A person who prefers Apple products to other brands can easily distinguish an original smartphone from a Chinese fake. But if you decide to buy an iPhone for the first time, you need to know how to distinguish the Chinese iPhone from the original in order to avoid problems in the future. Such ignorance, as a rule, is expensive, since the cost of a fake in this case is equal to the cost of a real phone. By the way, price is the first criterion that you should pay attention to when buying. There are no
cheap “iPhones” , remember this, so if you are offered to buy a phone of the latest model from Apple for a nominal amount, do not rush to make a “profitable” purchase. Make sure that you do not get a Chinese copy of the iPhone.
Where to buy?
If you want to become the owner of the iPhone, we recommend that you consider only well-known stores as places to buy. They should specialize in the sale of such equipment, and ideally be the official dealer for Apple products. Even if you are well aware of the “iPhone 5S” feature, the original with a hand is a minimal chance. Of course, now you can find ads for the sale of used iPhones from their previous owners, but it is almost impossible to buy the latest models in this way. Suspicious street stalls, as well as dubious individuals who are offering here and now to buy a new original phone “for only 10 thousand rubles”, are ways with a high degree of probability to give their money for a cheap fake. Dishonest sellers and use your ignorance on the question of how to distinguish the Chinese "iPhone" from the original. Have you never compared these devices? We will tell you how to distinguish iPhone from a fake, and we hope this information helps you avoid mistakes.
Inspect the box in which the device is sold
Apple for good reason has become a global brand. The company's specialists produce their products deliberately emphasized high quality, and this favorably distinguishes any "apple" products on store shelves. Moreover, this feature is visible in everything, and the packaging of the smartphone is no exception. Firstly, the box should not have any flaws (dents, ragged corners, uneven seams, scratches, signs of opening, etc.). Secondly, pick it up and appreciate the sensations. The original packaging makes an impression of plastic, it is so neat and nice made, although, of course, ordinary coated cardboard is used as its material . And thirdly, pay attention to such details as stickers and inscriptions on the box in which the iPhone 5S lies. How to distinguish a fake with their help? All the names of the device, as well as the logo of the manufacturer, must be embossed according to the rules, and they should be located on the sides of the box. In addition, check for optional vacuum clear plastic packaging.
Now we turn the box upside down and see if there is a sticker with the name of the model. If you have the original “iPhone” in your hands, this part will contain, in addition, information about the device’s memory capacity, IMEI number, batch number and product series. And even a bitten apple - Apple's traditional logo - should be carefully inspected. A cheap Chinese copy may be issued by an apple with a notch on the left, which is incorrect.
How to distinguish Chinese "iPhone" from the original: external differences
The next step in recognizing a copy is to examine the smartphone itself and work with it. First of all, we will evaluate its appearance. We already mentioned the highest build quality of the original Apple technology. If you remember this, then all kinds of defects on the phone case, even subtle, will indicate to you that there is a Chinese fake in front of you. The original is distinguished by the impeccable quality of the fit of all panels, the absence of backlashes, gaps, chips, creaks or depressions. The front panel must have a factory protective film. As a rule, the original iPhone model has a perforated tongue at the bottom. It is needed for quick and convenient removal of protection from the display.
And the most important feature that the original phone from Apple cannot have is a removable back panel! This iPhone is a monolithic device that cannot be disassembled manually. If you have a deliberately original iPhone, you can advise putting two devices side by side and compare them visually. "Chinese" will stand out with a more elongated case format.
First impression: take a look at the menu
Next, to check, turn on the phone. When you first turn it on in the original iPhone, a logo will appear on the display, and then an invitation to activate the device will appear. True, this item does not always help to correctly determine the originality of the device, the fact is that many of the real “iPhones” go through the activation procedure even in the store before they reach the counter. The premature opening of the package is also associated with this - at some points of sale, phones are necessarily checked for serviceability. If you still have doubts, look at the display, listen to system sounds and music - the colors should be bright, the sound should be clear. We hope that it is clear that a high-quality “iPhone” is distinguished only by a menu in Russian and a high-quality built-in camera. Here I would like to tell how to distinguish the Chinese iPhone from the original in the fastest way. The secret is that the original device only supports a specific operating system - iOS, whose updates are available through the iTunes service. So, if you connect the device to a computer, this application will automatically recognize the original device and send a corresponding notification to its owner! Unfortunately, such a quick and high-quality check is possible only after buying a phone.
Differences in menu items and features
So, we turned on the phone and are thinking how to distinguish iPhone from a fake. It should be remembered that there are differences between them in the "Settings" menu. In the non-original version it will be incomplete, or rather, it will not be possible to see the items “Phone Model” and “Serial Number” there.
Keyboard
Do you doubt that you have an iPhone 5S? How to distinguish a fake? Go from settings, for example, to the "Messages" menu and try typing any text. The appearance of the visual keyboard that appears is another way to recognize Chinese manufacturing. The latter has a keyboard design similar to the design of the keyboard of the Samsung Galaxy series phones, consists of separate touch buttons with letters and the ability to switch characters. Often, these keyboards also support the Swype function.
Slow work as a clear sign of "Chinese"
But, probably, the first thing that catches your eye when you turn on the Chinese copy is braking. Sometimes it comes to such an extent that the phone manages to unlock the keys only the fifth time! A high-quality iPhone instantly responds to the touch of fingers (and only fingers!), And unlocking it does not take two seconds.
Original Apple Package Contents
The list of additional devices included in the kit for the phone is unchanged from the first day of production of "iPhones". Thanks to this, the equipment of the original device, which we will give below, has become a kind of standard. If you do not know other ways to understand whether you are offered to buy an “iPhone 5”, how to distinguish a fake, it will be enough to recall this list and compare the presence of all the details. In addition to the device in the box, you will also always find:
- An envelope with a color instruction inside. It, in turn, is made in the printing industry and has a high-quality appearance; there will be no tears, incisions, dents, spots, wrinkled corners and blurry text, indicating a low print level, and other defects. On the cover you can see two pasted Apple logos.
- Soft flexible headphones.
- Data cable.
- Original charger (its standard weight is 60 grams).
All these things are made in white colors. Cables should be folded as neatly as possible, have wide transparent ties (to prevent unwinding) and placed in additional plastic packaging. Headphones from the original iPhone are always pleasant to hold in your hands, they have a soft flexible rubberized wire. Their plastic parts should not have defects (chips, scratches, sharp corners, protruding sections of the material, burrs, etc.).
How to distinguish iPhone from a fake the first time?
The following features that we list are specific to non-original products! If you, buying "iPhone", find at least one of them, be sure - this is a product of Chinese handicraft production:
- Support for two SIM cards.
- The presence of a stylus in the kit (the original smartphone, released by Apple, responds only to the tap of a finger and does not support stylus control).
- An additional slot for a memory card (unfortunately, the original “iPhone” does not have the ability to increase the amount of internal memory).
- Support for mobile TV (most often complete with a retractable antenna).
- The Home key, flat or curved outward (in the original, it must be concave).
- Constant braking and very long "meditations" at work are the most visible and felt difference between the Chinese iPhone and the original.
Finally
Chinese engineers, of course, are becoming more and more creative year after year, and their hard work can only be envied. Therefore, fakes more and more take over the features of original products and flood the technology market. How to distinguish "iPhone" from the Chinese counterpart, we told, and the conclusions suggest themselves. Alas, a similar Chinese design does not mean the fullness of functions that is inherent in high-quality products. Therefore, before deciding to buy a phone from Apple, remember this material and pass suspiciously "profitable" offers from unverified sellers. Forewarned is forearmed!