How to check the authenticity and distinguish a refurbished iPhone. How to distinguish an original iPhone from a fake one

Hi all! When buying such an expensive device as an iPhone, you always want to save money. Logical? Naturally. However, all official sellers often have approximately the same prices (recommended by Apple), which means that in order to buy cheaper, you have to turn to little-known stores or private advertisements.

And this is where an unpleasant surprise may await you and me, when the joy of the purchase may be replaced by disappointment that the device will turn out to be a genuine Chinese counterfeit. Therefore, it is better to prepare in advance and know the signs by which you can easily distinguish a real iPhone from a fake one. Which? Now we'll find out!

Since there are a huge number of “Chinese” iPhones, there are also a lot of signs by which they can be recognized - it makes no sense to indicate all of them, I will give only those that will absolutely accurately (and most importantly - quickly!) help you identify a fake iPhone.

What should be done?

• Check IMEI () - or (where it was purchased, is there a guarantee, what model, etc.). Naturally, if you enter a number and there is no information on it, then this is a reason to refuse the purchase. However, there is a certain nuance - some Chinese manufacturers manage to write the serial number from a real iPhone into a fake one, so you need to be quite careful and not limit yourself to this method.
• Just an ideal option - (laptop) and connect a smartphone to it. If the iPhone is original, iTunes will recognize it and allow you to work with it. The guarantee, as they say, is 100 percent, but you don’t always have a computer at hand :(
• The App Store must be present in the smartphone menu. Talk about the fact that it has been removed, you need to install it yourself, it is not in this version - complete nonsense. Run it - it should look like this.
• Please note that there are other standard applications from Apple in the menu - kiosk, tips, mail (find out!). Friends from the Middle Kingdom, as a rule, do not bother themselves much with copying them and something may be missing, but they should all be “in place” - that’s a fact!
• One of the simplest and most effective ways is to turn on the device, open the main menu and pay attention to the calendar and clock icons. The calendar should display the current date (if it is, of course), if not, then it should indicate the date that is currently in the iOS system. And on the clock icon the time is shown and the second hand “runs”. Always. It is in the menu, without going into the application. This is not and cannot be the case with any, even the highest quality Chinese counterfeit. This means that a quick glance at the device’s screen is enough to distinguish the original iPhone.

As you can see, there is nothing particularly complicated - authentication verification should not take much time.

About such things as the presence of two SIM cards, memory cards, a television antenna, “native” American assembly (by the way, find out where they are manufactured

Greetings, dear readers. In this article I will tell you how to check the authenticity of an iPhone. Many people ask the question: “How to check a purchased iPhone, whether it is real, and also which device should be preferred - legally imported into the territory of the Russian Federation, or the so-called. "unlocked"

In common parlance they are called “gray” mobile devices; they are not intended for sale in our state. This means that, of course, you can use them, but you cannot take advantage of the various support options and enjoy all the features and functions (for example, it is unlikely that you will be able to configure the Internet configuration on an iPhone at once).

Unlocked mobile devices are a set of ensuing problems, since all software is installed only using another special software product - for example, Cydia; however, this cannot guarantee the quality of the application. As for official, genuine iPhones, all of them must undergo certification stages and also have a warranty card from the telecom operator.

Activate your device using iTunes

Traditionally, the Russian language is integrated automatically, and all that remains is to find and select it in the “Settings” section. However, if we are talking about an unlocked phone, its new owner faces countless troubles.

1. If the device is damaged for some reason, warranty repairs will not help you in any way. Today, in the Russian Federation, service and maintenance are provided by only two mobile operators: MTS. In combination, they are suppliers of these devices to our state. This indicates that these companies have issued warranty cards with the participation of Apple Corporation. As a result, another warranty card is another proof of an unlocked phone.
2. You should not purchase an iPhone based on any advertisements, because there is a possibility that you will buy a stolen device. They are easily tracked by iTunes software and blocked. and only the current owner of the iPhone will be able to use the device in the future.

Distinctive features of a genuine device from an unlocked one

First of all, you should notice the Russian-language interface (after turning on the mobile device), branded packaging, installed iTunes program and.

The package includes the following:

• Russian-language interface.
• Warranty card from the communication operator.
• Authentic packaging (without any defects).
• Installed iTunes and Apple Store programs.
• Set of documents.
• Data cable.
• Power supply device.
• Headphones including remote control and microphone.

