Buying a smartphone on the secondary market or authenticating a device often requires knowing the exact date of its production. Owners of the popular Xiaomi Redmi 5 model often face the need to know when exactly their gadget was released, this may be necessary to assess the residual battery life or verify the originality of components.
There are several proven ways to get this information without resorting to sophisticated software, and the release year is often hidden in factory codes or system logs that can be accessed by standard Android operating system tools.
In this article, we will take a look at all the available methods, from simply inspecting the box to using the engineering menu, and learn how to decipher serial numbers and understand why the first activation date may differ from the actual device assembly date.
Checking of factory packaging and documentation
The most obvious and quickest way to know the age of the device is to look carefully at the box. If you are the first owner or keep the package, look for a barcode sticker that usually shows the date of manufacture in the format of GHG/MM or MM/GHG.
Notice the white sticker on the end or bottom of the box, which has the serial number (SN) printed and the date of manufacture, and often duplicates that information on the security film of the smartphone itself, if it's preserved.
⚠️ Note: If you buy a used phone without a box, this method will not work, and in addition, unscrupulous sellers can re-adhere labels, so the data from the package should be rechecked by software methods.
The documentation, if it is saved as a warranty card, may also include a sale or warranty activation date. While it is not an exact build date, it provides an understanding of the minimum age of the device. For the Redmi 5 model, released in late 2017, this is especially true when assessing wear.
Use the Engineering Menu for the exact date
The most reliable software method is to log into the engineering menu through a special code, which allows you to see hidden information about the hardware and the production date that is not displayed in the usual settings.
To do this, open the standard "calling" and dial the combination ##4636##. If the code is entered correctly, the "Testing" menu will open.
☑️ Checking in the engineering menu
In the list that opens, look for the line "Date of manufacture" or similar, it will indicate the exact date. If the standard code does not work (which happens on some firmware). MIUI), Try entering ##6484## to enter the CIT-Menu (Hardware Test).
V CIT-You need to find the menu item "Version Information" or «CI Info. It can also contain the build date information, and it's an engineering menu that's designed for testing, but it's also useful for everyday users.
What do I do if the codes don't work?
Analysis of IMEI and serial number online
If access to the menu is limited, you can use the online IMEI verification services. The unique device identifier contains encoded information about the model and sometimes about the release period.
You can find out the IMEI by typing *#06# on your phone keyboard. Copy a 15-digit number and type it on the official Xiaomi verification site or on specialized resources like imei.info.
| Parameter | Where to find out. | What does it mean? |
|---|---|---|
| IMEI 1 | *#06# or under the battery | The main network identifier |
| Serial Number | Settings → About the phone | Unique party number |
| Model | On the back cover. | MDG1/MDG2 (Global/China) |
Services can show the date of the first activation of the device, which often coincides with the date of purchase. This helps to understand how long the phone has actually been used. For the Xiaomi Redmi 5, this is an important parameter, since the model was released in late 2017, and activation in 2020 can indicate a long inventory or recovery.
Date determination through system logs and applications
There are specialized applications that output deep technical information, and one of the most popular is Device Info HW or AIDA64, and then start scanning the device after installation.
In the System or Device section, look for the Manufacture Date or Build Date fields. The app reads this data from Android system files. However, it is worth remembering that the build Date and build date of the phone itself can vary by weeks or months.
Another way is to (view) system files through a computer by connecting the phone in USB debugging mode. The adb shell getprop ro.build.date.utc command will show the firmware compilation time. It's not exactly the year of iron release, but it gives a close estimate.
⚠️ Note: Application data may be incorrect if the phone has been flashed or reset by Factory Reset.In such cases, the system may display the date of the last reset instead of the actual date of production.
Decoding codes on the back cover and battery
The Xiaomi Redmi 5 model has a non-removable battery, but date information is often applied to the bottom of the case in fine print.Flip the phone and, in good light, examine the text at the bottom speaker or connectors.
You can see the labels that are like "2017.12" or something like that, and the numbers are year and month, and sometimes you use the week of the year format, like "2017W50," which is the 50th week of 2017.
💡
Use macros on another smartphone to disassemble the fine text on the back cover, and turn on the flash and zoom to help you read the worn marking.
Also worth paying attention to is the date of installation of the operating system if the phone is new. In the About Phone settings, the MIUI version often contains a build date. While this is an indirect indication, for the 2017 model, Android 7.1 or 8.1 will correspond to the active sales period.
Comparison of characteristics and year of model release
Understanding the context of the model’s release helps in verifying that Xiaomi Redmi 5 was introduced in December 2017, and therefore devices with a production date earlier than November 2017 were physically unable to leave the factory en masse.
If you see a phone with a 2016 date, chances are it's either a labeling error or a glued case from another model (like the Redmi 4X).Knowing the release chronology of Xiaomi models helps to quickly weed out fakes.
💡
Redmi 5 was released in late 2017, so any production dates before autumn 2017 should be suspicious and require additional verification.
Compare the processor and storage capacity to the official specifications: If the Snapdragon 450 is claimed but the release date is 2015, that’s a contradiction, since the chipset started shipping later.