If you have not purchased your smartphone or tablet from an Apple Authorized Reseller Store, such as a classifieds site, this check will be very helpful for you for a number of reasons.
On the secondary market there are frequent cases of deception, therefore, through IMEI check and serial number, you can find out exactly where the iPhone was bought, find out the activation date, the remaining warranty (if any), find out if the new device is in front of you and check it for authenticity.
Let's take a closer look at each of these questions.
How do I find the IMEI and serial number of an iPhone?
The most reliable option is to look in the settings of the device itself. To do this, launch the "Settings" application, go to the "General" section and select the "About this device" item.
By clicking on it, you will see all necessary information including serial number and IMEI. For clarity, these points are circled in the screenshot. The whole sequence of actions is also true for the iPad.
Similar data are indicated on original box and the back of the device case. But if it comes about a used device, they could have been replaced, but the system will give 100% reliable information.
Another way is iTunes. Launch it and connect the device to your computer using a cable. Click on the name of your gadget, and on the "Overview" tab, its serial number will be displayed:
Check iPhone by IMEI
After you found out necessary information, you can run quick check devices using a special service. Not all of them work correctly, therefore, we recommend using the proven iphoneimei.info
Going to the site, you will see only one field, into which you need to drive the received IMEI numbers. Just a few seconds and you get the information you need:
As you can see from the screenshot, in this way, you can find out:
- iPhone activation date
- date and country of purchase
- the presence of a binding to the operator.
In addition to a third-party service, similar data can be obtained from the Apple website. More on this later in the article.
Serial number check
To check the warranty and get another useful information, as they say, "first hand", go to the Apple website at this link. You will see a page with the words "Verify eligibility for service and support" with a field in which you need to enter the serial number of the equipment, then the captcha, and click the "Continue" button.
As you can see in the screenshot above, this way you can quickly check Apple warranty, which is important if the seller assures you that it is still valid. Thus, you can verify this for yourself.
Proven methods.
The more popular Apple devices become, the more often you can see cheap Chinese fakes on original smartphones... And if a few years ago a fake could be identified by the characteristic crackle of the case or a poor-quality picture on the display, now the craftsmen are stamping almost perfect iPhone copies... So how not to fall for the bait of scammers and not buy a "leftist"?
The easiest way out is to buy an iPhone from an authorized dealer. The method is obvious, but not suitable for everyone, because sometimes you want to buy a gadget, and you only have enough money for a used model. But in any case, if the situation suffers, then it is better to dig up and take the original and legally "clean" (I think it is not necessary to remind about the frequent theft of phones) iPhone in a specialized store - these are the official Apple resellers in Russia.
However, if you have looked for a model on the site ad, a la Avito, and seriously decided to purchase a model from your hands, then you need to know a few distinctive features.
Checking the serial number
Whether you go to buy an iPhone alone or with a friend, be sure to arm yourself with a smartphone or tablet (you can even use Android) with the ability to access the Internet. This is absolutely necessary for accurate verification on the originality of the purchased device. What do you need to do?
Step 1. Go to the iPhone in the menu " Settings» → « The main» →« About this device"And find the item" Serial number».
Step 2. Follow this link from your device. The link leads to the official Apple website in the section for checking serial numbers.
Step 3. In the window under the inscription “ Enter your hardware serial number"Specify the serial number of the checked device and click" Continue» .
Step 4. If the iPhone is not Chinese, you will see its model and other information, such as whether you can get support from Apple by phone. Otherwise, you will see the message “ Unfortunately this serial number is not correct. Please check the existing data and try again ", which means that it is better to bypass this would-be seller side.
Be careful when entering the serial number of the device, because an error in one character can make you think badly about the person and be left without a new (or used) iPhone.
We open our eyes wider
No matter how high quality replica iPhone, to do everything exactly like Apple's, the creators of clones technically cannot. Therefore, even with a cursory glance, without resorting to checking the serial number of the device, it is possible to identify a fake. You need to pay attention to the following details:
- There should be no hieroglyphs, spelling mistakes or other calligraphic errors in the system.
