During the purchase of the phone, any buyer hopes that he takes no fake. After all, he pays for the quality guaranteed by the official organization, and in case of breakdown he can hope for repair under warranty. But sometimes it happens that the phone turns out to be a fake, and as a result, the user loses all the guarantees provided by the company. Therefore, it is very important to know how to check the phone for authenticity.
First of all, some tips should be stated that will help reduce the risk of buying a fake:
1. In no case do not buy phones that passersby offer you. As a rule, such products are very cheap, but remember: a genuine product cannot cost less than cost.
2. Do not trust dubious points of sale. It is better to look at the official and well-known phone store.
3. Do not buy phones by hand. Not only is there a used telephone, it may also turn out that the previous owner sold it precisely because he learned about the fake.
4. If you decide to buy a specific model, it is better to remember not only its appearance, but also its technical characteristics.
The most reliable way to check the phone for authenticity is to identify the IMEI number, which is located on the box from under the device, as well as on the phone’s battery. To check, dial * # 06 # and press enter. After this operation, a personal number will appear on the screen, which should coincide with what is indicated on the battery and box. If the number matches, then the phone is genuine, and the store where you purchased it does not sell copies of the phones.
If you live in the Russian Federation, you should know that devices that are officially imported into the territory of the state are tested for safety. If the phone has been checked, then under the battery you can find a sticker with the sign of RosTest (PCT).
Companies like Nokia or Samsung also have their own way of verifying the phone’s authenticity. You can check your IMEI code for registration. To do this, go to the official website of the company, find the necessary contacts and send the code for verification. After a while you will receive a response.
Apple, which has become so popular in Russia thanks to the iPhone, has its own ways of checking products for authenticity. After all, such popularity has spawned a lot of scammers who took advantage of this and began to produce cheap fakes that look very similar to popular phones.
If you doubt the quality of your device, then use the following methods of how to check the phone for authenticity.
1. iPhone screen is three and a half inches diagonally. If it is smaller, then the product is a fake.
2. The SIM card slots on the iPhone are also different. For example, for iPhones of the 4th generation, the slot is located on the side. Moreover, this model supports a micro SIM card, and not an ordinary one.
3. Each iPhone has a 12-digit serial number that can be checked on the packaging and on the device itself. You can also see it in the phone’s menu, but you won’t be able to do this upon purchase, because you need to activate it for this. If you immediately turned it on, it means that the product is either not genuine, or someone has already used it.
When buying any device, do not hesitate to ask sellers questions. If they refuse to provide you with evidence of authenticity, then you should not deal with such a store.