10 Easy Ways to Check Original or Fake iPhone

The iPhone is often seen as an object that can show a person's social status. Having an Apple cellphone equals cool. The reason is, some people believe that this Apple-designed cellphone is luxurious and sophisticated. The price is of course high.

Apple's position as a high-end mobile phone has not changed amid its ever-increasing popularity. This is the reason why more and more people are interested in it.

However, it is not uncommon for people to make the wrong move by buying a fake iPhone. There are many terms that refer to fake iPhones, ranging from KW, supercopy, up to HDC. KW, supercopy, and HDC iPhones are clone iPhones.

There are also iPhones refurbish aka reconditioning. This iPhone is a production failure iPhone that was refinished outside of Apple's standards. Everything I mentioned above has a low price, but the quality is definitely far from the original iPhone.

Don't be tempted by the low prices offered. Apart from not having a guarantee, this series of iPhones also has the potential for “early retirement” in just a few months.

So, if you intend to buy an iPhone in the near future, make sure you choose an original iPhone. There are several ways to distinguish a real iPhone from a fake one. The following methods can help you to recognize the original iPhone:

1. Check the body design

Apple always uses top class materials for each of its cellphone products. For example, the iPhone 15 Pro Max uses glass made by Corning for the front and back of the body. Meanwhile, the frame uses titanium.

The combination of these materials creates a strong and sturdy impression when you hold the cellphone body. So if the body is not sturdy, sags or is unstable, it could be that what you are holding is a fake iPhone.

In addition, the iPhone body is worked out in detail. There will be no parts that are not symmetrical or installed carelessly. You can check the quality by rubbing the connections between the body parts, pressing the power button and volume control, and pressing the screen.

Every Apple cellphone must also have a durability certification (IP rating). This certification guarantees that the iPhone is dustproof and freshwater resistant. For example, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has IP68. The cellphone is also claimed to be dustproof on all sides and freshwater resistant up to a depth of 6 meters for 30 minutes.

The meaning of durability here is that the iPhone can still operate normally even if it has been exposed to dust or water. Even so, it is not recommended to bring an iPhone for diving, except with casing special.

2. Check the Sharpness and Brightness of the Screen

All iPhone phones use labeled screens retina display. Some are OLED based, some are IPS based. Appearance retina display sharp, clear and smooth. The color is bright and eye-catching.

This is normal because of the pixel density retina display always above 300 ppi. This number is the minimum limit for a screen display that is pleasing to the eye. So if the screen display on an iPhone is spotty, you need to question its authenticity. Could it be a fake iPhone?

The iPhone screen display is not only pleasant to look at, but also clear even when used in different conditions outdoor. This is the reason why iPhone phones have high screen brightness levels. The iPhone 15 Pro Max alone has a screen brightness of up to 2000 nits!

3. Detect iPhone Authenticity via iTunes

iTunes is the default music player application on Apple devices. iPhone, iPad, and MacBook have it. However, iTunes on a computer, be it a MacBook or a Windows computer, can also check the authenticity status of the iPhone.

The way to do this is by connecting the cellphone to a computer that is already installed iTunes. If iTunes can detect the cellphone you connected, then you can be sure that the cellphone is a genuine iPhone. On the other hand, if iTunes cannot read the iPhone that you connected to your computer, then you need to suspect that it is a fake iPhone.

4. Original iPhones have the App Store and use iOS

The only place to download apps for iPhone users is the App Store. There are various applications for various purposes. Some are free, some are paid. The requirement for an iPhone to be able to access the App Store is to have logged in via iCloud email.

The authenticity of an iPhone is also questionable if it doesn't have an App Store. If it's the Google Play Store, it's clear that it's a fake iPhone. It would also be a question mark if there is an App Store but you can't log in via iCloud email.

You can also use the existence of the App Store as a factor to check the authenticity of other Apple devices such as the iPod and iPad. Apart from using the App Store, the iPhone also uses the iOS operating system, not Android, Windows Mobile, Symbian, or BlackBerry OS.

You can check the validity of the iPhone operating system by going to the Settings>General>About>Software Version menu. There you will see the iOS version indicated by a number.

5. The iPhone doesn't have an audio jack, microSD slot or dual SIM slot

Apple has abandoned the 3.5 mm audio jack since the iPhone 7 was released. So, the last iPhone to have an audio jack was the iPhone 6S. If someone claims that the iPhone is new and has an audio jack, it's clearly a fake iPhone.

