The iPhone 17 Pro Max launched last year with a very eye-catching design and colour. It introduced a refreshed look for Apple’s most premium and expensive model. This naturally led to iPhone 17 Pro Max copies, which seem to be a growing trend in India, with mobile shop owners applying skins to match the unique rear design. This ‘copying trend’ seems to have gone too far: replicas of the iPhone 17 Pro Max are readily available in the market, with almost identical designs and features, and at a fraction of the original price.
It’s not the first time we’re hearing about fake iPhones, but the clever disguise can easily fool anyone, as we’ve seen in a video by tech YouTuber Tech Burner, who actually purchased an iPhone 17 Pro Max clone for Rs 15,999. Starting with the packaging, the resemblance is uncanny, with the iPhone image on the front and even the thin tear strip at the bottom. Inside, too, the packaging is similar, although on close inspection you can feel the lack of premium quality you get from the actual device.
There are some noticeable differences, though, especially the colour of the clone iPhone’s camera module, which is a very bright orange, unlike the original. So that should be a good indicator of the iPhone’s genuineness. Booting up the clone iPhone 17 Pro Max shows the same startup screen as you’d see on an iPhone, but with a slower boot-up time. The user interface is also very similar to the clone iPhone running some iOS skin, but upon using it, you can see the issues. Most apps don’t work, or they’re fake (clearly), and the iPhone doesn’t connect to the Wi-Fi either. The camera quality is also not good and is not on par with the original iPhone.
While these are clear indicators that the iPhone is fake, the surprising part is that it has a legit serial number. After typing the serial number on Apple’s website, it pulls up a page showing the warranty details. Seeing this, anyone would say that the iPhone is genuine, which shows how easily one can be tricked by this fake device.
We found one seller online, shopphones.shop, where you can buy clones of various iPhone models. Here, the iPhone 17 Pro Max 1TB Variant in Cosmic Orange colour is available for Rs 15,999. Pictures show the iPhone, and a description and specifications of the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
It is not easy to pass off a fake iPhone, but copying methods have become far more convincing in recent years. With iPhones being among the most popular smartphones in India, the risk of such scams is also higher. This makes it important to stay cautious. It is always safer to buy an iPhone from authorised sellers, and if you are considering a refurbished or used unit, the device should be checked carefully before purchase.
