You are about to hand over roughly ₦2.5 million. Fifteen minutes of checks is the cheapest insurance you will ever buy. Work through this list in order, in the shop, before payment.
Price note: Nigerian quotes of about ₦2.5 million (Pro) and ₦2.9 million (Pro Max) are retailer estimates dated 10 September 2026, not official Apple prices.
Before you leave home
1. Know the real price range. Apple charges $1,199 in the US and £1,199 in the UK. Nigerian quotes cluster around ₦2.5 million, with early scarcity pushing some listings far higher. A price dramatically below the market is not luck.
2. Decide storage and colour in advance. 256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB; black, silver, glacier or burgundy. Write down your first and second choice.
3. Decide the SIM question. Apple's eSIM-only models have no SIM tray and are sold in twelve markets that do not include Nigeria. Decide whether you will accept one. See our SIM guide.
4. Check the seller. Physical address, registered business name, trading history. Details in where to buy safely.
5. Never go alone with cash. Meet in the shop, in daylight, and pay by transfer where possible.
At the shop, before payment
6. Open the box in front of the seller. Confirm the model, storage and colour on the label match what you agreed.
7. Check what is inside. Apple does not include a power adapter. A "complete" box that contains a mystery charger is a repackaged unit.
8. Power it on and complete setup. If the phone stops at an Activation Lock screen asking for another person's Apple Account, stop. That phone cannot be used by you, ever.
9. Confirm the model in Settings. Settings, then General, then About. Check the model name, model number, storage capacity and serial number.
10. Check the IMEI on Apple's coverage page, on your own phone, in front of the seller. Confirm it is an iPhone 18 Pro (or Pro Max), and note the warranty status.
11. Confirm the SIM arrangement. Look for a tray. Put your own SIM in. Make a call. Load a webpage on mobile data.
12. Test Face ID. Enrol your own face. If it fails, the front sensor array may have been replaced.
13. Test all the cameras. Main, ultra-wide, telephoto and front. Take a photo at each zoom level. Check for blur, dust or a shaky preview.
14. Test the aperture behaviour. The 48MP Fusion Main camera should offer aperture control in Pro controls, from ƒ/1.48 to ƒ/4. If those controls are absent, you are not holding an 18 Pro. Read the camera explainer.
15. Check battery health. Settings, then Battery, then Battery Health. A brand-new phone should read 100%. Anything less means it is not new.
16. Test speakers, microphone, both ways. Record a voice note and play it back. Make a call and ask if you can be heard.
17. Test charging. Plug it in with a cable. Confirm it charges, and try wireless charging too if the seller has a pad.
18. Look at the body closely. Screws, seams, a screen that sits flush, an even gap around the edge. Mismatches mean it has been opened. Full detail in how to spot a fake or refurbished unit.
19. Check the screen properly. Full white and full black images reveal dead pixels, patches and tint differences. Test 120Hz smoothness by scrolling.
20. Get the receipt right. It must show the seller's business name, address, phone number, the date, the model, the storage, the colour, the IMEI and the price. Confirm what happens if the phone fails in the first week, in writing.
Payment rules
- Pay into a business account matching the receipt name, never a personal account
- Avoid crypto, gift cards and any irreversible method
- Keep the deposit as small as the seller will accept if a pre-order deposit is unavoidable
- Screenshot every transfer and every message where price and specification are agreed
Afterwards
- Register the phone and confirm coverage — see how to check warranty in Nigeria
- Turn on Find My and a strong passcode immediately
- Buy a case and screen protector the same day: our case picks
- Note the IMEI somewhere safe, off the phone
If any of this feels like too much risk
That instinct is worth listening to. Every phone at AffordablePhones.ng costs between ₦60,000 and ₦500,000, is sold in Nigeria with a receipt and a stated returns policy, and takes a Nigerian SIM. See our alternatives to the iPhone 18 Pro or message us with your budget.