Buying a Xiaomi smartphone is always a balance between wanting to get advanced technology and wanting to save money. However, it is the popularity of the brand that has spawned a huge amount of counterfeit products, which unscrupulous sellers pass off as the original.
The electronics market is crowded with handicrafted devices, and it's getting harder to distinguish them visually at first glance, as the technology of copying enclosures and interfaces has gone far, and Chinese replicas often have logos, fonts, and even a setting menu that repeats the original one in one.
That is why the question of how to verify Xiaomi for authenticity is acute before every buyer planning a deal with hands or in a questionable store. IMEI-The carefulness of the buying phase will save your money and nerves.
Visual inspection of the body and configuration
The first thing a customer encounters is the look of the device. The original Xiaomi always has a flawless build quality: the gaps between the screen and the frame are minimal, the buttons do not slug, and the materials are pleasant and expensive to touch.
Look at the logos. On fakes, the image of "Mi" or "Redmi" can be defective, too bright or, conversely, dull. The engraving on the back of the original is clear, deep and not erased by fingers, whereas on the copy it can look like a cheap sticker.
⚠️ WARNING: If you see grammatical errors in English on the box or device itself or strange fonts in logos, it is 100% a sign of forgery. Chinese original manufacturers monitor branding very strictly.
The original USB cables have a distinctive "Mi" logo on the connector or on the wire itself. The charger must be clearly labeled with all certifications and current parameters. In counterfeits, the plastic of the power supply often has a pungent smell and poor-quality assembly of seams.
IMEI and serial number verification
The most reliable way to do initial verification is to analyze the unique identifiers of the device. IMEI-It's a code that's entered into international databases, and you can find it by dialing a universal command in the Phone app".
*#06#
Once you enter this combination, the SIM card and serial number will be displayed on the screen, which should be exactly the same as those printed on the factory box and on the sticker under the back cover (if it is removable), and the discrepancy of at least one digit indicates that the device was assembled from different parts or reflashed.
- 🔍 Check it out. IMEI on the official website of Xiaomi through the authorization service.
- 📱 Make sure the number of slots under SIM coincides with the displayed codes.
- 🌐 Compare the region of the device (Global, China, EEA) box-marked.
📊 Where do you most often buy equipment?
In the official store.
On marketplaces (Ozon/WB)
Hands on (Avito/Yula)
Small-scale communication rooms
In Chinese online stores
There are online services that allow you to check the warranty status and activation date by IMEI. If the system shows that the phone was activated six months ago and you are sold as a "new", this is cause for serious concern. The database is not lying, and the history of the device can tell more about it than the words of the seller.
MIUI and MIUI Version
The software shell is the smartphone's "face" that's the hardest to fake. The original MIUI or HyperOS run smoothly, have specific animations and pre-installed system applications from Google and Xiaomi. The replicas often feature stripped-down Android with a superimposed theme.
For a deep check, go to the settings and look for the About Phone section, and look for the MIUI version line, and the original line, when you repeatedly click on the MIUI logo, opens a menu of additional settings or a web page with information, and in the forgeries, the logo either doesn't respond or leads to the left site.
How to distinguish fake MIUI from real MIUI?
The real MIUI has a security system application with a green shield logo that is deeply integrated into the system. In forgeries, it is either a normal application that can be removed, or its functionality is limited to a simple animator. Also in the original multitasking menu there is a characteristic location of windows and a memory clearing button in the form of a cross.> Check the presence of the GetApps app store. This is the official Xiaomi store, which is preinstalled on all global and Chinese versions of firmware. The absence of this service or its incorrect operation indicates the modified software. Closing Swipes work perfectly Parameter Original Xiaomi Fake / Replica Logo when download Clear "Mi" or "Xiaomi" Blurred, can flash Settings Menu Smooth Scrolling, no errors Click, Departures, "fish" translation Google Services Built into the system Install separately or Lag Manager is not responsive to touches Use of engineering menus and verification codes In the Android operating system on which the system is based MIUI, It's a hidden engineering menu for testing equipment, and it's accessed through a special service. USSD-This is a powerful tool for checking hardware components. ##64663## Entering this command opens the menu CIT (Customer Integration Test: Here you can check the vibrator, screen (for broken pixels and touchscreen), speakers, microphone, lighting and proximity sensors. Each module is tested interactively. 📡 GPS: He checks satellites, often sees no fakes. 📷 Camera: Takes a test shot and checks focus. 🔋 Battery: Shows real capacity and charge status. 🎨 Screen: floods the display with colors to look for defects. ⚠️ Warning: Be careful in the engineering menu. Don't change settings you don't know what you're reading, especially in areas related to calibrating sensors or resetting battery statistics, which can cause the device to malfunction. If you enter the code, the menu doesn't open, but just disappears or an error is a bad sign. The original Xiaomi smartphones always respond to this request. It's also worth checking the code ##4636##, which displays battery information and usage statistics. In fakes, this code often doesn't work. ☑️ Checklist of checks in CIT Vibrator: Screen Check (Display): Sound Check (Speaker): Sensor Check (Touchpanel) Completed: 0 / 1 Technical specifications check through CPU-Z Manufacturers of counterfeits often indicate top characteristics in the About phone settings (for example, 12 GB of RAM and Snapdragon processor, although there's cheap hardware inside. It's easy to cheat the standard settings menu, but it's harder to hide real data from specialized utilities. CPU-Z or AIDA64 These programs read information directly from the device controllers, first look at the SoC and Device section, if you have Snapdragon in the settings. 8 Gen 2, CPU-Z MediaTek or old Snapdragon 6-And the first one is a fake, and you also have to pay attention to the resolution and the number of cores. Real numbers are often more modest than the seller's stated numbers. Pay special attention to the amount of memory available. Cheap replicas often "bloat" memory software: the phone shows 256 GB, but physically there is a chip 32 GB. When you try to write a large amount of data files will either not save or damage. CPU-Z will show the real size of the available storage. Authentication through the Mi Account and Google services Xiaomi Ecosystem is tied up on the Mi Account. Try to log into your account through the standard settings menu. The original device will easily accept authorization, synchronize contacts and prompt the device to instantly find a password, "If the device can not be added, the device can not be added, or the system can be uniquely added alarm. " Fakes often have a locked or altered system library that doesn't allow full authorization. Also check Google Play. In the original global versions, they're built-in at the system level. In the Chinese versions, they're built-in (CN) They need to be installed manually, but they work in a stable way. In replicas, the Play Store can fly out, prevent you from downloading apps, or require strange permissions. 💡Successful authorization in Mi Account and stable operation of Google Play Services is one of the surest signs of the originality of the smartphone, since it is almost impossible to fake server verification (FAQ) Can I re-fake the original fake? MIUI? No, it's impossible. The firmware is written for a specific hardware (processor, memory controllers). Trying to install Xiaomi’s original firmware on a replica will result in the phone simply not turning on (“brick”), as the components inside are completely different. What does it mean if the Xiaomi phone doesn’t pass the site’s check? It can mean several things: either the device is fake, or it’s the original, but the wrong IMEI was introduced, or the device was intended for the domestic market in China and not yet entered into global databases. Check the code carefully. Is it dangerous to use a fake Xiaomi? Yes, it is dangerous. These devices often have poor-quality batteries that can swell or catch fire. In addition, where the system can be used for the virus and the best to buy your data from the banks? It is safest to buy from large chain retailers, brand officials or trusted marketplaces marked "Official Store" Buying from hand or small stalls always carries an increased risk.