How to distinguish the original Xiaomi from a fake: step-by-step smartphone check

Xiaomi, a Chinese brand, has long gained user trust thanks to its price-quality ratio, but the popularity has the opposite side: the market is flooded with fakes. According to Counterpoint Research, up to 12% of Xiaomi smartphones sold through informal channels are counterfeit. Fraudsters manage to copy not only the budget Redmi, but also the flagship Mi 13 Ultra or Xiaomi 14. How not to run into fake when buying? We have collected 7 working methods of verification that will help identify a fake before payment or in the first minutes after unpacking.

The problem is especially acute for buyers in the secondary market (Avito, Yula) and in questionable online stores. Even a box with holograms and “original” stickers does not guarantee authenticity – modern fakes copy packaging with frightening accuracy. In this article, you will find step-by-step instructions with a photo, a table of differences between the original and the copy, as well as unique features that even official dealers do not know (for example, checking through an engineering menu or analyzing a font on a label).

1. IMEI verification: the main authentication identifier

International Mobile Equipment Identifier (IMEI) — This is a smartphone passport that cannot be tampered with at the hardware level, and the original Xiaomi has it in three places: on the box, under the battery (or on the tray). SIM-and in the firmware, if at least one of the IMEI It doesn’t match up, you’re 100% fake.

How to check:

• 📦 On the box: IMEI It's on a barcode sticker (usually at the bottom or side.
• 📱 In the phone: dial *#06# - will appear on the screen IMEI (Or two if the smartphone supports two. SIM-map).
• 🔧 In Settings: Go to Settings → The phone. → General information → IMEI.
• 🔍 On Xiaomi's website, type in IMEI Official checks (not applicable to all regions).

⚠️ Warning: Fraudsters sometimes clone IMEI If all codes match, but the phone is suspicious (e.g., it doesn't update), check the serial number through the same Xiaomi service.

2. Packaging analysis: 5 parts that do not copy

Xiaomi’s fake boxes have become so similar to the originals that it’s almost impossible to tell them apart without a magnifier, but there are 5 key elements that scammers miss or misrepresent:

🔍 Lifehack: Take a magnifying glass and look at the microtext on the hologram, and the original magnification shows Xiaomi or Mi, and the fake has chaotic dots or empty fields. Xiaomi has a matte and leaves no trace when opened, and copies often use cheap Scotch.

External examination of the phone: what gives a fake

Even if the packaging is perfect, the smartphone itself can produce a fake at first sight.

• 📏 Thickness and weight: The original Xiaomi weighs 5-15 grams more than the specs (because of the metal frame); counterfeiting is often easier due to plastic.+ It should weigh 208g – if the scale is 190g, it is fake.
• 🎨 Color and texture: the originals have a matte or glossy coating uniform, without divorces. Counterfeiting often has a "bubbly" texture or uneven gradient (for example, on the Xiaomi 13 Lite).
• 🔊 Speakers and microphones: the originals have two symmetrical speakers (on the new models) and three microphones (top, bottom, for noise reduction.
• 🔋 Tray SIM-cards: the original tray is engraved with a serial number that matches the IMEI. The fake trays are smooth or crooked.

⚠️ Warning: Fraudsters often replace the back cover with the original one (taken from broken phones). To check this, flash a flashlight at the junction of the lid and the case - fakes will see a gap or glue.

4. Firmware and software check: hidden tags of the original

The firmware is the brain of a smartphone, and fakes are the ones that get the most out of it. The original Xiaomi runs on MIUI (or HyperOS for new models), and copies often use custom shells based on stripped-down Android.

1. MIUI version: Go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version. The original version should match the official list. For example, for Redmi Note 12, the current version for May 2026 is MIUI 14.0.8.
2. Hidden menu: dial ##4636## → select Phone Information. The original will have MIUI Version, the fake will have just Android Version.
3. Updates: Try to update the software through Settings → System Update. Fakes either don’t have this feature or offer to download files from questionable sources.
4. Xiaomi apps: check for branded utilities: Mi Community, Mi Home, Security. For fakes, they are either absent or left-handed versions are installed.

🔧 Test through ADB: Connect your phone to your PC, turn on Debugging. USB And put in a command:

adb shell getprop ro.product.brand

The original answer will be Xiaomi or Redmi, the fake — unknown, mediatek or the name of another brand.

💡

If a phone asks for a password to unlock the bootloader on the first turn on, it’s a sure sign of a fake. The original Xiaomi doesn’t lock the bootloader out of the box.

5.Iron testing: camera, sensors, performance

Counterfeiting saves on “stuffing”, so they are easy to calculate through tests:

• 📸 Camera: Take a photo on the main camera and compare it to samples on GSMArena. Fakes often do not have a night mode, and the pictures are blurry even during the day. For example, Xiaomi 13 Pro should have a Leica module with a watermark in the photo - the fake does not have it.
• 📊 Antoine: run the test in AnTuTu Benchmark, and if the result is 30 percent or more below the official data, it's a fake.+ shoulder ~500,000 points, and fake will give 200,000-300,000.
• 🧲 Sensors: Check the gyroscope, compass and proximity sensor through the Sensor Test application. The originals all sensors work stably, copies often "glut" the compass or are missing. NFC.
• 🔋 Charging: plug in the original charger. If the phone is warming above 45°C or charges longer than stated time (e.g. Xiaomi) 12T Pro should charge in 19 minutes to 100%, it's fake.

⚠️ Attention: Some fakes mimic high benchmarks through cheats. To test this, run it. CPU Throttling Test – Fakes’ performance drops sharply after 5-10 minutes of testing.

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Even if the phone looks identical to the original, poor photo quality, lack of branded features (for example, Mi Turbo Charge) or discrepancy in Antutu are sure signs of forgery.

6. Check through official Xiaomi services

The most reliable way is to check with Xiaomi’s database, and there are two tools for that:

1. IMEI verification site (mi.com/global/verify): Enter IMEI or serial number. If the phone is original, the system will show the model, date of production and warranty status. If the Invalid IMEI error is fake.

Mi Verify appendix

• Download it from Google Play.
• Scan it. QR-box code or enter IMEI.
• The app will show you if the phone is original and if it is not listed in the theft.

🔍 Important: Verification Service IMEI If your region is not supported, use alternative methods (e.g., IMEI.info verification, but the data may not be up-to-date there).

7. Buying with hands: how not to run into a “restored” Xiaomi

In the secondary market, counterfeits are disguised as "used originals" to avoid being scammed.

• 📱 Check the history: ask for checks, warranty card or previous owner's details.The original Xiaomi is tied to a Mi Account - if the seller refuses to show the link, it's suspicious.
• 🔄 Restore test: If the phone looks like new but sells as used, check: Battery status in Settings → Battery. → Condition (if it shows 100% health at age 2)+ The presence of autopsy marks under the back cover (scratches on screws, unoriginal glue).
• 💰 Price: If the smartphone sells 30-50% cheaper than the market price, this is a reason to doubt. ₽, If the new one costs $90,000 ₽.

⚠️ Warning: Fraudsters often sell replicas (clones to the Internet) MTK-These phones are identical in appearance, but they run on Android Go, without proprietary software and with stripped-down characteristics. CPU-Z — If you have Helio or Unisoc instead of Snapdragon or Dimensity, it is a fake.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi vetting