How to spot a fake smartphone ( case study to Samsung Galaxy S4)

Mwevi · 2013-09-27T08:06:11+00:00

With Samsung still holding on to its place at the very top of the world smartphone market, there is no shortage of China-made clones of its most popular handsets namely, the Galaxy S3 and its current flaship, the Galaxy S4. Unlike the imitation phones of many years ago, the ones that you can purchase now look very similar to the models that they are based on. And not only that, but in some cases, clones can even surpass the original in terms of features (which is quite confusing). And so we have a bit of a problem: how do you spot and avoid imitation, clone, or downright fake Android smartphones? What steps can you take to ensure that you dont become just another victim of a sort of scam involving phones like the Galaxy S4, or rather, fake ones? Recently, users on reddit posted about their unfortunate experiences in buying fake Samsung handsets. These were phones sold online (one was specified to be from eBay), and had the general appearance of the real thing. However, they were revealed to be mere clones upon closer inspection. Buying a so-called China phone is generally not a bad idea. But in cases like these where theres deception involved, well, thats a different issue entirely. So with that in mind, weve put together a list of some things you need to watch out for when trying to figure out whether the phone youre about to buy is authentic or not. Throughout this post, well be using the Galaxy S4 as an example, but these signs could be used for just about any other name brand phone as well. Were going to start with the obvious. Physical differences A Galaxy S4 clone may look similar to the real Galaxy S4, which it is based on, but it will hardly look identical. So if you are able to physically look at it (or even just see it through a photo), you should make it a point to study its physical attributes. An authentic Galaxy S4 has a 5-inch touchscreen display that doesnt have much of a bezel surrounding it. Clones (such as the one pictured here) often have larger spaces between the display and the actual edge of the phone, which is a sure sign that the display is either smaller than its supposed to be or the phone is not as compact as the designers intended. Another thing to consider is the placement of hardware buttons, such as the prominent home button right below the screen. The real Galaxy S4 has a chrome-lined piece of plastic for its home button, and it is located right in the middle of the space below the display. Clone units have the home button placed a small distance lower, giving a slightly different appearance. It has also been reported that clone units dont have capacitive touch buttons flanking the home button. Thats pretty much a dead giveaway. In case you still need more pointers, also consider the appearance of the brand logo, the size and color of the built-in LED flash, the smoothness or overall feel of the phones surface, and the grippability along with the weight of the unit itself. Once youve got all of the above things covered, your next move should be to examine the phones software. Software quirks In case you still cant spot a fake by examining a units hardware, you still have a chance by looking at the pre-installed software. In the case of the Samsung Galaxy S4, the pre-loaded version of Android should be version 4.2.2. It should also have TouchWiz, which is Samsungs very own custom-made UI or skin for Android. How do you find out whether or not a phone is running the version of Android that its supposed to? Why, head to the Settings screen, of course. However, that isnt always foolproof. Above, you can see photos of a phone which, according to its Settings screen, is running Android 4.2.2. But the software actually looks nothing like Jelly Bean (Android 4.2.2′s codename). And the truth is that its running Android 2.3 a.k.a. Gingerbread (as evidenced by the Build number specified in the same Settings screen). This is not normal for a phone to say it runs one version of Android and completely show that it actually runs another. You can easily look up screenshots of Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean to see it for yourself, and to make sure that the phone youre buying has that exact same software pre-installed and running right out of the box. And speaking of software that runs right out of the box, all units of the Samsung Galaxy S4 come with exclusive software features. These simply cannot be found anywhere else. For clone units, of course, these features are all off-limits. So if you ever get a fake phone, youll find that some features are missing. Like user mhoffma on reddit, you may find that things like Air Scrolling dont work. That would certainly get in the way of watching Monsters University like a wizard, just as the commercial shows. Final thoughts Buying an Android smartphone such as the Samsung Galaxy S4 should be a fairly straightforward endeavor. You look for a phone, you see the phone, you pay for the phone, and you get the phone. But the fact that there are fake handsets floating around makes things slightly more difficult. Will we ever get rid of these so-called clones and imitation units? Its hard to say. The differences between real and fakes ones seem to be getting fewer and fewer with each generation. But it should always be possible to avoid buying fake units if you know what to look for. Another tell to look for is whether the device you bought includes the warranty card and Galaxy S4 manual. If it does not that is a good sign that you have purchased a fake. As a final reminder, always be wary of a phone thats being sold with a markedly lower price tag than its current market value. Wed like to think that clones and fakes will always be sold at much lower price points than the original models, because doing otherwise would be just plain evil. source: Don't be a victim: How to spot a fake Samsung Galaxy S4

Thread starter Mwevi
Start date Sep 27, 2013

Mwevi

JamiiForums uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.

Accept Learn more…

Back

Top Bottom

Forums

New posts

How to spot a fake smartphone ( case study to Samsung Galaxy S4)

Mwevi

JF-Expert Member

Our Community

Regional Communities