Fake iPhone 16 Pro Max Teardown – It Actually Has the Camera Button???
Every year, fake iPhones hit the market and every year, they get a little too convincing. This time, I got my hands on a fake iPhone 16 Pro Max that cost just $135. From the outside, it looked shockingly legit. But does it actually work? And did they somehow recreate Apple’s new camera control button? Let’s find out.
First Impressions: They Included a… Receipt?
Right out of the box, I knew something was different. These fake phones never come with a receipt, but this one had three. Of course, they were all obviously fake just printed paper with no real formatting. One of them was even for another device I’m covering in an upcoming article.
Before we go any further, I want to make it clear: I make these article so you don’t get scammed. These phones are extremely deceptive and people fall for them every year. Even Apple is taking steps to help you spot fakes now.
For example, they’ve added blacklight features on real iPhone boxes. When you shine a blacklight on an authentic iPhone 16 Pro Max box, a hidden Apple logo and QR code appear. This fake box? Nope nothing. That's a great sign for spotting a fake.
The Box Game Is Getting Better… But Not Perfect
At first glance, this box looks impressive. On the front, it shows the black iPhone 16 Pro Max, but on the back, it says Desert Titanium. That’s another dead giveaway. Also, while everything else looks polished, no weird grammar or typos. The box still feels a little off.
The QR code even leads to Apple’s official iPhone 16 Pro Max page. So yeah, they're going the extra mile to fool people. But we’re not so easy to trick.
Unboxing and Initial Hardware Look
Once we opened the box, things got weirder. Two of the cameras looked almost real, with the signature blue lens tint. But the third one? Yeah… he’s struggling.
The accessories layout inside the box is also suspiciously similar to Apple’s but the plastic tray and the texture of the box give it away. And yes, this thing has the camera control button and the new action button. I didn’t expect them to pull that off.
The SIM tray and side buttons look off, though. Different colors, weird placement. Still, the fact that it even includes a physical SIM tray while the U.S. version of the real 16 Pro Max doesn’t, is wild, truly a dead giveaway if you’re purchasing a used phone in the states.
Time to Open It Up
I couldn’t wait and I had to see what was going on inside. And guess what? These backs are actually glass. Not plastic. So yeah, you can break them (trust me, I have).
Here’s the biggest shock: for the first time ever in one of these fake iPhones, they added a battery connector. No more desoldering the battery just to take it out. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: these fake phone manufacturers care more about repairability than Apple does (I’m only joking).
Inside the Phone
The inside tells you everything you need to know. There’s one real camera and two fakes. The rest of the hardware is soldered down in a typical slapdash fashion.
Still, that battery connector is a huge plus. And the camera control button? Surprisingly real. There are actual components connected to it, and it feels like a functioning button. So of course, I had to test it.
Boot Up and UI
The phone powered on just fine. Right away, the chin is noticeable, it’s got a thick bottom bezel. But other than that, the display looks... not terrible?
Setup was quick, and I’m begging you: never sign in with your real Apple ID on a fake phone. Just don’t.
Once we were in, we saw a few pre-installed apps like WhatsApp X, TikTok Lite, Play Store (red flag), and YouTube. Oddly, this year there were no random photos in the Photos app. That’s a first.
In the Settings > About section, everything looked normal. Serial number, IMEI, even warranty info it all matched a real iPhone. Don’t be fooled. That doesn’t mean the phone’s real.
Testing the Camera Control Button
This was the big one. Did the button actually do anything?
It opened the camera app. No joke. And you can even slide it to zoom (kind of). It wasn’t super responsive and way too sensitive, but it technically worked. There was no double-press menu like the real one, but still props to them for making it functional at all.
Mic and Video Quality
To test video and audio, I took the fake iPhone 16 Pro Max outside. Honestly? The mic sounded like garbage compared to the real deal. No surprise there.
But again, it works. For a scam phone, that’s honestly pretty dangerous.
The Weirdest Surprise: Dual SIM
Here's the wildest part: this fake iPhone has dual SIM support. That's right, two SIM cards. Not even the real iPhone 16 Pro Max has that in most regions. Why they added this, I have no idea. But it’s there.
Final Thoughts
This fake iPhone 16 Pro Max looks scarily real from the outside, and even includes a working version of Apple’s newest feature: the camera control button. But don’t get it twisted this is still a scam phone. It's only meant to fool people into spending real money on something worthless.
I know a lot of people always ask for links to these fake phones, but I don’t share them. These devices serve no purpose other than to deceive. Please don’t support the people making or selling these.
Remember, if it has dual SIM and a camera button for $135, it's probably fake.
See you in the next article!