To find out how to check the authenticity of an iPhone in just a few steps, follow these steps:

1. Find its serial number, consisting of 11 or 12 digits, usually located on the device itself and on the bottom of the package. The serial number can also be found in the menu (go to “Settings”, “General”, “About device”). It is important that all three numbers correspond to each other, but if not, the iPhone can be considered “gray”.
2. Next, make sure that there is only one SIM card slot. In the 1st generation iPhone it is located at the top of the case, and in the 4S model it is on the side, and you can only place a micro-sim there (we know that its dimensions are much smaller than a traditional SIM card). If you need to open the back panel to remove the SIM card, you know that the phone is unlocked.
3. You can measure the overall dimensions of the device’s display and compare them with the dimensions of the display of a genuine iPhone (its diagonal size is 3.5 inches).
4. In addition, you can check the device for authenticity using the SNDeepinfo service. If he does not determine the serial number or establishes a discrepancy in the characteristics during the verification process, we can talk about a “gray” device.

It happens that the owner of an iPhone is asked to use a stylus. While Apple makes devices with touch screens, this means they can only be operated with your fingers.

You don’t have to worry about whether the iPhone is genuine if the device is purchased at a hardware store or at one of the offices of cellular networks, such as MTS or Svyaznoy. But if you intend to order an iPhone via the Internet (for example, from a Chinese store) or buy a gadget “from hand”, you need to be careful and insist on preliminary verification of the authenticity of the gadget via the Internet.

This method is the most suitable, because to use it you don’t even need to open the box and take out the device itself. Follow the instructions:

Step 1. Find the serial number of the device on the packaging - it should be located on the back of the box between the IMEI and the part number (Part No.). The serial number consists of 11 or 12 characters (numbers and letters).

Source: cheerfuleboway.tumblr.com

If the iPhone is printed and activated, check the “serial numbers” on the packaging and in the device settings (path “ Settings» — « Basic» — « About this device»).

If you purchase an iPhone in official stores, then you don’t have to worry that what you have in your hands may not be an original device from Apple. However, if you bought it on the Internet or from hand, then how to check the authenticity of the iPhone?

How to check the authenticity of an iPhone on the official Apple website

This method is considered the most optimal, since to use it you don’t even need to open the box and take out the iPhone. See instructions:

Find the iPhone serial number on the box - it is usually located on the back of the box in the middle of the IMEI and Part No. The serial number consists of eleven or twelve characters (numbers and letters).

If the device is printed and activated, check the “serial numbers” on the box and in the device settings (go to “Settings” - “General” - “About this device”).

1. Go to Apple's official website using the "Check Service and Support Eligibility" link.
2. Enter the serial number of the device in a special window, then enter the captcha code.
3. Once you have finished entering these, click “Continue”.

If you dialed the wrong number, the following notification will pop up on the screen:

Check the device serial number. If the numbers match, your iPhone is probably “gray”, it’s better not to buy it. If everything is correct and the serial number matches, you will notice the following data on the screen

A check in the green box next to the item “Valid date of purchase” confirms that the iPhone is original. Other items describe the warranty on the smartphone for a period of 1 year from the date of purchase. The owner also has the right to a free consultation for three months.

In this example, the warranty period has come to an end, so the system will offer only paid service. When the iPhone is not yet in an activated state, you will notice an exclamation point in the yellow box and the message “You need to confirm the date of purchase of the product.”

The fact that the service detected this device in the database, and did not pop up an error notification, proves that the iPhone is not “gray”. Look: when the device’s serial number begins with the characters “5K”, then you have an iPhone of the Refurbished category, then There is a Refurbished iPhone repaired by the manufacturer or seller and should not be called completely new, although it was repaired with high quality and Apple provides a full guarantee for this device.

How to check an iPhone for authenticity and originality using IMEI

The authentication procedure is also performed through iMEI. It is possible to determine the IMEI number using several methods:

Find it on the box with the barcode. IMEI is located below the serial number. Detect on a boat under a SIM card

Using iPhone Settings. Go to - "Settings" - "General" - "About this device". Use the key combination, enter the number *#06#, and the number will appear on your screen.

