Spend enough time on the internet, and you’re bound to come across a horror story of some unfortunate soul duped into spending hundreds of dollars on a fake iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max. It may look like a brand new iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max from the outside, but it’s not even close on the inside, with a cheap camera, outdated processor, and other cheaper components ninstead of the real thing.
If you want to avoid wasting your cash on a fake iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max, here’s our easy guide to help check that your new phone is authentic.
How to spot a fake iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max
1. How to Spot Fake iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max via Packaging
Minimalist, intelligent, and clean — these are the perfect words to describe the boxes that come with iPhone’s. Anyone who knows a thing or two about tech brands also knows how much Apple pays attention to the details, even when it comes to the packaging.
Check for misspellings and wrong information
A company like Apple would not have typographical errors on the box itself or even in the manuals. These materials go through multiple rounds of proofreaders and copywriters before printing.
Typos are a dead giveaway that your iPhone 14 Pro is fake, both on the outer packaging and in the accompanying documents inside the box.
The box of an original iPhone 14 Pro should display a model number, serial number, and IMEI. These numbers should match what you see when you open the Settings app and select General > About. If the specifications don’t match, it’s possible your iPhone 14 Pro is a clone.
Snug fit
Who knew that even the suction you feel when opening an iPhone’s box was intentionally put there?
Original iPhone 14 Pro box is composed of two parts — an inner box that houses the box contents and an outer box with the image of the product. To open the box, you need to raise the outer box and wait for the inner packaging to release itself naturally. This is something that most counterfeit products cannot fabricate.
To check this, get yourself another box from an authentic iPhone. Familiarize yourself with the drag and suction from that box and compare it to your iPhone 14 Pro box. If the sensation isn’t the same, then you probably have fake iPhone 14 Pro.
Box contents and logo
You should also know how to spot fake iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max by checking what’s inside the box. Oftentimes, counterfeit iPhone 14 Pro will only have the manual. However, authentic iPhone 14 Pro would have two more documents, aside from the manual — the safety sheet and the warranty card.
You don’t get a pre-fitted screen protector on the phone, nor do you get a case in the box, and you don’t get a charger either. But the original iPhone 14 Pro does ship with a USB-C to lightning cable that powers up the iPhone.
Apart from that, the logo is also one of the first things people check out in the iPhone 14 Pro box. The original one has a sharper and more defined edge along the bite area. The counterfeit one, however, might have rounded edges. Of course, this is quite easy for fraudsters to replicate, so you shouldn’t base your conclusion on the logo alone.
2. Check the Dynamic island feature
Inspecting the packaging is the simplest way to know if you have fake iPhone 14 Pro, but there are a few design anomalies that could give the game away even sooner.
Once you get the phone unwrapped, just look at the top of the screen. The main visual change you’ll notice on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max is the pill-shaped cutout at the top of the screen. The Dynamic Island is Apple’s fancy name for the punch-hole cutout on the new iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. It’s a software extension of the physical hole that contracts and expands into different shapes and sizes. The goal? To show you alerts, notifications, and widgets in order to let you interact with them and their respective apps. You can control your background/ongoing activities such as timers, Google Maps directions, ongoing phone calls, and a whole lot more. Some fake developers have created a Dynamic Island-style notification area for Android devices however, it lacks the ability to expand and contract.
Some fake iPhone 14 Pro have a literal secondary display on top of their main screen, which is used to let you do simple tasks like muting the sound or turning on your flashlight. Similarly to Apple’s Dynamic Island, it also displays notifications.
3. Check the Apple logo on the back of the iPhone.
Next, flip the iPhone over and look at the logo on the back. Although this can look IDENTICAL to the real one, there are usually slight, small errors that distinguish a fake. A fake iPhone 14 Pro might have a slightly recessed logo and/or a mirror finish.
4. Look for a memory card slot
The iPhone 14 Pro does not have a memory card slot. If your phone has a slot for any size memory card, it’s likely an Android that has been reworked to look like an iPhone 14 Pro.
5. Inspect the charging port
Next we can look at the bottom of the phone, which will give away a few different factors to determine the validity of this device. Generally, a fake iPhone 14 Pro will have a plastic border around it or just simply and engraved line around the port to simulate the same build as the original product.
