Viral in-store iPhone 18 Pro Max video is fake

A leaker, known for their track record, posted a video appearing to display two potential new iPhone 18 Pro colors in a retail store. The clip, just 14 seconds long, shows a dark cherry iPhone 18 Pro Max alongside a dark blue iPhone 17 Pro Max, as well as a light blue model on a stand. While the setting seems to mimic a retail environment, the video is highly likely to be fake.

Macworld suggests the possibility that this could be genuine, but the timing for these new models to appear in stores raises concerns. It is plausible that outlets have already received demo units, but it's risky to allow such footage to leak online. My colleague Fernando Silva, who recently attended the IFA trade show, reported that every case company had dummy units that looked and felt real.

This means it's easy to obtain these units, increasing the likelihood of fake videos like this one. Furthermore, the retail store's appearance appears to be sketchy. The display table is too small for a typical store, and the product tags seem to be unattached and placed at a random angle. Additionally, there is a lack of a convincing store background.

Although the leaker has had a track record in the past, they have recently been aggregating posts from Chinese social media, which may indicate a lack of authenticity in this particular video.