How to check the Xiaomi smartphone for originality: a full guide with photos and videos

You can buy a Xiaomi smartphone today not only in official stores, but also on marketplaces, in social networks or from hand. And if the price of the device is suspiciously low, there is a high risk of running into a fake. According to Counterpoint Research, the share of counterfeit Xiaomi in the Russian market reaches 12% – this is one in eight sold devices, and not only flagships like Xiaomi 14 Ultra are counterfeited, but also budget models like the Redmi Note 12 or the Redmi Note 12. POCO X5.

Here are 10 proven ways to distinguish the original Xiaomi from the copy, including packaging analysis, checking and refining. IMEI, We're going to take a look at the hidden authentication markers that only service engineers know, and show you what 90% of customers make mistakes when checking. All methods are relevant for 2020-2026 models, including Xiaomi. 13T, Redmi Note 13 Pro+ and POCO F5.

1.Packaging Check: 7 parts that 95% of shoppers miss

The box is the first and most obvious sign of a fake, but most only check its appearance.In fact, the original Xiaomi packaging has 7 unique markers that cannot be faked without factory equipment:

• 🔍 The serial number on the barcode, there's always a barcode under the original barcode. 20-significant S/N (Serial number) which must match the number in the phone settings (Settings) → The phone. → General information).

Pay special attention to the configuration. The original set always has:

• 🔌 Cable USB-C (for models after 2021) with the Xiaomi logo on the connector.
• ⚡ Charger marked with marking MDY-12-EX (or similar) and the power corresponding to the model (e.g, 33W For the Redmi Note 12 Pro+).
• 📄 Warranty card with the stamp of the official distributor (for Russia – Xiaomi Russia or Merlion).

⚠️ Warning: Counterfeiting often mimics packaging, but never mimics the microfont on the hologram and logo stamping. If the box looks too new (without micro-damage at the corners), this is a cause for suspicion - the original boxes are transported in dense pallets and often have slight rubbing.

Verification IMEI: How to identify a clone in 2 minutes

IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity, a unique 15-digit code that is assigned to every smartphone in the factory, is the most reliable way to check, but 70 percent of customers are doing it wrong, limiting themselves to comparing numbers on the box and on the phone. IMEI three-source:

1. On the box - usually indicated on the sticker along with the barcode.
2. In the phone – enter *#06# in the dialer or check in Settings → The phone. → General information → IMEI.
3. On the battery - under the lid (for models with a removable battery) or under the back panel (disassembly is required).

If at least one of them IMEI It doesn't match -- you're 100 percent fake. But it's not enough: you need to check. IMEI It's an international base:

1. Go to IMEI.info.
2. Enter the 15-digit code in the verification field.
3. Compare the model, serial number and production date with the data on the box.

⚠️ Note: Fraudsters are often used IMEI If you check for imei.info, the model doesn't match yours, it's a guaranteed fake. IMEI The first one starts at 00000 or 11111, which are the "dummy" used in factories for testing.

Enter *#06# and write it down. IMEI|Compare it to IMEI boxed|Check it out. IMEI battery-powered (if possible)|Request data on imei.info|Compare model and serial number-->

3. firmware analysis: hidden labels of the original software

Firmware is the digital passport of a smartphone, and counterfeits often install custom or hacked versions. MIUI, You can find them in 5 minutes. Here are 4 key parameters that you need to check:

• 📱 Version. MIUI. Go to Settings. → The phone. → Version. MIUI. Original software is always in the format MIUI {version by Xiaomi (e.g, MIUI 14.0.5 by Xiaomi. Counterfeiting often has inscriptions like MIUI by Redmi or Custom MIUI.
• 🔑 Loader unlock status. Enter ##4636## in dialer, then select Phone Information. If the Lock State bar says Unlocked, the phone is either hacked or fake (the original Xiaomis come with a locked bootloader).
• 🛡️ Security certificate. In Settings → Passwords and security → The security certificates must be a clause Xiaomi Trusted Certificate. its absence indicates unofficial firmware.
• 🔄 Updates by air (OTA). Try to update your phone through Settings → The phone. → System Update: Original devices receive updates automatically, and fakes give an error Cannot verify update.

Critical sign of counterfeiting: if the menu "About the phone" is missing the section "Status" SIM-"cards" or "Battery Information" is a guaranteed copy. Also note the fonts and icons: in the original MIUI It's a MiSans brand, and icons have rounded corners, and fakes often have square icons or fonts. Arial/Roboto.

4. Test "iron": how to check components without disassembly

Fakes are often equipped with cheap analogues of processors, memory and cameras, and you can detect this without disassembly using special tests and codes:

Checking the processor and memory

Install the app AIDA64 (Available on Google Play and check it out:

• 🖥️ Processor model. Must match official specifications (e.g. Snapdragon 7 Gen 2 for Xiaomi 13 Lite). G85 Instead of the stated Snapdragon.
• 🧠 RAM and ROM volume. AIDA64 Go to Memory. If you say, for example, 3 GB of RAM instead of 6 GB, it's fake.
• 🔥 Performance test. Run AnTuTu Benchmark. If the score is 30 below the official number%+ (For example, 200,000 instead of 450,000 for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, this indicates fake components.