- On the back cover devices must be labeled: iPhone, Designed by Apple in California, Assembled in China, model number, certification marks (as in the picture).
- The iPhone cannot have an antenna.
- The iPhone also cannot have two SIM cards, an embedded memory card and charging from usb and mini-usb.
- Back cover iPhone any the model cannot be removed until the fixing screws are unscrewed.
Another quick way to identify a fake
Very simple and easy method- taking the iPhone in hand, go to standard application App Store ... Anyone, even the coolest chinese iPhone will be forced to throw you into Google play, an application store for Android devices.
This is how the App Store should look like:
This is what Google Play looks like:
In addition, on Google Play, you will not be able to find most branded applications Apple. Try searching for apps like Keynote, iMovie, Pages, Numbers, Apple Store- if they are not in the store, then this is a fake, and not the original iPhone.
Another surefire way to identify a Chinese iPhone
Well, I would like to end this article with one more the right way, which even the most inveterate Chinese geniuses will reveal with giblets. To do this, you need a laptop or Personal Computer(if the seller came to sell the iPhone directly to your home) with installed iTunes... You can download iTunes from the official Apple website.
The thing is that when connecting iPhone to your computer and turning on iTunes, the program should detect the device and try to sync it. If iTunes is silent as a guerrilla, most likely they are trying to slip you a fake, be careful.
In more detail about how to distinguish real iPhone from a fake, read on our forum in the topic.
You can have a fake too. Even if you haven't repaired it!
Typical Russian story
Too smart Vasya bought an iPhone 5s in the pavilion for 9,000 rubles and thinks that he has cheated the system.
He does not yet know that instead of an iPhone he has in his hands a set of pieces of iron with Ali, of which only the motherboard remained original. And then taken from a drowned phone.
And he will definitely find out about his mistake in a month, when this miracle begins to break down like a house of cards.
And you are not immune from her
TO today such stories happened, if not each of us, then some friend. The profit from this method is too popular.
The only way to be 100% sure of the originality of your iPhone parts? Buy it from official reseller or directly from Apple.
In all other cases the degree of danger is growing.
The biggest risks - and challenges - for those who take iPhones from any informal channels. There is just plenty of room for deception, it thrives as a separate business.
Any conscientious purchaser of used iPhone carefully and thoughtfully checks the device without leaving anything to chance. Even if the phone is bought in a store, sealed and inactivated, you can run into a reassembly from Chinese, low-quality spare parts.
When could Chinese parts appear on my iPhone?
Batch inspection Chinese displays at one of the Asian factories.
I counted 5 degrees of probability to get to the frank "china" in my smartphone.
1. Phone bought directly at Apple.com/ru or a major federal store. There are isolated stories when cunning field workers threw off devices under the guise of new ones - but they are so rare that you shouldn't worry about them at all.
What to do: rejoice.
2. The phone was purchased from a regional or local store. I also include kiosks, pavilions, markets, underpasses and other small businesses among them.
Here, the likelihood of running into a reassembly varies depending on the seriousness of the seller. The more he can lose, the higher the chance that the phone is really new. Separately, I will mention the very kiosks-markets: here the phones in 95% of cases were repaired and were left without originals inside.
3. The phone was bought from hands on the classifieds site. Well, it starts. This is always a roulette wheel, and in the last 2 years it has been especially tricky. How older than iPhone what you buy, the greater the chance that something was changed there.
With a 85% probability, all iPhones before the iPhone 6 were repaired.
That is 8 out of 10 people who sell their iPhone 5s on the Internet are partially discarding the Chinese device - alas. Every 6th out of 10 iPhone 6s has also been repaired. Everywhere, as a rule, either the battery or the display was changed.
Newer models, 6s and iPhone 7, are repaired much less frequently. But everything can be there.
What to do: hard to check every device, just probe it through and look out for every millimeter.
This is what workshops look like where iPhones are restored and cheap parts are installed.
4. The phone was bought in a federal store, but visited the official or verified SC. Yes, the parts were replaced. But if it was authorized service center working with Apple, the "originals" are still inside, not the Chinese.
