Jason Koebler wrote an article over on Vice about a $100 counterfeit iPhone X from Shenzhen, China. Interested in the legitimacy of it, and what makes it so cheap, he bought one, and did some research about what makes it tick. His first impressions were quite good, a well-made box, similar form factor, boot screen, lock screen, and home screen. The phone included all of the default apps as a standard iPhone, with most of them looking identical.
However, there was more than meets the eye once you look a bit closer. The device was "sluggish and underpowered while switching apps. The camera is [also] kinda blurry." The faceID system was more of a face detection system instead of a face recognition system, allowing anyone's face to unlock the device once set up. The App Store looked the same, however upon crashing, it claimed it was called the "Google Play Store". Other app oddities were also discovered, such as:
At this point, it's becoming quite evident that this is just a reskinned Android phone. However, Koebler still wanted to know more. So he brought it to a security firm in New York City. They discovered that "the phone is also loaded with backdoors and malicious apps". The fake stock apps such as Compass, Stocks, and Clock request permissions such as reading text messages, although it is unclear if the developers were trying to be terrible people, or just awful at their jobs. They also discovered that the "iOS" was actually Android Marshmallow.
Opening up the phone, it is clear why the phone is so cheap. There's no haptic engine, no faceID sensor bar, and a standard battery, rather than the dual cell found in the X. All of the components are secured with rivets, and there is quite a bit of empty space compared to the original iPhone (see below).
Inside an iPhone X (left), inside the fake iPhone (right) images: vice.com
This device is certainly interesting, however neither Koebler or myself would recommend buying this device for the intent of using it as a phone. And I think most people with half a brain would also agree. However, it is a marvel of modern technology, and an interesting case about how much brand recognition and product identity that apple users place in their products.
Source: Vice.com
https://motherboard.vice.com/amp/en_us/article/qvmkdd/counterfeit-iphone-x-review-and-teardown
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