5 Watch for the Right Packaging and Labels

If you’ve already ordered your products and are having a sudden case of doubt, your first step should be to inspect the packaging carefully.

Counterfeiters can put a lot of work in making their products look superficially similar to the real deal, but they are often much lazier when it comes to packaging. Also, Apple’s own packaging tends to be very distinctive, with that tightly-designed cardboard structure, so it’s often easy to tell if your device came from Apple’s own manufacturing process.

However, third-party dealers may sell a wide variety of Apple accessories that can come in different types of packaging, which makes things a little more complicated. True third-party sellers that have been certified by Apple will have labels on their packaging that says something like “Made for iPhone” or “Made for iPod, iPhone, iPad.” If the packaging doesn’t appear to come from Apple and doesn’t have any of these labels on it, it’s likely a counterfeit. Open with care, or deposit directly into a trash can for best results.