Possible fake iPhone 6

Lrzkman on 26/09/2016 - 13:18

Hi All,

I recently purchased a IP6 for my mum on eBay through this seller, oz_deal. 50K+ feedback, big seller.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/APPLE-iPHONE-6-16GB-64GB-128GB-4G…

When I opened the box the first thing that I noticed was that the charger doesn't have insulation on the base of the pins. I believe this is an Australia electrical safety requirement and surely any genuine Apple product would comply.

I also noticed that there were some marks and scratches on the unopened eyepods.

The SIM tray removal tool also seems a bit second rate with two visible kinks in the structure.

All these things ring out FAKE to me, however the phone itself appears to be fine. I put it next to my wife's locally purchased IP6 and there were no obvious differences.

Any idea what has happened here? Has the seller repackaged a genuine IP6 with third party accessories? I believe it shipped from Shenzhen China (hotbed for fake stuff).

Photos here, https://www.flickr.com/gp/sedap/rJ978F

Thoughts?

Thanks,
Ray.

Mobile

Comments

  • nicholasfrawley on 26/09/2016 - 13:22
    +2

    I would say it's just a grey import.

  • mooney on 26/09/2016 - 13:24
    +1

    That is nothing like any iPhone 6 charger i have seen… it should typically look like this: https://goo.gl/images/87X8UA

    It's definitely not what you would get from an apple store in Australia.

  • cauilfield on 26/09/2016 - 13:27
    +1

    Is the appstore working fine? iCloud?
    Possible just grey import with a plug that has been replaced. in this case it's a no drama. Buy a new plug if you are concerned about your safety from the apple store.

  • cloudy on 26/09/2016 - 13:33
    +1

    Take it to a apple store if u can and ask. They would spot a fake prett easily I reckon. I had a screen replaced by a third party and instantly the guys there knew.

  • Looking4Bargians on 26/09/2016 - 13:39

    So many iPhone Clone sealed box can be purchased from SE Asia market for $100. Google it , you will find out.

  • Apple96 on 26/09/2016 - 13:40

    it looks fake, since its apple on the back is black. than again that could just be the photo. Try turning it on?

  • rzkman on 26/09/2016 - 13:41

    Thanks all, yes I am just hoping it is a grey import that has been roughly repackaged with the AU charger. I do recall buying a smartphone a couple of years back and the repackaging process caused some marks on the brand new phone. Kinda stupid really, maybe they are squatting in some back alley repackaging these phones….

    Phone works fine 100%. Played Pokemon Go on it for the whole day yesterday. This tests apps store/network and battery durability. Seems fine.

    • Apple96 on 26/09/2016 - 13:51
      +3

      id run the serial through https://checkcoverage.apple.com/au/en/

      • Kangal on 26/09/2016 - 14:01

        This.

        Otherwise, you can take it to an Apple store and have them confirm for you.

      • Cheap Charlie on 26/09/2016 - 14:09
        +1

        Yes, also my suggestion.
        I would be determining if that phone has been previously activated.

        I would perhaps be more inclined to buy a iPhone from Nigeria before China.

        Edit: sellers description "This is AS brand new condition BUT NOT brand new unit"

        The item is also listed as "Item condition:New: Never Used"

  • kirock81 on 26/09/2016 - 13:45
    +3

    Did you read the sellers notes?

    Please read before purchase. All phones leave our fulfillment centre in pristine condition with absolutely NO sign of wear. This is AS brand new condition BUT NOT brand new unit. It may or may not come in its original retail packaging. In the event of replacement parts required, original or generic equivalent will be used depending availability. Accessories such as the charger and earphones that come with it may come with after-market equivalents that are fully compatible with the phone. For some phones if possible, we will include original accessories. All of our phones are fully backed by our 12MTH Australia-wide warranty and may have been activated earlier. You can contact us for any warranty claim instead of the manufacturer. Actual battery life may vary depending on usage patterns, installed apps and phone settings. We may ship your item directly from our international warehouse. Please feel free to email us if you are not sure.”

    • rzkman on 27/09/2016 - 10:34

      Yes good point. I guess even though I read this before purchasing the phone, it didn't really raise any concerns since it was coming from a powerseller. Have been buying electronics on eBay for many years now and this is the first time something is " This is AS brand new condition BUT NOT brand new unit." I guess this is a colourful way of saying it is refurbished. Overall if the phone works the same as a brand new phone, then I am not fussed.

  • bobbified on 26/09/2016 - 14:14

    The fake devices usually run on Android with a "skin" over it so that it looks like an iphone. Some of them are "skinned" pretty well and might be hard to tell just be looking at it.