What to do: rejoice at being lucky.
5. The phone was repaired in an unofficial service any format. And again the wild roulette! No, though.
If you chose any unverified basement service, you definitely hit it. Just flew! Now you have a piece of hardcore Chinese worthwhile and this article is meant for you first.
How to understand which spare part is Chinese?
It's time to check what parts you have - without disassembling the phone.
Display and glass
Look at the device from the port or starboard side. If the display colors change(become significantly darker, and White color turns purple) is a cheap Chinese screen.
Examine the edges of the screen module. The insulation material at the edges must not protrude beyond the frame of the enclosure. Is there some kind of rubber band sticking out? Replaced the display exactly.
Also, shine a flashlight on the edges and corners. There are scratches microcracks? And most importantly - do light or dark spots appear under the glass? If so, the device has either been in the water, or the module is installed poorly. Another option - the glass was broken, and instead of replacing the entire module, they decided to just stick a new one.
How the Chinese glue glass on the iPhone 6.
Important: crunching when pressing the display module around the edges does not mean that the iPhone has been disassembled. Some models (especially the iPhone 6) still have this problem from the factory.
It has little effect on anything, but it can provoke dust to get under the case and under the module. rear camera... So if it crunches, look around the camera.
Also important: the iPhone 6s has a specific defect - dust getting under the left top corner screen. If you have 6s, open White background and look carefully.
Do you see small black dots in the corner? Does this corner seem a little darker than the others? If so, alas! But this is a problem from the factory, and according to it, your device can be replaced - if, of course, there is still a guarantee.
Replacing the display with an original one: from RUB 3100 with a guarantee
Bolts
An iPhone that has never been repaired shouldn't have any marks on the bolts. Generally.
Another thing is that it is extremely difficult to notice this without a magnifying glass. You can consider something if you shine a light: if you see jags (they will shine), then at least they dug there.
Housing and clearances
Check out what the original cases look like for phones officially imported into Russia.
iPhone 5:
iPhone 5s:
iPhone 6:
iPhone 6s:
If the text on the back panel (in addition to the numbers, of course) differs from the examples above, you have either an iPhone from another country, or the case has been replaced. Also pay attention to the colors: the iPhone 5 is never gold, and the iPhone 6 is pink.
Replacing the case with the original one: from 4510 rub. with a guarantee
Battery
Chinese iPhone batteries as they are being brought to Russia.
Almost every iPhone purchased over 3 years ago has had its battery changed. Their service life is 2 years, after which problems begin.
Visually and without disassembling the case, it is impossible to determine in any way whether the battery was changed or not. But you have a secret weapon.
It is called CoconutBattery for macOS. You can download the application here. Next, your actions:
1. Connect iPhone to your Mac
2. Launch CoconutBattery and open the iOS tab
3. See real story batteries in this iPhone.
If the device was bought recently, then it will have very few charge cycles, and the real capacity (bottom green bar) will be between 90-100 percent.
But if you bought a used iPhone, and the application shows up to 100 charge-discharge cycles, the battery was replaced 100%. Similarly, in the opposite situation: a new iPhone cannot lose more than 10% of the factory capacity, and the cycles should also not be more than 5.
Replacing the battery with an original one: from 1900 rub. with a guarantee
Buttons
They are Chinese. Almost indistinguishable from the original, if only with inside and with extensive experience in repair.
All buttons in all iPhones, starting from iPhone 5s, by color completely match the shade of the case... They should not be lighter or darker, unless they have completely worn out over time. Another shade signals the installation of either the "left" buttons, or the "left" housing.
Important: All modern iPhones, especially the iPhone 5-6, have a "backlash" lock button and often a Mute mode switch. This design feature that says nothing.
By the way, there are a lot of defects on the iPhone 5 with the lock button and its loop, beware. Just know that in your hand-bought device, this cable has already been replaced.
Replacement iPhone buttons on the original: from 1900 rub. with a guarantee
Touch ID
Chinese. Works as a button, does not work as a sensor.
