Hello, dear friends! Today we’ll talk about how to distinguish an iPhone 6 from a fake.
This is no longer a new product on the electronics market. New iPhones are presented every day. And now iPhone 6 is available mainly on the secondary market. Plus, a new replica may occur.
But passing off a counterfeit device as a new original one is not reasonable. It was discontinued. Apple stopped producing it a long time ago.
Since not everyone can afford a new model, many are looking for a high-quality, well-preserved used device.
Be careful. A copy of the original device is often sold. If it is a fake, then you can distinguish it without any problems. It is enough to find out the characteristic features of counterfeit versions.
There is one more problem. These are refurbished devices. We will also talk about them separately.
How to distinguish the original iPhone battery
The global popularity of Apple technology leads to more and more counterfeit products appearing on the market: from the smallest housing elements and spare parts to individual copies of smartphones and tablets.
Sometimes it is very difficult to distinguish an original from a fake, however, knowing the basic parameters of the original components, you can avoid the danger of using fakes. Below are the main points with which you will learn how to distinguish an original iPhone battery from a fake. As a rule, non-original batteries have a capacity less than that stated on the part itself. You can check the actual capacity only while using the smartphone. If after replacing the battery the phone discharges very quickly, constantly turns off and gets very hot, most likely the battery is fake. The use of counterfeits not only threatens to reduce operating time. Low-quality batteries can swell or even explode inside the smartphone case. This can seriously damage other components of the iPhone.
What you need to know about refurbished devices
Refurbished iPhone 6s are available for sale. But not everyone understands what it is.
There are 2 options:
- Officially restored
. These are devices that were found to have defects during pre-sale preparation, as well as during the first year of operation. Users had them replaced under warranty. These smartphones are sent to factories. They are being repaired there. And again they end up on the counter. But already with the Apple Certified label. Their special feature is a big discount. The equipment is identical. But another box. She is white. No images. The model is written on the front side; - Unofficially restored
. These are purchased non-working phones. They are repaired and also resold as new. Alas, not everything is repaired efficiently. There are no guarantees for the safety of working condition. There are almost no original parts. This is the processor, motherboard, and Touch ID. The rest is replaced with cheap analogues. The equipment is also non-original. The box is identical to the original.
During official restoration, smartphones are sold through official dealers and representatives. They come with a good discount and a guarantee. It is at least 1 year.
Distinctive features
There are several points by which you can identify unofficially restored 6th generation iPhones:
- unofficial ones are sold in repair shops, as well as on social networks and kiosks;
- the cost is 2 times lower;
- the components look like new, as if they have not been used, and the phone itself is already worn in places;
- uneven gaps on the body;
- serial number mismatch;
- Some elements and functions may not work.
Buying an iPhone 6 like this is dangerous. This is a risk. And often unjustified.
Inscriptions on the battery
In order not to purchase a copy of the battery, first you need to pay attention to the text that is printed on it:
- Letters must be clear;
- No spelling errors in words. The incorrect spelling of an English word is a direct indication that it is not original;
- The original battery for the IPhone has the inscription Apple Japan (on the front side of the battery). Fakes do not have such an inscription or it is replaced with Chinese characters and other phrases.
Low prices
The first and most obvious sign is the low cost of the device. Nobody will sell the original for pennies; the cost of the real thing reaches 60,000 rubles for some models. It is better to purchase such equipment from official dealers in specialty stores; you can also order delivery on the Apple website itself. If you have found a place where you can profitably buy (as they tell you) a real iPhone 6, it is better to immediately use additional parameters to determine whether the smartphone is a real “Apple” smartphone.
Battery statistics view function
Starting with iOS 8, all iPhones have the ability to view battery statistics. You can track its use and consumption for individual installed applications. This software option also allows you to detect a fake battery. The fact is that all original batteries have a microchip built into them that is capable of tracking these statistics. 90% of counterfeits do not have such a chip, so unscrupulous Chinese manufacturers are trying to save money.
Go to the settings of your iPhone and click on “Basic”. Open the "Statistics" section and click on the "Battery Usage" field. The window that opens should display detailed information about the operation of each application, as well as an analysis of battery energy consumption. If there is no “Battery Usage” window in the settings or it is empty, this indicates that your IPhone is running a fake battery. This way you can check which battery you are using without opening the device.
Equipment and external parameters
Before you take a closer look at the iPhone 6, take a look at its packaging and components.
A dishonest manufacturer and trader can be identified immediately; you can distinguish it this way: on the side of the box there should be the word “iPhone”; on counterfeits, “iPhone 6” is most often indicated.
In addition to the smartphone itself, the package contains the following items:
- headphones;
- Lightning cable;
- charger;
- a pair of Apple stickers;
- documentation;
- a paper clip designed to remove a SIM card.
