How can you tell the difference between a genuine iPhone and a counterfeit?

Apple iPhones are so popular, and the models are so expensive, that many people jump at the chance to buy a bargain. It's worth bearing in mind, however, that there are plenty of counterfeit products on the market, but it can be relatively easy to spot them. The points raised in this article apply in particular to the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8.

The telephone box

If it's a product you're being sold as new, it will probably still be in its box. There are already a few things that can tip you off! Counterfeit boxes offer only a brief description, which would make the Apple marketing team weep. The quality of the cardboard can also be a red flag: Apple uses high-quality cardboard to package its smartphones. If the one you have in your hands looks bad, you can already start to have serious doubts.

Here is an example of a fake iPhone box:

The resemblance is uncanny, but the iPhone 6 box is nothing like this one:

Here's a real iPhone 6 box:

As you can see, this type of box looks just like the counterfeit, except that the image of the iPhone doesn't match at all!

This is a common mistake on counterfeit boxes. So keep your eyes peeled and check this detail before you negotiate any further.

Accessories

If it's a product you're being sold as new, it will probably still be in its box. There are already a few things that can tip you off! Counterfeit boxes offer only a brief description, which would make the Apple marketing team weep. The quality of the cardboard can also be a red flag: Apple uses high-quality cardboard to package its smartphones. If the one you have in your hands looks bad, you can already start to have serious doubts.

Headphones

For your information, it's often easy to replace a pair of headphones made by Apple with a cheap copy that will quickly break. This video shows you how to spot this scam:

LED flash

One of the characteristics of counterfeit iPhones is the colour of the flash LED. In this photo taken by the youtuber STEVEN, it's easy to see that the iPhone on the right has a yellow LED and not the white one on the left. There's no mistaking it! The scam is confirmed, the iPhone on the right is a counterfeit...

The Home button

The Home button on iPhones 7 and 8 is immobile and equipped with the Taptic Engine, which gives you the sensation of pressing the button when you click on it, even though it doesn't actually move. A good test to see if it's a real button (and therefore a fake) is to press it while the phone is switched off. If the button presses in, it's a counterfeit!

Operating system version

Let's start from a simple principle: an iPhone 7 or 8 cannot be delivered with an iOS version lower than iOS 10. To check this, it's very easy: click on Settings > General > Information and look at what it says next to Version. If it says version 9, for example, there's simply no way that it's an original model.

You're now well armed to tell the difference between an original iPhone and a counterfeit! In any case, we strongly advise you to buy your device with Obvy, the leading private-to-private payment method that protects you against 100% of scams, and that secures all your transactions, whether hand-delivered or delivered. Obvy also gives you a history of your transaction, so you can keep a record of the sale and turn around if the seller turns out to be dishonest.