Your shiny new iPhone 15 Pro Max ...

[Clitheroekid]

... may not be all it seems - https://appleinsider.com/articles/23/11 ... rd-to-spot

It's a strange and disconcerting aspect of contemporary life that it's becoming increasingly difficult to determine what's actually real and what's not. In simpler times fakes were reassuringly obvious, but this phone is almost indistinguishable from the real thing, and I'm sure that 99% of buyers would be fooled. Perhaps the camera would give it away, but I'm sure that because people were convinced that they owned a real iPhone most of them would just accept that it wasn't as good as they'd hoped / expected, and never suspect it was a fake.

The same is happening in the world of luxury watches, where the fakes are now so good that it needs an expert to detect them.

Add in the deepfake technology being applied to sound and video, and the ability of AI to create text that is effectively the same as that created by a human, and the lines between reality and fakery are becoming worryingly blurred.

Worst of all, the trend can only head in one direction. Where will this leave us in 10 or even 5 years' time?

[Lanark]

If you watch the video, I think it would be obvious within 15 minutes of using it that it's a fake, these phones are a bit like fake Rolexes, they are bought by people in full knowledge that their £300 phone is fake but they just want the pose value of the Apple logo.

[stevensfo]

... may not be all it seems - https://appleinsider.com/articles/23/11 ... rd-to-spot

It's a strange and disconcerting aspect of contemporary life that it's becoming increasingly difficult to determine what's actually real and what's not. In simpler times fakes were reassuringly obvious, but this phone is almost indistinguishable from the real thing, and I'm sure that 99% of buyers would be fooled. Perhaps the camera would give it away, but I'm sure that because people were convinced that they owned a real iPhone most of them would just accept that it wasn't as good as they'd hoped / expected, and never suspect it was a fake.

The same is happening in the world of luxury watches, where the fakes are now so good that it needs an expert to detect them.

Add in the deepfake technology being applied to sound and video, and the ability of AI to create text that is effectively the same as that created by a human, and the lines between reality and fakery are becoming worryingly blurred.

Worst of all, the trend can only head in one direction. Where will this leave us in 10 or even 5 years' time?

There used to be loads of fake perfumes around and probably still are. It is interesting how the makers of the fakes got around this. These days, they simply sell cheap but perfectly legal perfumes that are described 'inspired by...' or 'alternative to...' Some are really very good, others not so. A good brand is Chogan. But you have to read the reviews carefully.

Many years ago, my wife returned from a trip to China with about four fake designer t-shirts for me. The quality of the cotton was excellent and they lasted ages.

Though not sure if they were real fakes or false imitation fakes.

Steve

[Niksen]

these phones are a bit like fake Rolexes, they are bought by people in full knowledge that their £300 phone is fake but they just want the pose value of the Apple logo.

Some of the fakes are manufactured to fool Apple into swapping them for real ones - http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-forei ... c-out-5000

[Infrasonic]

these phones are a bit like fake Rolexes, they are bought by people in full knowledge that their £300 phone is fake but they just want the pose value of the Apple logo.

Some of the fakes are manufactured to fool Apple into swapping them for real ones - http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/two-forei ... c-out-5000

I remember reading about some very sophisticated factories in Thailand and Vietnam that were turning out high quality fake iPhones, there was an intimation in the articles that it was almost impossible to make them to the standard they were without collusion from one or more individuals on the inside of the legitimate Apple supply chain/manufacturer...

[Lanark]

Fake iPhones are pretty easy to spot for anyone who is familiar with using iOS.
The exterior is pretty perfect though, so I can imagine a bricked phone getting past the staff in an Apple store.
Most people buying a fake iPhone are well aware it is running Android, they just want the look from a cheap phone.

Apple probably caught on when the same people started bring in multiple bricked phones every day.

[Lootman]

If you watch the video, I think it would be obvious within 15 minutes of using it that it's a fake, these phones are a bit like fake Rolexes, they are bought by people in full knowledge that their £300 phone is fake but they just want the pose value of the Apple logo.

Yes, when I worked in Hong Kong there were cheap fake versions of almost every designer brand. You bought them anyway because, for the quality or functionality, they were better value for money than the "real" over-priced item.

Fake brands are a natural consequence of greed on the part of the purveyors of so-called "luxury" goods, where most of the price is for the name or label only. My £200 phone works just fine and I never have to worry about it being a fake.