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I recently purchased an iPhone 13 Pro Max on AliExpress, enticed by a deal offering this high-end smartphone for just $120. Why pay $1,850 from Apple when you can get what appears to be the same phone at a fraction of the cost? However, as expected with such bargains, the story took some interesting turns.

The package arrived, and it was clear from the start that this was not a genuine iPhone. Despite the impressive specs listed—8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and a Snapdragon 888 Plus processor—what I received was a cleverly disguised clone. The package included the iPhone 13 clone along with several accessories not found with genuine iPhones: a USB-C charging port, a pair of headphones, and a fast charger. However, this “fast” charger seemed more likely to cause a fire than charge the phone efficiently.

The phone itself looked convincing at first glance. The design mimicked an iPhone with similar icons, a notch, and three cameras. Yet, subtle differences like the addition of a headphone jack and a few design discrepancies hinted at its true nature. When powered up, it took a lengthy 45 seconds to reach the lock big screen, bypassing any typical setup process.

Testing the phone revealed its true colors. Basic performance was lagging significantly behind a real iPhone 13 Pro. The camera was abysmal, with a fixed focus that rendered all photos out of focus. Despite the claims of high-end hardware, something was clearly amiss. I reached out to the seller, who insisted the specs were correct, but my doubts remained.

To get to the bottom of this, I ran Geekbench for detailed hardware insights. The results were shocking. The phone was listed as having a Mediatek Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor—a clear impossibility, akin to labeling it as an Apple Samsung 13 Pro Max Ultra. The storage showed as 256GB, but only 10% was used, indicating an unusually large operating system footprint. The supposed Android 11 operating system displayed anomalies more consistent with Android 6, and upon further investigation, it was actually running Android 5, eight versions behind the current release.

The display resolution was another letdown. Advertised at 2280×3200, the actual resolution was a mere 480×1014. Connecting the phone to my computer revealed files related to Mediatek and an APK for an iPhone 12 Pro theme, further underscoring the deception. It even included some stock apps from Huawei.

Determined to uncover the truth, I decided to open up the phone. The disassembly process was straightforward, revealing internals vastly different from a real iPhone. The cameras, for example, were a sham—two of the three were fake. Inside, the phone resembled a low-end Android device, far from the high-spec marvel it was advertised to be.

The motherboard bore a label suggesting the phone had just 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage, contradicting the 8GB/256GB claim. The processor was hidden under metal shielding, and while I refrained from desoldering it to avoid damage, big screen it was evident that it was not the advertised Snapdragon 888 Plus.

Despite presenting these findings to the seller, they either feigned ignorance or were genuinely clueless. This left me wondering if they were complicit in the scam or merely a pawn in a larger scheme. Interestingly, the product had 15 five-star reviews, likely fabricated to lure unsuspecting buyers.

Reassembling the phone, I couldn’t help but reflect on its target market. It seems designed for those seeking to flaunt a fake status symbol or unsuspecting buyers on platforms like Facebook Marketplace. This experience underscores the importance of scrutinizing what you buy, especially from dubious online sources, and using payment methods that offer buyer protection.

In conclusion, while the allure of a $120 iPhone 13 Pro Max clone may seem tempting, it’s a stark reminder that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Always research and verify products before purchasing, and consider the reliability of the seller. This has been a Jeffries video—hit subscribe for more scam-busting content, and check out my online store for verified used devices. Thanks for watching, and see you next time.