6. Penta Lobe Screws
Next to the charging port you can see some of the common screws used in all the iPhone products. These are called Penta lobe screws, simply meaning they have 5 screw head points. A fake iPhone 14 Pro has normal cross screws which can be a dead giveaway if you pay attention to such a small element.
7. Check the Camera Body
Next you can look at the camera build from the back. This is not from within the app itself but just the camera alone. The massive camera bump on an original iPhone 14 Pro ensures that it does not lay level on a flat surface. This means the phone wobbles if you try to use it while it’s sitting on a table or counter. Usually in the fake iPhone 14 Pro, recedes a bit, giving the camera less height than that of the original iPhone.
8. Check the welcome Logo
The welcome logo is the first thing that you see when you turn on an iPhone. This is not something you experience usually on fake iPhone 14 Pro. Usually you get a screen with the word “Welcome” rather than the original Apple logo. This is a complete dead giveaway of a fake iPhone 14 Pro.
9. Check the Camera app
Now we’ll get into the camera within the app itself. Knockoffs NEVER have the top of the line camera in them so you will notice a distinct difference in the quality. Remember how cameras looks back in the mid 2000s? That’s pretty much what you will get. It’s like the quality went back to standard definition. Unless you’re so outdated with smartphones, there is no way you wouldn’t notice the quality difference when using either the selfie camera or the rear facing camera.
10. Check iTunes and App Store
Here is the biggest difference between real and fake iPhone 14 Pro. Most fake iPhone 14 Pro are running off Android because they can adjust the interface’s skin. Android devices DO NOT have an iTunes or Apple store. If you click these, it will redirect to another app and/or go to a google play store. If these apps do anything besides open the expected apple stores, then it is fake software and a knock off iPhone 14 Pro.
11. Check the Screen brightness
Generally, the first thing you’ll notice is that the screen is not as vibrant as it should be in the fake iPhone 14 Pro. Colors look washed out and overall you think your brightness setting is turned all the way down.
12. Look for Apple’s default apps
The iPhone 14 Pro come with certain apps installed, including the App Store, Settings, Compass, and Safari. If you see a Play Store app on your iPhone, it’s a dead giveaway that you’re using an Android that was made to look like an iPhone 14 Pro.
13. Price Difference Between Real vs. Fake iPhone 14 Pro
The price difference between fake and real iPhone 14 Pro is the most significant source of temptation for counterfeit buyers. After all, why spend a thousand bucks on authentic iPhone 14 Pro if you can buy a device that looks like it for a third of the price?
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus starting price is $799 and $899, respectively, while the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max starting price is $999 and $1099, respectively.
If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
However, this isn’t a guarantee, as some sellers may also raise the prices of their counterfeit iPhone 14 Pro to make it seem like they’re the real deal.
14. How to Tell if iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max is Fake via the Serial Number
When you go to report a missing object to the police, the first thing they’ll often ask for is a serial number. In this section, we’ll show you how to find your phone’s serial number and how to use this to check if the iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Maxis real.
The serial number is the fingerprint of a product. It is a combination of numbers and letters assigned only to a specific unit produced.
This allows Apple to track specific units during inventory. Aside from that, Apple also uses serial numbers to identify defective batches. For users, the serial number is proof that the product actually came from Apple and not any other manufacturer.
Your iPhone 14 Pro serial number can be found in Settings > General > About.
Once you have your iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max serial number, check if it is real or fake by simply heading to the Apple Coverage Check page. Entering the iPhone’s serial number into Apple’s warranty status website should display the model, warranty period, support status, and other information about the phone. If you see a message that says “We’re sorry, but this serial number is not valid,” your iPhone is fake.
How to avoid buying a fake iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max
The simplest way to avoid buying a fake iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max is to purchase directly from the Apple Store, a trusted retailer, or through Apple’s Amazon store.
Conclusion
Identifying a fake iPhone 14 Pro is as tricky as ever. Even with the most stringest checks in place, you might find yourself saddled with a fake iPhone 14 Pro. With the things we discussed above, though, you should be properly armed to take on the challenge.
Now, hopefully, you won’t be easily fooled by those who want to take advantage of your desire to possess this high-end smartphone at enviably “discounted price.
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