While the iPhone 14 will be revealed to the public in a few days, counterfeits of the smartphone have been appearing in China for several weeks. And of course the quality is far from being at the rendezvous…
China has a reputation for being an expert country in counterfeiting and, once again, copies of fashionable smartphones confirm this. And, this time, it’s about… the iPhone 14, Apple’s brand new model! For several weeks, videos on YouTube have shown tons of fake iPhones 14, bought in markets or from mobile operators. Yet the iPhone 14 hasn’t even been presented yet – so the copies are based on rumors that have been circulating on the internet for about a year (see our article). The true design of the device as well as its official technical sheet will be revealed during Apple’s Keynote on September 7th.
Fake iPhone 14: fakes more real than life
As the MacRumors site indicates, knockoffs of the iPhone 14 – including the Pro Max – are already swarming the streets of China. Smartphones are based on every detail revealed in leaks found on the Internet, such as the location of the rear camera with its imposing ultra wide-angle and the “pill and hole” cutouts that replace the iPhone 13 Pro notch. Counterfeits even go so far as to reproduce the protective film, accessories, adhesive tabs and barcodes. No detail is forgotten!
A video from the YouTube channel “Amazing Unboxing” takes a closer look at two copies. We can notice a slight color variation between the two – in terms of the shade of gray – but the designs remain convincing. On the other hand, when we look closer, defects unworthy of Apple begin to jump to the eyes, in particular the rear camera which is damaged after a few minutes. In addition, smartphones are quite slow, whether in navigation or opening applications. Moreover, they are not equipped with iOS but with an Android version which has been modified to imitate the interface of iOS 15 – a kind of “iDroid” in short. A very convincing illusion that makes imitations all the more dangerous. Remember that the components are generally inexpensive in order to offer a more affordable product. Parts that can be defective and that do not last in the long term… In short, so many elements that can mislead the consumer, especially since with the official release of the iPhone 14, scammers will further improve their copies. .