Technology news site Slash Gear has listed 6 fake iPhone models that users can easily encounter and shows how to distinguish them.
Since the first iPhone debuted in 2007, Apple’s smartphone has become something of a standard in phone design.
However, not all users have the financial ability to own an iPhone. And “if there is demand”, there will be “supply” – a special smartphone line was born with the name “Fake iPhone“.
With just a glance, we won’t be able to distinguish these smartphones from “real products”, but there are still clear differences in both software and hardware between them and iPhones.
Recently, technology news site Slash Gear listed 6 fake iPhone model that users can most easily encounter and show how to distinguish them.
1. i14 Pro Max
Named after the iPhone 14 Pro Max, there is no doubt that the i14 Pro Max is copied from Apple’s 2022 flagship model.
At a glance, the i14 Pro Max may be confused with the original, but in fact there is an important difference: this smartphone’s screen is only 6.5 inches – smaller than the 6.7 inches of the iPhone 14 Pro. Max.
Inside it also contains many interesting surprises, besides a relatively old operating system – Android 8.1 with 3GB RAM and 32GB of storage.
Its “Dynamic Island” feels quite odd compared to the original, and the fake iPhone only has a maximum connectivity of 4G, compared to the 5G of the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
It should be noted that the iPhone 14 Pro Max was priced at 1,099 USD at the time of launch and the i14 Pro Max was sold in China for 520 Yuan, which is about 72 USD.
2. LeEco S1 Pro
With the intention of imitating the iPhone 14 Pro, the manufacturer LeEco S1 Pro even tried to copy the Dynamic Island feature as much as possible, although it cannot be compared with the original in terms of performance.
The smartphone running Android 11 has 8GB RAM, 128GB memory and has a quite powerful 5000mAh battery.
Thanks to this battery, the fake iPhone is expected to be able to “survive” longer than the 3200mAh battery of the iPhone 14 Pro. However, Apple’s optimization of the software of iPhone models to save battery can level this difference.
The 6.5-inch screen of the LeEco S1 Pro is larger than the 6.1 inches of the iPhone 14 Pro, but it only has a 13 MP rear camera and a 5 MP front camera, so don’t expect anything in terms of photography.
An interesting thing is that the replica weighs 209.5 g while the original is 206 g. This makes the physical difference feel negligible.
Currently LeEco S1 Pro is sold in China for 899 Yuan, which is about 126 USD.
3. Gionee 13 Pro
Like the iPhone 13, the Gionee 13 Pro also has a distinctive diagonal dual camera cluster and a similar notch on the screen.
But if you have sharp eyes, you will immediately notice a big difference in design: Gionee’s red power button. Of course, users can easily hide this difference with a case.
Gionee 13 Pro is one of the smartphones not manufactured by Huawei that uses Harmony OS, but the overall performance of the device is not highly appreciated. The device is equipped with Unisoc Tiger T310 chip, 4GB RAM and 32GB or 128GB memory.
Although other Gionee smartphones are often sold outside of China, this fake iPhone model is currently only sold in the country of billions of people for 529 Yuan, equivalent to 83 USD.
4. Blackview A95
Although the notch is not the same as the iPhone, the 3-camera cluster of the Blackview A95 is quite similar to the iPhone 13 Pro, making it difficult to distinguish them from afar.
But the main point to note when distinguishing is that only the Sony IMX376 20MP main camera, advertised by the manufacturer as taking extremely good low-light photos, is active, the other two cameras are just for decoration.
The A95’s screen is 6.5 inches wide, using an HD panel, larger than the iPhone 13 Pro (6.1 inches) but smaller than the 13 Pro Max. Unlike the iPhone, which only uses your face to unlock the device, the A95 comes with a built-in fingerprint sensor on the side.
The device runs Android 11 operating system and is equipped with MediaTek Helio P70 chip.
Regarding battery, Blackview A95 has a 4380 mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging. Blackview A95 is currently on sale for $129.99 on Amazon.
5. GooPhone 15 Pro Max
GooPhone is the Chinese brand at the forefront of iPhone “imitation” technology.
These are Android smartphones that are known as “bringing the feeling of an Apple flagship but at a fraction of the price”. GooPhone is so popular that some people use GooPhone as a generic term for the most sophisticated imitations of the iPhone.
GooPhone has cloned from iPhone X to iPhone 14 and GooPhone 15 Pro Max is the latest clone of Apple’s latest flagship model. You will have a hard time distinguishing GooPhone from a genuine iPhone unless you go deep into applications like Photos or Files as well as the Google Play Store.
6. Gionee F1 Plus
Gionee F1 Plus is a clone of iPhone 14 Pro. It has a Unisoc T610 chip, 8GB RAM, 128GB memory, runs Android 12 operating system and a 4,000 mAh battery with 10W charging.
However, only the 13MP main camera in the camera cluster is active and the remaining 2 are just for “show”. In addition, there is a big difference in design between the F1 Plus and the iPhone 14 Pro: the fingerprint sensor next to the power button on Gionee’s smartphone model.
Gionee F1 Plus costs about 175 USD and is only sold in the Chinese market.