When buying a new or used smartphone, it is often necessary to determine exactly when the device left the conveyor. For owners of Xiaomi equipment, this is especially important, since the battery life and the relevance of the pre-installed version of the operating system directly depend on the time of production. Knowing the exact date allows not only to assess the freshness of the gadget, but also to verify its authenticity, eliminating the risk of purchasing a restored or counterfeit copy.
Unlike some brands, the Chinese giant does not always put the release date on the front of the box or in the explicit settings menu, hiding this information in the system codes. However, there are several proven methods to access this data without using sophisticated software. In this article, we will discuss in detail all the available methods, from simple to simple. USSD-requests before analysis of factory marking.
Checking through the factory sticker on the box
The fastest and most affordable way to know the age of the device is to carefully examine the packaging box. On the back or side of the original packaging there is always a white label with technical information. It is here, in the Production Date column or Production Date, that the exact date of assembly is indicated. The format of the date can vary: the most common standard is YYYY/MM/DD (year/month/day), but sometimes the American format MM/DD/YYYYY.
But you can't rely on the box alone, especially if you're buying a smartphone with your hands. Unscrupulous sellers can replace the packaging or re-add the label to hide the actual age of the device. So the data from the box should always be double-checked for the phone's internal IDs. If the sticker is missing, erased, or looks suspiciously glued, this is the first signal for a deeper check.
Pay attention to the quality of the print and font on the label. Xiaomi factory marking is done clearly, without blurring or errors in the model writing. Often, the date indicates the batch number, which can also be used for verification in service centers.
⚠️ Warning: The lack of a factory sticker on the box or its apparent mismatch with the smartphone model (such as the Redmi Note 9 sticker on the Redmi Note 10 box) is a direct sign that the device may have been assembled from different parts or is a re-finished product.
Use of the engineering menu and USSD-code
A more reliable method, which does not depend on the safety of the package, is the use of hidden engineering menu Android. on Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones, access to it is often through a standard dial. You need to open the phone app and enter the code # # # # #6484#. This request will automatically redirect you to the CIT menu (Customer Inspection Test), which provides a full technical summary.
In the menu that opens, you scroll down to the bottom, and you'll find a QC Test or Version line that often lists the date of the last calibration or assembly of the device. Sometimes the date of production is encrypted in the serial number or the version of the firmware that's displayed in the same section.
If the CIT code doesn't work on your version of the MIUI shell or HyperOS, try the universal code *#06#. It will show the IMEI and the serial number. Although there's no direct date here, this data is critical for the next phase of validation through official services.
☑️ Xiaomi Authentication Verification
It is worth considering that on some global versions of firmware, access to the engineering menu may be restricted by the manufacturer for security reasons, in which case the system simply does not respond to the combination input or gives an error message.
Data analysis through Mi Verify
The official online service Mi Verify is one of the most authoritative sources of information about the company's products. To check, go to the official website of the service and enter the service. IMEI-The device code, which you can find in the settings or on the box, not only will the device authenticate, but it will also provide detailed information about its status.
The test results often show the date of activation of the device or the date of the first sale, which allows you to indirectly calculate the production time. Usually smartphones reach the end user 1-3 months after leaving the factory. If the difference between the current date and the date of the first activation is several years, and the phone is presented as new, this is a reason to think.
What if the website does not show the date?
If your phone was released just last week, it may not be available in the global database.
Decoding of factory code in settings
There is another hidden method available through the standard settings menu. Go to Settings → About Phone → All settings and find the MIUI version string. Quickly click 10 times in a row on the system version logo (e.g. MIUI 14 or HyperOS 1.0). This action will open an extended menu where in some cases (depending on the specific model and Android version) you can see Build Date - the software build date, which usually coincides with the final firmware date at the factory.
Although Build Date indicates the installation time rather than the physical build of the case, the difference between these dates is usually minimal, ranging from 1 to 14 days, allowing for a high-precision age determination. If the firmware build date is significantly older than the expected purchase date, the phone could have been in storage for a long time or be recovered.
This is especially useful when there is no box at hand and IMEI services are temporarily unavailable, and it gives instant results right in the interface of the smartphone.
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Write down the build date immediately after purchase, which will help prove a warranty in the future if there is a dispute about the life of the device.
Comparison of models by year of release
Knowing when a particular model came out helps to weed out the wrong data right away. If a seller claims to be selling a “new” smartphone to a model that stopped being released two years ago, it’s a clear sign that the device is either used or refurbished.
| Series of devices | Example of model | Period of active production | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redmi Note (Budget) | Redmi Note 9 Pro | 2020 – 2021 | Withdrew |
| Xiaomi Mi (Flagship) | Xiaomi Mi 11 | 2021 – 2022 | Withdrew |
| POCO (Middle class) | POCO X3 NFC | 2020 – 2021 | Withdrew |
| Redmi (Initial) | Redmi 10C | 2022 – 2023 | It's over. |
| Xiaomi (Flagship) | Xiaomi 13T | 2023 – 2026 | Relevant. |
If you're offered a device at the top of the list with a "New, Sealed" status in 2026, the probability that it's a quality live battery is extremely low. Lithium-ion batteries degrade even without use, and three years of storage in stock significantly reduces capacity.
Frequent questions about the date of production
Users often encounter nuances that are not obvious when first checked, and here are the answers to the most popular questions related to determining the age of Xiaomi smartphones.
Can the date in the engineering menu be different from the date on the box?
What if the IMEIs on the menu and box don’t match?
Does the date of production affect the warranty?
How to find out the date of production if the phone is not turned on?
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A comprehensive check on three sources (box, engineering menu, online service) gives a 100% guarantee of accuracy of the release date.
To sum up, determining the date of manufacture of a Xiaomi smartphone is a simple but important procedure: it takes only a few minutes, but saves you from buying an illiquid product. Use a combination of methods: visual inspection, engineering menu codes and online verification to be completely sure of the history of your device.