He simply has to work. There are no "buts", factory defects, stories about a mythical failure after a firmware update. If you were told them when the device was bought, I sympathize.
A non-working Touch ID says one of three things, which are not mutually exclusive:
1. The phone fell, crashed, the sensor too. Replaced.
2. The phone drowned, the button stopped working. Replaced.
3. The phone was repaired, the Touch ID cable was broken (very easy). Not replaced.
The trick is that Touch ID cannot be taken and replaced so that it continues to work. Each such sensor is tied to the processor and motherboard... If it breaks down, then the situation can be corrected only by a complete replacement of both the motherboard and the sensor - and this costs like half an iPhone.
"Apple" devices annually bring huge profits not only to companies from Cupertino, but also to fraudsters around the world. What kind of "gray" Chinese are not trying to "sell" to fans of the Apple brand under the guise of the original iPhone!
However, it would seem that "seven troubles - one piece of advice." If you bought your iPhone from a reputable retailer, there can be no problem. However, unfortunately, not everyone can afford new iphone, so you have to go to the second-hand market, where every second is a scammer. However, we have great news! The rule "seven troubles - one piece of advice" also applies in this situation - only advice will be different. No matter where you bought your iPhone, we will help you make the right choice!
There are tons of articles on the Internet on how to buy an original used smartphone from Apple with a million rules - where to look and what to find. However throw this endless search because according to by and large you can perform just one action in order to absolutely understand whether the original is in front of you or not, and the action is to check the iPhone by IMEI or serial number... How to check iPhone for authenticity using these codes, we will tell in this article.
IMEI stands for International Mobile Equipment Identity. Translated, this means - the international identifier of mobile equipment. Simply put, IMEI is unique code mobile device, it is assigned to him at the manufacturer's plant. For a mobile device, this code is like a fingerprint for a person. Now you are probably already starting to understand why if you check the iPhone by IMEI it will become unequivocally clear whether it is released by Apple or not.
Where to check an iPhone by IMEI?
It is likely that a question has ripened in your head - but how regular user can check an iPhone by its IMEI for authenticity, because the number is assigned by the manufacturer. Where can I get the database of these codes and how can I find out the IMEI of my equipment? Don't worry, there are a bunch of special services on the Internet where you can specify the IMEI and check the iPhone for authenticity, and you can do this for free.
How to find out the IMEI of an iPhone?
IPhone IMEI - be it iPhone 5S, iPhone 6S or any other model - can be viewed in two ways:
Settings menu
To find out the IMEI on an iPhone through the "Settings" menu, you need to find the line "About this device" in this very menu, and then in the new window that appears, find the IMEI parameter.
Special combination
Also Phone IMEI can be viewed by dialing the combination # 06 #, the call - IMEI will appear on the screen.
How to check an iPhone for authenticity by IMEI?
Well, we got to the most important question - we identified the IMEI of our phone and found out that there are a bunch of services where you can break through its originality. Now, in fact, let's answer the question - how. Very simple! We execute the following instruction:
That's all! As you can see, it is very easy to determine the authenticity of any smartphone - iPhone 5, iPhone 5S and others!
How to check iPnone by serial number?
Any phone, in addition to IMEI, has another unique code - a serial number, and it also allows you to identify the authenticity of a smartphone. Moreover, Apple even has special service for such verification. So if you don't trust third-party IMEI check services, you can check the authenticity of your iPhone by the serial number on the official Apple resource.
IPhone check by its serial number is performed as follows:
By the way, you can find out more about the iPhone by the serial number if you use third party service, for example, this. Curious to know where your gadget was made? With the help of the specified service, you can even track in which factory he was "born".
How to check if the iPhone is locked to work with one operator?
At the beginning of the article, we said that there is one universal way iPhone Authentication is a check by IMEI or serial number. but unoriginal iphone- not the only risk that exists when purchasing an "apple" gadget off hand. You can buy an original iPhone, but still get screwed. In which case? In that, if you manage to buy an original iPhone, locked to work with one operator.
Yes, the operator can block the iPhone and in America buying such an i-gadget is a very common practice. The user can deal with only one operator in this case, but he gets the device for much less money.
