It's also so you can't buy the "same" item a year or more later after yours is out of warranty. Which some people were known to do, and then return their old u

It's also so you can't buy the "same" item a year or more later after yours is out of warranty. Which some people were known to do, and then return their old unit in the new box for a refund. So model numbers are sometimes changed far more freqently than device characteristics or features are changed.