Android phones have for some time now captured a large chunk of the phone market. It is understandable since others are wither mostly more expensive or with fewer apps. Because of the popularity of andriod phones, it has become very easy for fake phone dealers to flood the market with fake ones and make it hard for people to identify fake Android phones from the original.
I would have loved to tell you that it is very easy to spot fake Android phones, but it is not that easy unless you are careful.
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This is because most of the fake ones are cloned from the original. This is even though the cloning is made using substandard materials and technology.
How to spot a fake Android phone? Follow these simple tips
- Looks of Screen
Don’t ignore the looks of the screen as it is the first means of identifying it. Original android phones like others have a bright and neat screen. If the screen is dull, you may just be up by 70 percent or even more, that you are about getting a fake one.
2. Logo
Another thing to look out for is the logo. Once you turn on the phone and you realize that the logo is blurry and not smooth, something may just be wrong.
3. Edge of Screen
Take a look at the gap between the end of your display screen and the edge of the phone. If the dark gap is wide, you are about to buy a fake phone.
4. Camera Buttons
Placement of cameras and buttons or even logos sometimes lets you know that the phone is not original. There is consistency in the way all these are placed in any original Android phone.
5. Boot in factory mode:
After turning off the phone, hold the power on + home + volume up keys at the same time for a few seconds. If it is an original Android phone, the recovery menu will appear. However, if it is not, you may not see the typical recovery menu option.
6. Picture Quality
Another great way of knowing a fake Android phone is when you consider the camera. While most original phones come with very sharp and good cameras, pictures taken with fake Android phones are most times blurry.
7. Texture of the Screen
The screen is very important. Not the display this time, but the screen texture. Original Andriod phones should come with a screen’s glass material. If you run your finger through it and it feels like plastic more than glass, then the device is made of cheap glass material. Essentially, It cannot be original.
8. Verify the IMEI and Serial Number
Another Important thing you can do is to check and confirm the IMEI number of the phone. This is the number that indicates to you if you are using a standard phone.
To check the IMEI, simply dial *#06#. You can easily copy that and head to Imei.info. Input the number and click on check. It is supposed to verify your device, but if it returns something else, the alarm bells should begin to ring.
9. Try a Factory Reset
You can go to the setting of your phone and attempt a factory reset. If it doesn’t work, you are with a fake phone. If it does and returns normally congrats, your phone may be original. If it doesn’t come back normal, things are bad and you may be using a fake one.
10. Specifications of the phone
Check the manual of the phone and see what specifications it has, then go through the phone to see and see if that is right. Secondly, check the phone’s website to see if it is the same specifications that the original phone has.
11. Quality
Don’t ignore the fact that fake looks fake. If the phone looks very cheap and rushed, you are more than likely with a fake phone.
12. The cornerstone in knowing if you are using a fake android phone is to check using these codes.
*#1234# [Displays device current firmware]
*#*#1472365#*#* [GPS test settings]
*#*#197328640#*#* [Service mode main menu]
*#*#4636#*#* [Diagnostic and general settings mode]
*#0*# [General Test Mode]
This is easier than the ODIM mode. If you don’t get any response after using the codes, it is official that you are using a fake Android phone.
Important Rules On How To Avoid Buying Fake Android Phones
- If it is too cheap and is even cheaper than it sells in other places, avoid it. It is most likely a fake one. You don’t get a 90k phone for 25k. By their prices, we can easily tell.
- Buy from authorized dealers and trusted sources only. I know most of us prefer the convenience of picking phones from any available shop, but the problem is that it only increases our chances of getting fake stuff.
- Ensure that you get a warranty certificate of at least 12 months. It will keep you covered if something happens. If it is not an original android phone it is most likely that it will not be granted.