But is it necessary Russian user a phone that is programmed to work with a single American operator? Of course not! But many scammers are not averse to making money buying such a locked iPhone for a pittance (they don't even have to think about how to block the device, everything is done official operator) and sell it under the guise of a smartphone that can work with any operator.
How to check if they are trying to sell you a locked smartphone? Ask the seller for permission to insert your SIM card into the device and check if it will work with it. Calls go through, SMS go through? So everything is all right!
By the way, if the seller, when asked to insert his SIM, says that, they say, he is blocked to work with one operator, but unlocking iPhone- it's a nonsense business, but he is ready to make a discount, run away from this dishonest person! It is not easy to bypass the operator lock - you need a professional and a special R-SIM chip. And even after unblocking, you will not be able to update, or rather you can, but for each version of the platform you will have to purchase a new R-SIM.
Let's summarize
As you can see, the IMEI and serial number of your smartphone, which before seemed to you probably a useless set of letters and numbers, can be of great benefit. What can be tracked by these parameters? Not only the authenticity of the smartphone, but also its other characteristics, as obvious - color, memory size, model; and not really - the manufacturer's factory, for example.
At the time of buying iPhone smartphones Apple you can check the device by serial number. Thus, you can avoid buying Chinese counterfeiting who have become too much like original phones... By the way, after the purchase, you need to perform some actions.
Therefore, you need to be careful, especially when you buy a smartphone that is not in an official Apple store or their partners. Also, when making a purchase of a used phone, pay attention to the serial number and IMEI, how to check it, we'll figure it out further.
What are Serial Number and IMEI?
The serial number is a unique code for each device. A lot of data is encrypted in it - country, release date, etc. IMEI is an international unique identifier for a gadget. It is used to track and block a stolen smartphone.
How to view the serial number on iPhone?
This is done in several ways, namely the simplest one: you can see it in the phone settings (Settings -> General -> About device). Photo: Back side iPhone boxes Here you will see the items "Serial number" and "IMEI". If you do not have the opportunity to enter the settings, the IMEI is written on the SIM-card tray, and from it you can find out the serial number. In the second way, you can see the serial number on the back of the iPhone box, but it may not be there when purchasing a smartphone from hand.
All serial iPhone numbers presented in the following format:
AABCCDDDEEF, where:AA - plant and vehicle identifier.
B - year of issue (“0” means the phone was released in 2010, “9” - 2009 and so on).
CC is production week.
DDD is a unique identifier (different from UDID).
EE is the color of the smartphone.
F is the amount of memory (S - 16 GB, T - 32 GB).
You should also pay attention to the fact that the serial number may contain ZERO, do not confuse it with the letter O, it should not be in more than one serial number.
How to find the serial number using IMEI?
The site iphoneimei.info will help us with this procedure. Follow the link and enter the serial number of the device, you will be shown some data about the smartphone, including the serial number.
- Enter IMEI in the input field.
- Press the button inside the field, or Enter.
- After loading the page, we get the necessary data.
Thus, you learned:
- serial number,
- phone model,
- Memory.
How to check iPhone by serial number on Apple official website?
To check the iPhone, you need to go to official page Apple website - checkcoverage.apple.com. We act on following instruction:
- enter your serial number in a special field;
Photo: A special page of the Apple website for testing the iPhone - click on the "Continue" button;
- we carefully review the received data.
Photo: Results of iPhone verification on the official website Now you have information about the expiration date of the warranty and the originality of the device. You can also check almost any Apple devices from tablets of this company to computers and TV boxes.
How to check if you bought a new iPhone (activated or not)?
- On the Apple website, go to the "Verify Service and Support Eligibility" section to check if the product you are purchasing is actually iPhone shopper has not been used previously.
- All the user needs to know to work with the service is the serial number of the device.
- For activated gadgets, this number can be found in the "Settings", in the "General" section, the menu item "About this device".
- In the event that the iPhone meets the user start screen greetings, his serial code can be found by clicking the "i" button in the lower right corner.
