Lagos, Nigeria – October 10, 2025 – In a move that’s equal parts ingenious and infuriating, popular Nigerian influencer and tech entrepreneur Vincent Lord—affectionately known as B Lord—has unveiled a jaw-dropping “clone” of Apple’s just-released iPhone 17 Pro Max, sourced straight from China and customized to mimic the premium device’s sleek titanium frame and triple-camera array. Priced at a staggering ₦400,000 (about $240), the knockoff isn’t your average Alaba market rip-off: It’s a gutted iPhone XR retrofitted with faux high-end internals, boasting a “converted” design that B Lord claims offers the “premium look without the premium pain.”
The revelation dropped via a slick Instagram Reel on Thursday, showing B Lord unboxing the device in his signature hype-man style. “For those who want that iPhone 17 vibe but naira no gree—boom! Straight from China, I told them to hook it up just for me,” he boasted in the video, flexing the phone’s glossy black finish and “upgraded” 120Hz display. He detailed sourcing the base XR for cheap before commissioning the overhaul—swapping bezels, slapping on a dummy Dynamic Island notch, and even engraving a faux Apple logo—for a total bill that undercuts the genuine iPhone 17 Pro Max’s Nigerian street price of ₦2.75 million to ₦4.7 million by over 90%.
B Lord, 28, whose online empire blends gadget reviews, crypto tips, and motivational rants to over 500,000 followers, positioned the clone as a “smart hack” for budget-conscious youth chasing status symbols amid Nigeria’s economic squeeze. “Why stress for original when clone dey give same flex? Battery life? Camera? E dey try!” he quipped, demoing a blurry-but-passable night shot and a TikTok-scrolling session that “feels like the real deal.” The video, which has clocked 200,000 views and counting, ends with a call-to-action: “DM for links—who’s copping?”
But the internet’s reaction? Pure Naija chaos. While some hailed B Lord as a “genius innovator” bridging the gap for the average hustler, others roasted him for glamorizing fakes in a market already flooded with subpar imports. “B Lord just normalized area boy tech—next up, cloned Benz for ₦2m?” sniped one X user, @TechNaijaKing, whose post garnered 5,000 likes. Tech forums like Nairaland lit up with threads dissecting the clone’s flaws: “That ‘Pro Max’ camera is XR’s potato lens with a sticker—don’t come crying when it crashes on iOS updates,” warned a commenter on a viral Nairaland post echoing similar scams. Feminists and anti-consumerism advocates piled on, accusing him of preying on impressionable Gen Z: “This is why we can’t have nice things—promoting junk over building real value,” tweeted @FemmeHustleNG, sparking a 2,000-retweet debate on “fake culture” in Lagos.
On the flip side, supporters flooded B Lord’s comments with fire emojis and testimonials. “As a corper, this is my only shot at looking bougie—God bless you, B Lord!” gushed @BudgetBae, while a small business owner added, “In this economy? ₦400k for iPhone glow-up > ₦3m debt for original. Wake up!” The split mirrors broader Nigerian sentiments post-iPhone 17 launch last month, where unboxing videos from Lagos teens claiming “first in my city” status went viral, only to face skepticism over authenticity.
This isn’t B Lord’s first rodeo with controversy; the Enugu-born content creator, who rose from campus skits to partnering with local e-commerce giants, previously caught heat for hyping “refurbished” AirPods that turned out to be repackaged fakes. Undeterred, he doubled down in a follow-up Story: “Haters gon’ hate, but my DMs are bookings. Real ones know value > vanity.” As Apple’s September 19 release of the iPhone 17 series—complete with rumored under-display Face ID and 2TB storage options—continues to dazzle (and drain) wallets, B Lord’s clone taps into a thriving grey market where Jiji.ng listings for “iPhone 16 Pro Max clones” start at ₦80,000, drawing wary buyers spooked by forex hikes.
Critics like consumer rights activist @NoToFakesNG warn of risks— from data vulnerabilities (echoing Reddit horror stories of backdoored clones) to stunted innovation: “We’re funding copycats instead of local tech startups.” Yet for many, in a nation where minimum wage barely covers a month’s data, B Lord’s hustle resonates as survival, not scam.
As the video climbs TikTok trends, one question lingers: Is this the future of flexing in Naija—clones over cash—or a cautionary tale of cutting corners? B Lord, for one, is already teasing a “Samsung S25 Ultra edition.”
Follow B Lord on Instagram (@blord_gram) for more gadget glow-ups and unfiltered reactions.