How to tell your iPhone is fake?

DanWigan · 05-15-2008, 02:17 PM

Hello all,

Seens as the hiphones, ciphones and every other iphone term slightly altered are getting increasingly "better looking" and get pretty close to the actual look and feel of the Apple product we all love, how can you actually tell if the one you have purchased is actually real or fake? Apart from the obvious, I bought it from a man with an overcoat with many pockets!

Interesting to find out peoples opinions or even stories.....

Dan

Hayesimus · 05-15-2008, 02:25 PM

WHAT are you TALKING about?! Everyone buys their iPhone from Apple or AT&T. Why would you buy one from anywhere else?!

DanWigan · 05-15-2008, 02:29 PM

Well becuase the UK iphone's are only contracted to one tele comms company, O2, a lot of people are purchasing from eBay and such sites where they are unlocked. As sellers buy them abroad at wholesale prices you can actually make a good saving.

This is just one example of where you can buy actual Apple iPhones and the dubious fake replicas.

Hayesimus · 05-15-2008, 02:49 PM

Ahhhh. I see. Well, that's just the thing isn't it? Why risk getting a fake one if you don't have to. I guess if you couldn't deal with having a locked phone then you would have to look elsewhere, but I go straight to the source.

snpri3 · 05-15-2008, 03:19 PM

the only way you would tell if its a replica is calling apple and telling them the serial number on the back, if there isnt one for sure its fake

Youngbinks · 05-15-2008, 04:39 PM

You should be able to notice differences with the user interface between a real and fake iPhone. Go to Apple.com and watch a few of the Apple provided videos and then compare it to your iPhone and you should be able to tell a difference. The appearances of the fakes are getting dangerously close to the real deal so only looking at it might not be able to help you.

I just quickly searched and found a few links. Here is one that I came across.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2183253_fake...ectronics.html

Lincoln · 05-15-2008, 04:59 PM

If the iPhone
- breaks easily
- has a horrible interface
- has a sticker of the Apple Logo instead of a chrome one
- has a strangely large portion below the screen
- has some strange Chinese carrier logo

Then it's one of the rip-offs. Otherwise, it came from Apple.

- John

ravman · 05-15-2008, 07:00 PM

The iPhone in the US is only contracted to one cellphone carrier also (AT&T). But that doesn't mean you can only buy an iPhone from the AT&T store! You can go to the Apple store also.

In the UK, you can buy an iPhone from the O2 store, Carphone Warehouse and the Apple store. That's actually more official places than the US.

Your theory has no substance. Case dismissed.

Originally Posted by DanWigan

Well becuase the UK iphone's are only contracted to one tele comms company, O2, a lot of people are purchasing from eBay and such sites where they are unlocked. As sellers buy them abroad at wholesale prices you can actually make a good saving.

This is just one example of where you can buy actual Apple iPhones and the dubious fake replicas.

DanWigan · 05-15-2008, 08:37 PM

Calm down, I didnt post this for an argument or a debate on where to buy the iPhone in the US or UK.

As I come from the UK I understand that you can buy the iPhone from these mobile phone stores. That wasnt my point that you couldnt buy them from anywhere else. My point in the above post was clearly stating the fact that they are locked to O2, like the US are to AT&T. I was also stating that a lot of people are buying the iPhone from eBay where sellers are offering them unlocked.

Let me point out then that you can buy from the Carphone Warehouse, O2, Apple and so on but they are all locked to O2 on contract.

Anyway... back to the reason why I actually posted this.

Thank you Snpri3, its a very good idea and strangely didnt think of it myself ha.

Also want to thank YoungBinks for you input. I have visited the site you posted and found it interesting.

themanofthedark · 05-15-2008, 08:43 PM

Originally Posted by DanWigan

Calm down, I didnt post this for an argument or a debate on where to buy the iPhone in the US or UK.

As I come from the UK I understand that you can buy the iPhone from these mobile phone stores. That wasnt my point that you couldnt buy them from anywhere else. My point in the above post was clearly stating the fact that they are locked to O2, like the US are to AT&T. I was also stating that a lot of people are buying the iPhone from eBay where sellers are offering them unlocked.

Let me point out then that you can buy from the Carphone Warehouse, O2, Apple and so on but they are all locked to O2 on contract.

Anyway... back to the reason why I actually posted this.

Thank you Snpri3, its a very good idea and strangely didnt think of it myself ha.

Also want to thank YoungBinks for you input. I have visited the site you posted and found it interesting.

If you buy rfom the apple store, and take it home, you can unlock it with ZiPhone and be happy and fine.

you dont activate instore.