How do you check the authenticity of a newly purchased lumia device(in case its fake)?

[Spurgeon Fleischer]

after using android for quite a while, im looking for a new adventure! Windows 8 was amazing so im like why dont i give it a try on mobile...so i've been reading this forum for almost a year and i must say y'all are amazing and windows just keeps better(windows 10 is just freaking amazing *-*). ok so i checked a few retailers in Kumasi, Ghana for L930 and i found one quite cheap which has raised my concern...what if its fake??...so guys is there some sorta procedure to verify if any of the lumia devices is authentic...

Gracias

-Pauley

 

[gpobernardo]

First of all, welcome to Windows Central!

Hmm, I usually purchase my phones from an accredited retailer in a mall so chances of encountering a fake is low. Nonetheless, I still follow a safety procedure to check whether the phone is "real" or not... or just to check if the phone is fully functional or not:

1. First impressions and gut feel: That "it feels right" state; the weight, the tightness of the construction, the box... all of these should be properly executed (no loose packaging, no weird marks, no lopsided fonts, faded typesetting, etc..)

2. Down to the details:
- IMEI on the box should be the same with the IMEI indicated in the phone settings > about
- check the dimensions of the phone and see if they are exact compared with the official dimensions from Microsoft
- check, also, the weight of the phone
- check if all features (as indicated in the official specifications page) are available: ambient light sensor, accelerometer, gyro, camera OIS, etc.
- try connecting the phone to the store Wi-Fi and see if you can check for updates (fake phones can not check for updates)
- check the OS version, firmware revision number, etc. and compare it with the official listings from Microsoft.
- check the integrity of the display - if the resolution isn't really "topnotch", it's most probably a fake.
- see if the dealer would offer you an official receipt - avoid transactions with no official receipt

 

[Harrie-S]

See above.
But you know the saying if the price is to low to be true .....
But phones get stolen and stolen or defect stuff can be sold "cheap".

 

[Spurgeon Fleischer]

HAHA...i see what you mean...

 

[Indistinguishable]

I might suggest putting the link here. We can take a look at it and see how legitimate the website is.

 

[Putu Oka]

.....
- check if all features (as indicated in the official specifications page) are available: ambient light sensor, accelerometer, gyro, camera OIS, etc.
.....

could you explain please how to check this?

 

[gpobernardo]

could you explain please how to check this?

With the presumption that the customer is given the liberty to hold, examine and test the phone before purchasing the phone, the customer can turn the phone on and see how the phone responds to sensor input:

Ambient light sensor: go to settings, make sure that brightness is set to "Auto", then see if the phone screen brightness decreases when you cover the upper portion of the screen and see if the brightness increases when you remove the cover.

Accelerometer: See if the phone changes in orientation when you hold it in portrait and in landscape positions

Camera OIS: (This also tests the gyro since the OIS is controlled by the gyro) open the camera and go to "Video recording" mode. You don't need to actually record a video. Look at the lens assembly of the main camera. While in Video mode, the OIS should be active - when you rotate the phone, you should see the lens moving sideways, as if it is getting "left behind".

These are rather straightforward and simple tests that anyone can perform before buying a phone - if the store refuses to let the customer test these features, then the customer has the right to go to a different store.

 

[Spurgeon Fleischer]

uhmm sorry, i did not check online...i went to the store myself and no they dont own a website..

 

[gpobernardo]

uhmm sorry, i did not check online...i went to the store myself and no they dont own a website..

Were you able to test the phone out?

 

[Spurgeon Fleischer]

nope...there was one on display though...took a few selfies with it....

 

[gpobernardo]

Yeah... but how about the phone itself that you're going to buy? Surely they won't sell you the one that's on display.

Here's what you can do. If this store is in a mall or has their own building or boutique (not a booth), then chances are that the phone isn't a fake. Nonetheless, ask for a receipt for the transaction. If in case you find out that the phone is indeed fake (no matter how unlikely), then you always have the right to return it to them as soon as you can with the receipt with your claim.

It is important that the store is a real store, with tax certification and business permit registrations.

 

[Spurgeon Fleischer]

gracias