as mobile tagging). QR Codes storing addresses and URLs may appear in magazines, on signs, buses, business cards or just about any object that a user might need information about. A user having a camera phone equipped with the correct reader software can scan the image of the QR Code causing the phone's browser to launch and redirect to the programmed URL. This act of linking from physical world objects is known as a hardlink or physical world hyperlinks. A user can also generate and print one's own QR Code for others to scan and use by visiting one of several free QR Code generating sites.
I'm breaking out an IR light and green laser to burn this off. Utter crap.
It says: "I Like Cheese. Steve Jobs is the devil. In 2000 days and counting, I will reach out and connect with other iPhones around the globe and form SkyNet. Human Race...you've just been PWNED."
no
I turned it into a clearer image for you guys, I got bored at trying to find software that will say what it says though.
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/7160/barcodeyy0.png
On the white 3g there´s no Code to see via infrared!
Have a look.... some Ir pictures i made with my d70 and ir filter....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30660236@N03/2871698387/
It's a 2D barcode - anybody that has access to a 2D barcode scanner can read it, and it undoubtedly contains the serial number, and most probably the product identification.
Its the mark of the Beast!
I managed to use a 2d decoder and also got something similar to Jordan and Dave.
0180730I080711371D390AB
Mine is on a UK 16GB Black so perhaps there is more to the model code - its certainly not my serial or iemi numbers as they are shown on the general settings tab under about!