If the composition of the box differs from what is listed above or the quality level of the items raises suspicions, they are planning to sell you a fake. When something is missing, you should ask the store why it happened.
On the back cover of the original there are the inscriptions “iPhone, Designed by Apple in California, Assembled in China”, there is also a model code and certification marks.
On Chinese iPhones, some other phrases or signs are often added. It is also worth immediately noting that Apple equipment is assembled only in China, but the quality of this assembly is not even close to Chinese copies, it is easy to distinguish, the corporation carefully monitors its production.
Before removing the back panel of the iPhone 6, you need to unscrew the screws; there is no other way to remove it, but if it can be easily removed, this is a fake. In addition, the proprietary device does not have a front-facing peephole above the microphone. Also, true representatives of the “apple family” do not have such features that are often found in Chinese units:
- no retractable antenna for radio and TV;
- there is no slot for a flash drive, there is only space for a SIM card;
- It does not charge from USB or mini USB connectors (exclusively Lightning).
Most users are accustomed to having the ability to insert an additional flash drive into their phone, but the iPhone 6 does not provide this option. In addition, not a single iPhone in its entire history has ever supported a memory card. This is worth remembering and recognizing the original in time.
These devices have decent functionality, but if the seller decides to show you the antenna and says that the device has a TV, leave immediately. There are no and never have been digital and analog TV in devices of any iPhone series. Also on the original body there should not be:
- hieroglyphs;
- numerous connectors;
- easy-to-remove rear panel with screws;
- extra SIM slot (iPhones do not support 2 SIMs).
You can twist the device, evaluate the quality - it should not creak, make extraneous sounds, and there should be no play. It is worth noting that this gadget has a non-removable battery, you can easily distinguish it by it.
Appearance of the battery. We distinguish the original from the fake
It is very important to pay attention to the appearance of the battery. Take the battery in your hands and press it lightly. A low-quality fake may crunch a little. This indicates that the battery is not sealed and its use can be dangerous. Also pay attention to the battery cover. It should not peel off or stain your hands.
In copies, the flexible battery cable is thin and flimsy. The original cable is of normal thickness and does not leave the battery. Also pay attention to the ends of the connectors. In fakes they are dark, sometimes crooked, and the board is scratched or worn. In the original battery, the ends of the connector are always light and shiny, and the ends of the board have a matte appearance. The board itself is not scratched and has no clearly visible abrasions.
Compare the original battery of your iPhone with the one you want to purchase. Their appearance must be absolutely identical.
What types of copies are there?
First, let’s define what a copy of an iPhone is. This is a smartphone that is similar in appearance to the original Apple smartphone, but runs on a different operating system and is much simpler in terms of hardware.
Previously, there were simple phones without an operating system. Now copies of the iPhone 6 are Android smartphones . The operating system has a different appearance and settings to make the device as similar as possible to a real smartphone from Copertino.
You can find devices similar to iPhone from Chinese brands and even world leaders in electronics. Such devices have a completely different name, different configuration and packaging, so we will not talk about them in this article.
Counterfeits from China have recently become much better in quality; the materials used are sometimes identical to those used by Apple. If previously the screen of a “clone” was, as a rule, smaller, now it is similar in size and resolution is close to the original, at least by eye.
Check using PC
This is also a surefire way to identify even the most advanced copy of the sixth generation iPhone. To do this, we need a personal computer (laptop or desktop) and the latest version of iTunes installed. You can find it on the same official Apple website for both Windows and Mac.
The original iPhone, after connecting to the PC and launching iTunes, should request synchronization. If your computer is silent and does not react to the device in any way, then this is probably a fake.
Package
First of all, the whole box should alert you. Already at the initial stage of acquaintance, it will help to immediately distinguish a fake. The outer packaging of the iPhone looks like this - a pure white box embossed in the shape of the smartphone itself. There are no pictures above that imitate his “desktop”.
On the side there should be the inscription “iPhone”, without the suffix “6”. The apple logo is also required.
This is what you will see when you open the branded packaging.
The box, and the iPhone itself, must be covered with a transparent protective film. There should be no air bubbles under it, glued at the factory, it is evenly applied to the surface.
An important point is that the presence of the original box with receipts is a necessary condition for providing a guarantee and technical assistance when identifying problems with the device . So don’t be fooled by stories about packaging lost during a move when you pick up a used iPhone. A knowledgeable user who is familiar with the terms of use of brand gadgets will never make such an oversight.
Branded software
Another fairly simple way to distinguish a fake from an original is to try going to the proprietary App Store application on your iPhone. If you see a counterfeit, even the most sophisticated one, then it will definitely take you to the Google Play store intended for devices running the Android platform.
Naturally, Google does not have Apple-branded applications, or at least most of them. You can also try searching for Keynote and iMovie. If the smartphone does not detect them, then this means that this is a fake.
