Buying a new smartphone or diagnosing an existing device always starts with a deep analysis of its hardware. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices often face the need to accurately determine the version of the processor, the type of screen matrix or the actual battery capacity, this may be required when reselling the gadget, searching for compatible accessories or simply out of curiosity about technical details.
Standard menu viewing methods don’t always give you the full picture, especially when it comes to hidden system settings or component authentication. In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can, from simple settings to engineering codes that will allow you to get comprehensive information about your device.
It is important to understand that software data may differ from physical characteristics in the case of firmware or system modification, so using a comprehensive approach to diagnosis is the most reliable option. MIUI HyperOS and third-party utilities that are trusted by the community.
Use of built-in system settings
The most obvious and secure way to get basic information about your device is through the standard settings menu. In Xiaomi smartphones, the path to this data is unified, but may vary slightly depending on the version of the operating system. Go to Settings and find the About Phone item, which displays the model, Android version and MIUI build number.
For more technical information, go to All settings, and here you will see the exact model name, the amount of RAM and internal memory, and the version of the processor, but remember that it doesn't always specify the type of screen array or the exact model of the camera sensor, which is often critical for enthusiasts.
⚠️ Warning: Don't rely solely on the data displayed in the About Phone menu if you buy a used device. Attackers can programmatically change these values to replace real-world characteristics with higher ones.
Some firmware versions offer a detailed memory usage view feature, and by clicking on MIUI or Android several times in a row, you can activate hidden debugging menus or see more detailed statistics, although this depends on the specific model and regional version of the software.
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Before checking the characteristics, be sure to charge the device to at least 20% to avoid a sudden shutdown during the diagnosis.
Application of engineering codes and USSD-team
The engineering menu is a powerful diagnostic tool hidden from ordinary users, and you need to enter a special combination of characters to access it in the Phone app. The most universal code for Xiaomi devices is ##64663## or ##4636##, which opens the testing menu.
Once you enter the code, you will open a multi-point interface to check different modules: screen, speakers, vibration, sensor and communication. The Version or Hardware info section contains detailed data on board revision, component serial numbers and calibration data, which makes sure that all hardware is correctly defined by the system.
☑️ Checking through the Engineering Menu
Be very careful when changing any settings inside the engineering menu. Inexperienced interference with the parameters of the radio module or calibration of sensors can lead to malfunctioning of the phone or loss of network signal. Use this mode solely for viewing information if you do not know exactly what a particular parameter is responsible for.
⚠️ Attention: New versions of Android and shells MIUI 12/13/14 Access to some engineering codes may be blocked by the manufacturer for security reasons.
Third-party applications for detailed diagnostics
When built-in tools are scarce, specialized applications from the Google Play store come to the rescue, and the leader in this field has been the CPU-Z utility for many years, which provides comprehensive information about the processor, memory and sensors, and shows not only the chipset model, but also the current core frequency, temperature and load in real time.
Another powerful tool is AIDA64, which can scan the system deeper than competitors, showing the screen resolution in pixels and inches, supported OpenGL technologies, a list of sensors installed, and even information about the battery, including its wear and current voltage. For photographers, a section showing the exact model of the camera sensor will be useful.
- 📱 CPU-Z — Best choice for processor and RAM analysis.
- 🔋 AIDA64 — The most complete information about all components and sensors.
- 📷 Device Info HW — Perfect for checking camera sensor model and codecs.
- 🔧 TechInfo – detailed information about the battery and its history of use.
Why can the data in the applications be different?
Installing third-party software requires certain permissions. Diagnostic applications typically request access to device information, which is a prerequisite for their operation.
Analysis of technical characteristics through computer
For professional diagnostics, you can connect your smartphone to your computer. Using ADB (Android Debug Bridge) debugging tools allows you to access system logs and configuration files that are not available through the phone interface, which requires you to pre-activate the developer mode and enable debugging over USB.
Once the device is connected and the drivers are installed, you can enter the adb shell cat /proc/cpuinfo command via the command line to get raw data about the processor, and the adb shell dumpsys battery command will provide detailed battery statistics, including charging cycles and the current state of battery health, which is often more accurate than the applications show.
adb shell dumpsys meminfo | head -n 20This method is suitable for advanced users who are not afraid of the command line. It is especially useful when the phone is running off-stabowo and you need to understand what process consumes resources, or when the device screen is not functioning correctly, but the system is booting.
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Connecting to a PC via ADB gives you access to the deepest layers of the system, allowing you to see the processes hidden from conventional diagnostic applications.
Comparative table of verification methods
To make it easier for you to choose the right diagnostic method, we have organized the basic methods into a convenient table, each of which has its own advantages depending on what information you are looking for and how deeply you are willing to dive into the settings.
| Method | Difficulty | Details | Security |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phone settings | Low. | Basic | Absolute. |
| Engineering menu | Medium | Tall. | High (when viewed) |
| Annexes (CPU-Z) | Low. | Tall. | Tall. |
| ADB and PC | Tall. | Maximum | Average (error risk) |
As you can see from the table, for most users, the optimal balance between simplicity and information content is with specialized applications: they do not require cable connection and knowledge of complex commands, but they provide enough data for everyday use and verification of the device when buying.
If you're in firmware repair or deep modification, you can't do without the ADB bundle and the engineering menu, and combining these techniques gives you a complete picture of the hardware and software of your gadget.
Authentication and detection of counterfeits
The market is full of copies of popular Xiaomi models, which may be indistinguishable from the original, but have weak hardware inside. Software performance check is the first step to detecting a fake. Pay attention to inconsistencies: if the phone claims a Snapdragon processor and the CPU-Z app shows MediaTek, this is a clear sign of a firmware modification.
It's also worth checking the resolution and pixel density. Flagship models have a high point density (PPI) that can't be programmed to increase on cheap matrices. If the specs are Full HD+, and the matrix actually has HD resolution, it's immediately visible in applications like AIDA64.
⚠️ Attention: Pay special attention to the amount of memory. Fraudsters often modify the memory controller so that 32 GB is displayed as 256 GB. When such a “fake” space is filled, old data will begin to be overwritten or files will be corrupted.
For final verification, you can compare IMEI-The code specified in the settings, on the box and knocked out on the SIM card tray (if there is one), all three values must match. You can additionally check the device on the official Xiaomi website in the authentication section by entering the serial number.