The next feature that the iPhone doesn't have is a microSD slot. This feature has never been available on iPhone phones since the first generation iPhone (2007) appeared. You must ignore a cellphone that claims to be an iPhone if it has a microSD slot.

The card slot on the iPhone is always single. It can only fit one nano SIM card. However, an iPhone can be installed with two different numbers using one SIM card + one e-SIM (electronic SIM).

6. The price of a fake iPhone is much cheaper than the original

Cheap prices are the main factor why people are tempted by goods. People will feel like they have won if they get good goods at low prices. Just imagine if there was an iPhone 15 Pro Max only priced at IDR 1 million, people might rush for it.

However, the price of the iPhone 15 Pro Max is not that joking! The cheapest variant of the cellphone with 256 GB internal memory is priced at IDR 23 million as of January 2024. So it is clear that the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which costs IDR 1 million, is a KW iPhone, aka fake.

Paying attention to the reasonable price of an iPhone is one strategy so that you don't get trapped with a fake iPhone. Make sure you visit official Store iPhones such as iBox, Digimap, and Hello (Blibli group) to find out iPhone prices in real time up-to-date.

You can also regularly visit the Carisinyal site which always displays iPhone prices from shops online Trusted.

7. Check your iPhone warranty

When you buy an iPhone at official store Apple or an official Apple distributor, then you can be sure that your iPhone warranty is genuine. You can check the authenticity of the iPhone warranty via the official Apple website or from the warranty information listed on your cellphone.

However, if you buy an iPhone in a place that is not officially guaranteed, you should ask seller regarding the guarantee. Because apart from the official guarantee, there are also iPhones that are sold with distributor guarantees and shop guarantees.

If the seller still insists that the guarantee is genuine, you should immediately check the guarantee on the cellphone you are buying. You can read a guide to viewing the iPhone warranty in the article on how to check the original iPhone warranty.

8. Check the similarity of the IMEI on the iPhone system, physical and box

When you just buy an iPhone, don't forget to check the similarity of the IMEI found on the system, physical and box of the iPhone. The characteristics of an original iPhone are of course that all the IMEIs on the system, physical (back body) and box are the same.

How to check whether an iPhone is real or fake via the IMEI number is actually the easiest way. Cancel the purchase if there is a different IMEI number in the 3 parts. Apart from that, you can also check the IMEI via iTunes.

You can read the article on how to check an iPhone to find out the validity of an iPhone's IMEI.

9. None Charger in the Sales Box

The box, aka iPhone box, has a thin shape. This appearance gives a signal that the sales package for this Apple cellphone is minimalist. There is only a cellphone unit, SIM ejector, charging cable, documents regarding the product, and an Apple sticker.

There is no head charger in the sales box. Head removal policy charger from inside the box, Apple has started sales since the release of the iPhone 11. Therefore, you must question its authenticity if an iPhone 11 or above is sold with charger in new condition.

10. Check the features of the iPhone you want to buy

Only iPhone SE (including SE 2000 and 2022), iPhone 8, iPhone 7, iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, iPhone 5s, and iPhone 5 have a fingerprint scanner sensor. It's all an iPhone by appearance old school.

iPhone X and above such as the iPhone 14 Pro and 15 Pro Max do not have a fingerprint scanner sensor. This generation of iPhone uses a face scanning sensor or what is called Face ID. Therefore, just ignore it if there is an iPhone that is said to have a fingerprint sensor on the side of the body or on the screen.

Also ignore iPhones that have unusual features. For example, like an infrared blaster or fast charging 200 Watts. Because there are many fake iPhones circulating on the market, you should be extra careful when you want to buy an iPhone online. The reason is, when you buy online onlinethen you cannot physically check the iPhone.

To be safer, it is highly recommended for you to buy an iPhone at Authorized Reseller Apple in Indonesia. Even if you buy at an official Apple outlet, still check to distinguish between genuine and fake iPhones.

You can read the article on the types of iPhones sold in Indonesia to find out the characteristics of various types of iPhones in terms of their advantages and disadvantages.

Purchase of iPhone by offline It is indeed more profitable because you can carry out physical checks directly. However, by paying attention to the price, the shop selling it, and the guarantee, you can also avoid a fake iPhone even if you buy it online.