To help consumers know that the box that they have purchased containing an iPhone 15 series handset actually contains a real iPhone 15 series handset, Apple has added a pretty nifty security feature to the boxes containing the new phones. A video posted on China’s Weibo social media site and shared on X by tipster Majin Bu shows that the boxes display a hologram on the upper and lower right of the rear panel when viewed with ultraviolet light.
Apple has kept quiet about this to prevent scammers from copying this technology. But surely Apple knew that once word got out about the boxes, using the hidden holograms would not be a deterrence since the technology and holograms could be copied. However, what we don’t know is whether this process is costly enough to limit its use by those looking to rip off the public by selling fake handsets.
After all, Apple uses boxes for tens of millions of iPhone 15 series phones and any additional costs can be divided by the number of boxes Apple buys limiting the additional costs per box. On the other hand, John Q. Scammer Inc. turns out tens of boxes which means adding this feature might be too expensive. The problem with keeping mum about it though, is that if consumers don’t know whether the hologram is on the box, how would they know whether to look for it?
The boxes of the new iPhone 15 are equipped with a security system that displays holograms under a UV light. This is a measure introduced by Apple to recognize real boxes and prevent people from being scammed pic.twitter.com/oBhQoc5IDI
– Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) September 21, 2023
And since most consumers don’t carry an ultraviolet flashlight around with them, a consumer in the process of buying what he is being told is an iPhone 15 series model would have to ask the shady store that they are shopping at to put the box under a UV light before shelling out real money for the phone. Of course, you can just about eliminate the chance of getting scammed by buying your iPhone from Apple, your carrier, or a well-known big box store.
What you shouldn’t do is purchase an iPhone from a guy wearing a dirty raincoat hanging out at a gas station whispering, “Hey bud, wanna buy an iPhone?” One thing you can do to make sure that there is no funny business going on is to open the box in front of the seller and go to Settings > General > About and check out the phone’s unique IMEI number. Make sure that the number matches the one listed on the label found on the box.
