The Chinese market has long been famous for its products, but, unfortunately, among them, you can often find fakes carefully constructed by various “pirates. Xiaomi products are also under threat. But determining a non-original smartphone by appearance is very difficult, almost impossible for non-professionals, so there are different, more reliable methods. In this article, we will talk about how to check the Xiaomi phone for authenticity and reduce the possibility of buying a low-quality product to a minimum.
6 ways to check the authenticity of Xiaomi
The first 2 ways are almost identical, but 1 gives a full guarantee that you bought the product from a reliable seller, the original.
Checking through the official website Mi Verify by SN
This is the easiest and fastest way. The check results are 100% correct, as the algorithm reads the IMEI or serial number you entered and looks it up in the official database of Xiaomi phones.
- Go to the official Xiaomi Verify website.
- Enter your IMEI (you can check two, but separately). To find your IMEI – look at the back of the box, or enter a special code *#06# into the call menu and copy the received digits.
- Enter the security code (captcha).
- If the phone/tablet is authentic – you will get a green verification message.
- If the device is a fake – you will see a red inscription.
Checking via IMEI
This method does not always work, but it is ideal for those who, for example, do not have enough internal memory to install an additional application. And here we need only access to the phone and an online translator.
The problem is this: the most skilled and experienced “thieves” sometimes assign official IMEIs to fakes to mislead the user.
How to know your IMEI
Nevertheless, let’s try to do the operation. First, find your IMEI and S/N (serial number). To do this, there are two options:
- Find the factory box in which you bought the smartphone. On the back should be a bar code. If you look carefully, you can see the necessary data on it.
- Or open “Phone” and enter the following number: *#06#. Do not forget about symbols, do not change digits, and do not rearrange them. Immediately after typing the command, IMEI will appear. To show the serial number, we go to “Settings” – “About phone” and “General information”. In the list that appears, there will be the necessary material.
The second way is identical to the first. We only use the IMEI number of one of the SIM cards instead of the serial number.
Checking via the application AnTuTu Officer
Also an easy way, identical to the first one. Only here is the program provided by the benchmark AnTuTu Officer (not to be confused with the standard AnTuTu). First, do the same procedure as with the Verification Tool. Namely:
- The application was removed from Google Play, but the latest working version can be downloaded from XDA.
- Wait until the installation is complete. Go to the application.
- Now open the official page on your computer, do not close it until the successful completion of the procedure.
On the smartphone, click “Start” and scan the QR code again. The scanning starts in real-time. As soon as it is over, you get the result.
The green screen with the name of your device means that the phone is original. If it is a fake one, there could be several variants. Possible black or red page.
Checking for technical specifications
This is an addition to the basic testing, but quite true. The fact is that in all real Xiaomi, the Android operating system houses the MIUI shell. At the same time, non-original smartphones can have any other software. No matter how much they are not advertised by sellers and passed off as unique, know that the genuine Xiaomi is only MIUI.
Another important fact: it is impossible to install firmware on a fake. That is, you can’t even get Root rights. During this operation, the phone will constantly crash and shut down. You may observe unclear characters and screens.
All these are clear signs of imitation of the original product. And they are almost 100% correct.
Detection of fakes based on appearance
Here you can not always identify a fake. The most experienced “pirates”, who earn thousands of dollars on their fakes, have learned to design them with such precision that the average user is often caught in a network of lies.
But, as a rule, Chinese cheaters save expensive, non-original smartphones for their countrymen and send cheaper, low-quality goods to other countries. They are easy enough to identify.
Signs of a fake phone
- Cheap bendable plastic, which constantly leaves scratches and dirty marks;
- A fragile case;
- Poor quality display; Screen shattered from minimal damage;
- A high-performance camera is terrible at taking pictures. Flash doesn’t respond to distant subjects;
- Sound with interference, speaker cracks, almost can’t hear the person you’re talking to.
Note! Some of the above items can sometimes be observed in the real Xiaomi, so these data are not enough to accuse a fake.
Check at the place of purchase
If you buy the phone in a local store, it will be problematic to identify a fake immediately. Of course, the first thing you should pay attention to even before you pay is the poor appearance, as mentioned above. Ask the seller to look at the real settings, as they may differ from the specs listed. For example, the description says 16 GB of internal memory, but there are only 8.
Also, pay attention to the product’s package contents. Depending on the model of the device and the cost, additional gadgets are different, but in any case, the charger, along with the USB cable, is obligatory. And, of course, the manual (it may only be in Chinese) and the official warranty.
FAQ
If I found a non-genuine product, what can I do?
Contact the dealer where you bought the device. In most cases, it is not their fault, they receive low-quality products, but you can get your money back for the phone. Especially there should be no problems if you received a warranty when buying.
I can’t flash the smartphone, but the test for originality is positive
The problem with the firmware may have nothing to do with the product’s originality. To solve this problem, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the service center.
Ordered the phone from an online store. Received it in a terrible condition, what to do?
Not all problems with the device are related to counterfeiting. The phone may have been damaged during shipping. Contact the seller. If the store is honest – you should get a refund.
As you can see, it is possible to identify a fake product without much difficulty at home. To avoid incorrect test results, follow the above instructions carefully.
But remember that even a device directly from the company Xiaomi itself can sometimes have a lot more flaws than a fake. This is usually due to shipping conditions.
We recommend you carefully check the smartphone before testing it and purchase it without unnecessary shipping, if possible.