The number consists of fifteen numbers without letters. You can check your iPhone for authenticity using imei at:

In essence, the international identifier website itself is available at www.imei.info. To find out, you need to enter a fifteen-digit number in the "Enter IMEI" window. Then click "Check". Device information will be displayed on the screen.

If this information is not enough for you, click the “Read More” button - complete data about the device will be displayed, accompanied by a photo and 3D animation. If everything matches, the iPhone will appear in the database.

When registering on the website www.imei.info using your mailbox, check your Spam folder - probably the letter with the offer to activate your account should be there.

This service helps you find out to what extent the hardware component of a smartphone is of high quality - most often, “underground” manufacturers use rather low-quality parts. The CNDeepInfo service is considered multi-purpose and is suitable for monitoring not only an iPhone, but also smartphones from other manufacturers.

Write down the IMEI number in the window and click the "Check" button. The result of control consists of several stages. Part 1 - certificate. The certificate indicates that this device is not considered stolen or lost by the original owner. If you would like to see more information that the certificate provides, click on the round button with the letter "i".

Nowadays, the likelihood of purchasing a fake instead of a real Apple product is extremely high. Underground companies have learned to produce phones that are very difficult to distinguish from the original. By the way, even the original products of a well-known company are assembled in China. But there are still a number of significant differences between genuine iPhones 4, 4s, 5 and 5s from Chinese counterfeits, and we will consider them.

External differences

To begin with, pay attention to the original Apple brand logos. The apple, which has become the hallmark of the iPhone, must be bitten on the right side. In addition, it is worth paying attention to the name of the model itself. There is no need to say that it is not worth purchasing a gadget with the inscription iPhone 5, 5s or eyePhone 4, 4s on it.

You don’t have to believe that the gadget offered to you is equipped with completely new, and certainly very necessary and convenient additions. You can find iPhones with built-in TV, a stylus, retractable antennas, and more. Salespeople will convince you that others simply do not yet know about newfangled improvements, and you will be the most advanced.

Apple is quite consistent in the production of new models, and there are simply no phones with two SIM cards and slots for memory cards. If you are offered an iPhone with a memory capacity of 73 GB or 30 GB, you should not purchase it, as they are offering you a Chinese counterfeit. On models such as 5, 5s and 4, 4s, this amount of memory simply does not exist.

In addition, you may be offered devices in different colors, but you must remember that the iPhone 3 and 4s, just like the 5 and 5s models, were released only in white and black versions. So, the red or green color of the gadget is a clear signal that you are being offered a far from real product.

On real iPhones, the back cover is not removable. If, when examining the product on offer, you can easily gain access to the battery, this is a fake.

Internal differences

After, you need to take a closer look at the internal contents of the device. When you turn on your phone, the first thing you should pay attention to is the AppStore application. When you launch the application, you should be able to download the programs you need.

If the application sends you to Google Play, the phone does not run on the IOS operating system, which also runs on 5, which clearly signals that it is a fake. Also, pay attention to the quality of the language translation of the Menu. Many manufacturers of Chinese products do not bother to translate the menu into Russian, so some names may be spelled in the wrong cases or with incorrect abbreviations.

If you want to be absolutely sure, then you need to check the authenticity of your iPhone using the Apple.com website. The procedure is based on checking the iPhone's serial number or its IMEI.

The serial number can be found on the back panel or on the original box. IMEI is a number that is entered into the device firmware. You can find it in settings. If you entered the number correctly, you will be shown information about the name and model of the phone you are purchasing, its technical characteristics, firmware version, color and memory capacity.

Refurbished iPhone

Another problem that buyers may encounter is purchasing a previously refurbished iPhone under the guise of a new one. A phone that previously had certain defects in use could be restored, which is called refurbished.

The serial code or IMEI on the device itself and on the box will not match. In addition, you can see small seals on the screws that secure the back cover, which are not on the original. This is a clear sign that the iPhone was previously redesigned.

The protective metal mesh that covers the speaker has wider holes than in the original gadget, and when you check the activation date of the iPhone on the official Apple website, which was described above, the Refurbished iPhone will be activated much earlier than it was in your possession.

When purchasing an iPhone 3, 4 or 4s, you will most likely become the owner of a previously refurbished device, since these models have been out of production for quite some time.

That's all, we hope that our short tips and instructions will help you avoid many problems and save a lot of money and nerves, see you in new articles.