Buzz
In today's market, mobile devices, especially high-end smartphones, are frequently counterfeited. These are often referred to as "knockoffs" or "high-quality fakes," making the purchase of used phones or budget brands a risky endeavor. Counterfeit devices can closely resemble genuine ones, so distinguishing them requires more than just examining the materials. You'll need to use multiple methods to verify authenticity. By understanding the key features to look for, you can determine whether your phone is genuine or not.
Steps
Inspect the External Quality
Compare the phone in question with a genuine model. Most high-end phones are made from premium materials. If possible, compare the device with a similar genuine model to identify similarities and differences.
- However, even if the phone looks nearly identical to a high-quality, expensive model, there's no guarantee it's authentic.
Visit the manufacturer's website and verify the phone's materials. To be certain, it's best to check the manufacturer's website to confirm the materials used in your phone.
- For example, if your phone is a Samsung model and the website states that the screen is made of glass, but your phone's screen is plastic, it might be a counterfeit.
Check the Installed Software and Other Technical Features
Verify the specifications printed on the box. You can find the technical details on the back of the box. Compare them with the information in Settings > About phone. If these details don't match, your phone might be fake.
- If the box is missing, you can find all relevant specifications online on GSMArena or the phone manufacturer's official website.
Check the phone's specifications using a third-party app. To verify the phone's specs, download the Antutu Benchmark app from Google Play. The app has a red Android icon on a flame background. It will test the phone's performance and provide full technical details and the device name.
- If the third-party app shows a different manufacturer's name, your phone might be counterfeit.
Inspect the software. For iPhones, you can check the installed software. Fake iPhones often run Android and don't support Java. Counterfeit manufacturers can't replicate iOS because it's exclusive to Apple.
- Note: The iPhone's app store is iTunes App Store, not Google Play.
- iPhones connect to iTunes via an iCloud account, allowing you to sync the device.
Verify the IMEI and Serial Number
Check the serial number. For iPhones, locate the serial number and validate it on the official website.
- To find the serial number on an iPhone, go to Settings > General > About.
- Once you have the serial number, enter it here: https://selfsolve.apple.com/agreementWarrantyDynamic.do. The site will verify the phone's warranty status.
- If the system says, “We're sorry, but this serial number is not valid. Please check your information and try again,” your iPhone might be counterfeit.
Check the IMEI number. For Android and other mobile phones, you can find the IMEI number on the back of the device. If the sticker has been tampered with, go to Settings > About > Status. The IMEI information is also available there.
- You can also dial *#06# on the keypad to display the phone's IMEI number.
- Once you have the IMEI, visit Imei.info. Enter the IMEI in the “ENTER IMEI…” field and click “CHECK.”
- The system will verify your phone's details. If the information on the website doesn't match your phone's details, it might be fake.