    You can check to see if you've got access to the Apple Store and Facetime - both of these can only be only accessed on Apple devices.

    If you can't access these (even with the correct settings), then the unit is definitely not genuine.

    • shapers on 27/09/2016 - 12:13

      My cousins bought what they thought were real iPhone 4's a few years ago, worked and looked exactly like an iphone, could use Apple store etc but when taking the phone into an Apple store for a screen repair they were told it was a fake, a very good fake. They got photos taken of it to investiage etc

      • bobbified on 27/09/2016 - 15:58

        I was under the impression that the Apple Store and Facetime verifies the hardware and Apple ID before allowing access to its servers.

        Were the internals real and everything else fake? What operating system was it running on?

  • fruit on 26/09/2016 - 14:14

    Put the Serial or IMEI number (back of phone) into https://www.icloud.com/activationlock/ and see if it works.

    Or enter DFU https://www.theiphonewiki.com/wiki/DFU_Mode and flash a new image.

    • rzkman on 27/09/2016 - 10:37

      It says that the Activation Lock is on. What does that mean?

      • fruit on 27/09/2016 - 10:42

        It's probably genunie, Have you added your iCloud account to it? If not you won't be able to use it

  • supnigs super skids on 26/09/2016 - 15:37
    +1

    Refurbished iphone. New shell, fixed internals but packaged with fake accessories. Often collected as second hand /damaged units.

    • rzkman on 26/09/2016 - 21:09

      Wow..didn't even know such a think existed. Couldn't get through to the Applecare line today, will try again tomorrow and see what they say.

  • CyberMurning on 26/09/2016 - 15:38

    keep updating us we want to know fake/not

    • Cheap Charlie on 26/09/2016 - 17:01

      The Handset is genuine (Although likely to have received a new shell/digitizer and repackaged with repo box and accessories).

  • activ8newbs on 26/09/2016 - 17:28

    Just had a look.

    It isn't fake.

    The Advertsiement advises that there is Australian Warranty, and not necessarily Australian Stock. The box has been opened, the plug replaced, and then shipped to you.

    It is just intetnational stock. I bet my money that the box wasn't sealed in plastic when you receieved it.

    • rzkman on 26/09/2016 - 21:08
      +2

      Whoops, you lost that bet then. it was 'sealed' in the plastic similar to when buying locally. But it doesn't cost much to buy a machine to do the packaging I guess.

      • activ8newbs on 26/09/2016 - 23:30

        Hmm, i'm surprised to hear.

        My next guess would be that the "seal" wasn't the same as the original iphone seal. The original seal is very tight, and the edges arent sharp. The plastic is also very thin. There is no "gathering" per se, of the plastic on the edges.

        Any tell tale signs?

        • rzkman on 27/09/2016 - 10:27
          +1

          All the details in the listing point to the fact that it is form of refurbished/repackaged phone. They don't hide the fact that you might get some aftermarket accessories and the phone might not come in a box. But I didn't pay much attention to the plastic since at that point I never suspected it would be anything but a new and genuine phone from a powerseller.

  • Brendoo on 27/09/2016 - 08:40

    That's not a real Apple charger, no way. Wrong shape, pins look rough (metal should be smooth and high quality), no insulation like you said, and the pins have holes in them (normally they don't). Completely fake. SIM tool also looks fake. And I can guess the headphones are probably fake too.

    You also have a non-Australian model phone (the eBay ad neglected to say which model it was). The A1549 (printed on the back of your phone) is not the Aussie model. The A1586 is the Aussie model. Different radio frequencies. Did your wife buy hers from Australia? If so, compare the model number printed on the back of hers, it probably says A1586.

    http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/#iphone-6-iphone-6-plus (different models and which Telco they are meant for in each country)

    Also compare your screen with your wife's, bring up the same photo, also bring up a black (but on) screen and compare the quality with hers. Also tilt yours to various angles and see if it is nicely visible without the screen losing colour or going grey when you tilt it. Compare whites too. If it's had a screen and shell replacement (common) it's often inferior to Apple's screen because Apple do not let anyone buy their screens.

    • rzkman on 28/09/2016 - 10:54

      Thanks for the feedback, I will compare the phones tonight. Yes my wife's one is the one she lined up for at a Telstra shop on launch day. Luckily this phone is for my mum, so unless the flaws are either pointed out or very obvious, she won't notice the difference. Will have to be careful of such "AS brand new condition BUT NOT brand new" phones next time!

  • Avacardooo Rayy Mee on 05/10/2016 - 16:53

    Yeah the charger and headphones are not the original for this product.

    In the description it says "Accessories such as the charger and earphones that come with it may come with after-market equivalents that are fully compatible with the phone."

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