Real or Knockoff? Here's the First Alleged iPhone 11 Photo

(Image credit: Ben Geskin)

We're just a few days away from Apple revealing the iPhone 11, and while we've seen plenty of renders and first-look videos, we have not seen an actual photograph of the upcoming smartphone.

Now a photo posted to Chinese site Weibo shows what could be the iPhone 11. But there are some big reasons to be believe that this image is not the real deal. It could just be a knockoff device.

As reported by BGR, the photo in question is shown in a case but it does have a square cutout for the cameras on the back, as has been rumored for the iPhone 11. This area would house two cameras on the iPhone 11 and three cameras on the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max.

iPhone 11 photo

(Image credit: Weibo)

The phone underneath this case has a blue color, and we have not seen this hue yet on an iPhone. It's possible Apple could be rolling out a new option for the iPhone 11, though Bloomberg reports that it is debuting a green model for the iPhone XR successor. 

The main issue with this photo is that the square cutout is black and not color-matched to the rest of the glass back. Although early renders of the iPhone 11 have shown this area as black, later rumors and reports promise a more uniform look for the rear of the device.

iPhone 11 back close up Weibo

(Image credit: Weibo)

Although it's hard to tell from the above picture because it's blurry close up, it appears as though this iPhone has only a single rear lens. This would also run counter to iPhone rumors, as the standard iPhone 11 is expected to feature two lenses on the back.

So as tantalizing as this photo may be, it doesn't look like this person was caught in public with Apple's device before launch. Check out our iPhone 11 hub to get caught up on all of the latest iPhone 11 rumors before the big Sept. 10 event

Mark Spoonauer

Mark Spoonauer is the global editor in chief of Tom's Guide and has covered technology for over 20 years. In addition to overseeing the direction of Tom's Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at key industry events and appears regularly on TV to discuss the latest trends, including Cheddar, Fox Business and other outlets. Mark was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.