How to tell a genuine, sealed iPhone from a fake or refurbished one

Esi bought an "original, box-sealed" iPhone from a seller on Instagram. It looked perfect. Three weeks later the battery health read 86%, and a trip to a repair shop showed a replacement screen. Nothing about the box had warned her, because the box had been resealed.

Most iPhones sold in Ghana are exactly what they claim to be. But a used or rebuilt phone in a new-looking box is common enough that a few minutes of checking is worth it, wherever you buy. None of this needs tools or technical knowledge.

1. Start with the box

Since iPhone 13, Apple no longer wraps iPhone boxes in plastic film. Instead, the box is closed by two paper seals with pull tabs, one at each end of the underside. They run from the lid onto the base, so the box cannot be opened without tearing them.

On a genuinely sealed box:

• both pull tabs are intact and flat, with no lifted corners or glue marks;
• the lid sits snugly and slides off slowly, with a little air resistance;
• the printing is sharp, and the label on the back shows the model, capacity, colour, serial number and IMEI.

A box wrapped in shiny plastic film is a warning sign for any iPhone from iPhone 13 onwards. Apple does not do that; resellers do.

2. Match the numbers

Every iPhone has a serial number and at least one IMEI. They are printed on the box label, and the phone knows its own.

Turn the phone on and go to Settings > General > About. Compare the serial number and IMEI with the box. You can also dial *#06# to show the IMEI. If they do not match, the phone did not come in that box. Stop there.

On the same screen, tap Model Number until it shows a short code such as MYxx3. The first letter tells a story: M means a new retail unit, F means Apple refurbished, N means a replacement unit issued by Apple for a warranty claim. A new iPhone should begin with M.

3. Ask Apple directly

Go to checkcoverage.apple.com and enter the serial number. Apple will show the model and its warranty status.

For a new, never-activated iPhone, you will usually see that the purchase date has not been validated, or that coverage starts when it is activated. If the page shows a phone that was activated months ago with its warranty half used, it is not new, whatever the box says.

4. Activation Lock

Switch the phone on. A new iPhone greets you with "Hello" in many languages and walks you through setup. If instead it shows iPhone Locked to Owner and asks for someone else's Apple Account, it belongs to someone else and it will not work for you. Only the previous owner can remove that lock. Do not pay for a phone in this state, however good the story.

5. Parts and Service History

Once set up, go back to Settings > General > About. On a phone that has been repaired, a section called Parts and Service History appears, listing parts such as the battery, display or cameras as Genuine, Unknown, Used or Unverified. A new, untouched iPhone does not show this section at all.

While you are there, check Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging. A brand-new iPhone reads 100% maximum capacity, and the cycle count, where shown, is at or near zero.

Clones and "master copies"

True fakes are rarer with iPhones than with accessories, but they exist. They usually give themselves away quickly: they run Android dressed up to look like iOS, the App Store opens a different store, and Settings looks slightly off. Camera bumps and buttons may not match Apple's layout for that model. If a new iPhone 16 Pro or iPhone 16e is being sold far below what others charge, the price is doing the talking.

Refurbished is not a crime

A refurbished iPhone can be a fine phone, and Apple sells its own. The problem is only when one is sold as new. An honest seller will tell you what you are buying; the checks above simply make sure you know too.

How we handle this

Everything we sell is brand-new and sealed, never refurbished or used. We are happy for you to run every check above when your order arrives, and our genuine products page explains where our stock comes from and what to look for. Products carry the manufacturer's warranty, and we help with manufacturer claims if something is ever wrong.

Five minutes of checking on the day it arrives is the best protection there is.