Checking the camera and display

Fake Xiaomis are often equipped with low-quality matrices to detect them:

• 📸 Camera test. Take photos on the main and front cameras in low light conditions. The original Xiaomi uses Night Mode algorithms that reduce noise. The fakes will have grainy, strong soap".
• 🔍 Check the display. Enter the code ##284## for the screen test. AMOLED-displays (for example, in Xiaomi 13 Pro) should not have broken pixels and “yellow spots” at maximum brightness.
• 🎵 Speaker test. Turn on the music at maximum volume. Original stereo speakers (like in the Redmi Note 12 Pro)+) They make a clean sound without wheezing.

⚠️ Attention: Cameras in budget models are especially often faked. For example, a fake Redmi Note 11 may have an 8 MP matrix instead of the 50 MP one claimed. AIDA64 (partition of Cameras) or using the Camera app MX, which shows the actual resolution of the sensor.

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If you are not able to install AIDA64, Use the code ##4636## → Phone information: The equipment must contain the correct processor and memory module models.

5. Serial number check (S/N) official website

Serial number (S/N) — Another unique identifier that can be checked on the official Xiaomi website:

1. Find it. S/N on the box or in the phone settings (Settings) → The phone. → General information).
2. Go to the checkout page: mi.com/global/verify.
3. Enter the serial number and the captcha.
4. The system will show the model, the date of production and the status of the guarantee.

If the site is making an error, Invalid S/N Or it shows another model, it's a fake:

• If the phone is released before the official announcement of the model (for example, Xiaomi 13 with a production date of November 2022, although the announcement was in December), this is suspicious.
• If the production date is too fresh (like May 2026, and you buy in June 2026), there is a high risk that the phone is stolen or gray.

💡

Serial number checks on the official website are the only way to detect relabeled phones (when a fake is assigned). S/N from the original).

6.External signs: what to check in the hands

Even if the packaging and documents look perfect, the physical differences between the original and the fake are striking when you look closely.

Shell and assembly

• 🔧 The original Xiaomi has no more than 0.3mm of screen and frame gaps. The fakes often have gaps of up to 1mm.
• 🎨 Original phones are matte or glossy without divorces, counterfeits are often painted in "metallic", which is erased after 2-3 months.
• 🔩 Button fastening. The volume and power buttons in the original are clearly moving without backlash. They often hang around or creak in copies.

Screen and sensors

• 📱 Oleophobic coating. Swipe your finger across the screen, the original leaves a light footprint that disappears in 1-2 seconds.
• 👆 Sensor sensitivity: The original Xiaomi supports 120Hz or 90Hz (depending on the model). → Display. → Frequency of update: Counterfeiting often costs 60 Hz without the ability to change.
• 🔦 Screen brightness. The maximum brightness of the originals AMOLED-The displays reach 1,000-1,200 nits. For fakes, the screen dims at 500-600 nits.

Connectors and speakers

• 🔌 USB-C The original Xiaomi connector is symmetrical, without backlash. Counterfeiters often use a cheap Micro-USB disguised as Type-C.
• 🎧 3.5 mm audio jack (if any) Insert headphones: original sound is clean, without interference.
• 🔈 Infrared port: The original Xiaomi (like Redmi Note 12) has an IR port that works with Mi Remote remotes, and for fakes, it either doesn't exist or it doesn't recognize devices.

⚠️ Attention: The rear panels with the Mi or Redmi logo are especially often forged, the original logo is laser-engraved and not washed with alcohol, and the copies are pasted or painted with paint that is smeared when rubbed.

7. Check through official Xiaomi services

If you are still in doubt, use Xiaomi’s official authentication tools:

Appendix Mi Verify

Download the Mi Verify app from Google Play (Android only). IMEI And the serial number, comparing it to the Xiaomi database, and if the phone is original, the app will show the green tick and the warranty information.

7.2 Online support chat

Write to the official chat Xiaomi (on the website) mi.com/global/support) and provide:

• IMEI telephone;
• Serial number;
• Photo of the box and phone (especially holograms and stickers).

Support staff will check the data in the database and confirm authenticity.

Checking at the service centre

If you have already bought a phone, contact an authorized Xiaomi service center, and the wizard will conduct diagnostics using special equipment (for example, Mi Service Tool), which reads data from the motherboard.

• Fake memory chips;
• Replaced camera modules;
• Unofficial modifications to the board.

Important: if the phone turned out to be a fake, the service center will deny you warranty service and may withdraw the device for examination (under the law on counterfeit products).

8 Where to buy Xiaomi, so as not to run into a fake

Even if you know all the features of the original, the risk of buying a fake depends on where you buy it. Here's the reliability rating of the sources (from the safest to the riskiest):

If you buy a phone with your hands, you must:

• 📋 Ask for checks and a warranty card (check their authenticity on the store’s website).
• 🔍 Check the phone on IMEI and S/N (as described above).
• 💳 Pay with a card or a translation with a comment (for example, "Payment for Xiaomi Redmi Note 12, IMEI: 12345...” This will help to recover the money if there is a fraud.
• 📹 Shoot video of unpacking and turning on the phone - this is proof for the police or marketplace.

Refusing to show the box or documents;

The phone is said to have been brought from China for personal use.

- Ask for cash without a check;

- Indicate in the ad phrases like "100% original, verified".-->

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions