Authenticity
Spot a fake iPhone from the model number
To spot a fake iPhone, open the App Store, Siri and Find My, then read the model number in Settings: its first letter says M for new, F for Apple refurbished, N for a replacement.
Two checks complete the letter. The serial number, entered yourself on Apple's coverage service, must match the advertised model, colour and storage. The parts history then says whether the screen and battery are Apple parts: a genuine iPhone can still be a repaired one. And a box proves nothing — read the number on the powered-on device. An N or F device is not a fake, but it does not sell at an M price.
Step 1
First: is it an iPhone, or a disguised Android?
The genuine full copy — an Android phone dressed as an iPhone — is rare but real, and it does not survive three gestures. It imitates the home screen, never the ecosystem behind it.
- Open the App Store and start a download: a clone has no real App Store, or opens a store that resembles nothing.
- Hold the side button to summon Siri, then ask for the time.
- Settings > General > Software Update: the page must query Apple and answer.
- Look for clumsy translations, stuttering animations and menus that look like Android.
- Open the Find My app: it does not exist on a clone.
Step 2
The letter that tells how the device was born
This is the most useful check on the page and it takes ten seconds. The model number — not to be confused with the model name — starts with a letter indicating how Apple put that device into circulation. A seller may genuinely not know this detail; they cannot change it.
- Settings > General > About > Model Number. Tap it: it switches from a short code to the full form, like MN572xx/A.
- M — sold new. This is what a "like new, never repaired" must show.
- F — officially refurbished by Apple.
- N — a replacement device, handed over by Apple during a service.
- P — a personalised device, engraved to order.
- The two letters before /A give the country of sale: useful in Morocco, where many devices are imported.
Step 3
Neither N nor F means "fake"
This is the nuance missing everywhere, and it protects the buyer and the honest seller alike. An Apple refurbished unit goes through a full diagnostic, gets a new battery if capacity has dropped, and leaves with a new shell. It is often a better device than a "new" one of murky provenance. The problem is never the letter: it is the gap between the letter and what the listing claims.
- Listing says "new, never opened" + an N or F number: the story does not hold, whatever the actual condition.
- Listing says "Apple refurbished" + an F number: consistent, and rather reassuring.
- Listing says "replaced under warranty" + an N number: consistent too.
- A seller who explains the letter before you find it beats one who discovers it alongside you.
Step 4
The serial number, checked at Apple and nowhere else
The serial number is verified on Apple's official coverage service, which answers whether the device exists and what its warranty status is. Do this yourself, on the spot, with the number read off the screen — not from a screenshot sent yesterday.
- Settings > General > About > Serial Number.
- Enter it on Apple's coverage check page from your own phone.
- A number that returns nothing is a serious signal: either invented, or mistyped.
- A valid number is not enough: it must match the advertised model, colour and storage.
- Check that the model Apple reports is the one in your hand.
Step 5
Genuine does not mean untouched
A perfectly authentic iPhone can carry a replacement screen, a non-Apple battery or a swapped camera. Authenticity and integrity are two different checks, and the parts history answers the second.
- Settings > General > About, parts and service history section.
- "Genuine Apple Part" on every line: nothing was changed outside the channel.
- "Unknown Part": that component was replaced elsewhere — not a fake phone, a repaired one.
- The screen-by-screen and battery-by-battery detail lives in the two dedicated guides.
Step 6
What eye and hand still catch
When menus do not respond, or the model is too old for a parts history, the finish remains. A copy always saves money in the same places.
- Weight: a copy is almost always lighter than the original of the same model.
- Rear engravings: uneven spacing, approximate typeface, text that rubs off with a fingernail.
- Buttons: soft travel, lateral play, a dull thud instead of a crisp click.
- The screen lit in the dark: uneven edge glow, blacks drifting toward grey.
- The SIM tray: loose fit, plastic where the original is metal.
0/8 checks completed
Checklist to use in person
Used prices of models relevant to this guide
Used, good condition
- iPhone 18 Pro Max21 500 DH· 17 listings
- iPhone 17 Pro Max12 400 DH· 36 listings
- iPhone 17 Pro10 500 DH· 11 listings
- iPhone 16 Pro Max8 750 DH· 40 listings
- iPhone 177 400 DH· 7 listings
- iPhone 15 Pro Max7 250 DH· 78 listings
- iPhone 16 Pro7 000 DH· 13 listings
- iPhone 15 Pro6 100 DH· 34 listings
Asking prices on marketplaces in Morocco, collected and filtered by Damjitech on 8 October 2026. This is not a complete survey of every platform or an offer from Damjitech.
Sources and limits
Reference sources
FAQ
Common questions
How do I know an iPhone is genuine?
Cross-check three things: the ecosystem (App Store, Siri and Find My must work), the model number in Settings > General > About, and the serial number verified on Apple's coverage service. All three must tell the same story as the listing.
My model number starts with N — is that a problem?
Not in itself: it is a replacement device supplied by Apple during a service. The problem only appears if the listing presented it as new and never repaired.
Is an Apple refurbished iPhone a fake?
No. It has been through a full diagnostic, with a new battery and shell where needed. It is often a better buy than a "new" device with no invoice and no clear origin.
The seller shows the box with the right number — is that enough?
No. A box gets kept and resold. Read the number on the powered-on device and compare it to the box, never the other way round.
How do I spot a copy without switching the phone on?
You cannot, reliably. Weight, engravings and buttons give hints, but a seller who refuses to switch the device on has answered the question another way.
Face ID works, so the iPhone is genuine?
That proves it is not an Android clone, not that nothing was replaced. A genuine iPhone can carry a non-original screen or battery.
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