The iPhone 17 Pro Max has become the center of a new authenticity debate after the CEO of Eviable Motors alleged that the flagship device may share components with older iPhone models.

In a series of Instagram updates, the businessman stated that he purchased and pre-ordered his device directly from an Apple Store in the United States.

However, he claimed he encountered a puzzling issue while attempting to switch from WhatsApp Business to the standard WhatsApp application.

During verification, the platform reportedly detected and labeled the phone as an iPhone XR, instead of an iPhone 17 Pro Max, raising doubts about the internal hardware profile of the device.

The CEO noted that he has never owned an iPhone XR, suggesting the discrepancy could indicate that Apple is re-engineering or repurposing components from older devices.

He went on to allege:

“Apple actually upgraded an XR to a 17 Pro Max. China just copied it.”

Although no technical validation has been provided to support the claim, the post has sparked heated reactions on social media, particularly in Nigeria’s smartphone market, where concerns about refurbished imports and cloned devices are increasingly common.