How to accurately determine the year of release of the Xiaomi phone: a step-by-step guide

Why it is important to know the year of production of the Xiaomi smartphone

When you buy a used Xiaomi phone or even a new device from the store, the year of release can tell you a lot about its condition, it’s not just about the moral obsolescence – batteries degrade over time, network standards change (for example, 5G support in early batches may not be available), and the warranty period is calculated from the date of production, not sale.

In addition, some Xiaomi models (such as the Redmi Note 9 Pro or Poco X3) have had hardware revisions in different batches — processors, cameras or cooling systems have changed. Knowing the year of release, you can check whether you got a raw version with known bugs. In this article, we will discuss all working methods for determining the production date, from obvious to hidden.

Method 1: Serial number (SN) check on a box or phone

The most reliable method is to analyze the serial number, which is applied in the factory, it is on the sticker of the box (usually under the barcode) and in the settings of the phone. Xiaomi's SN format is standardized: the first 4 characters encode the date of production.

Example of serial number: K6809D8QG. Here, the K680 is the year and week:

• 📅 K – The letter codes for a year (2020) = J, 2021 = K, 2022 = L, 2023 = M, 2026 = N).
• 🔢 680 – weekly serial number in a year (from 001 to 536).

To decipher:

1. Take the first 4 SN characters (e.g., K680).
2. Compare the first letter with the year in the table below.
3. The other 3 digits are week 680? That doesn't happen, so it's week 80 of 2026, but Xiaomi hasn't released a K phone for 2026 yet.

⚠️ Warning: On fake phones, the serial number can be copied from the original device. SN on the box and in the phone settings (Settings) → The phone. → If they don't match, you're 100% fake.

Method 2: Analyze IMEI through an engineering menu or online service

IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) is a unique phone identifier that also contains information about the date of production. Xiaomi has the first 8 digits of the IMEI encode the model and the factory, and the next 6 is the serial number where the date is sewn.

How to find out IMEI:

• 📱 Enter the code *#06# in the phone application and a window will appear with IMEI.
• 📦 Look at the sticker under the battery (if removable) or on the box.
• ⚙️ Go to Settings. → The phone. → General information → IMEI.

IMEI transcript for Xiaomi:

1. Take the first 14 digits of the IMEI (e.g. 86372405123456).

2.The 7th and 8th digits are the year of production in YY format (e.g. 21 = 2021).

3. 9th and 10th digits - week (01 to 53).

For automatic decryption, use the services:

• 🌐 IMEI.info (shows production date and model).
• 🌐 IMEI-Number.com (details the country of origin).

⚠️ Attention: If IMEI It starts with 000000 or repeating numbers, and it's either fake or it's stitched with unofficial software with a fake ID, and it's not going to be activated on mobile networks.

Method 3: Production date by battery label

If you have a phone with a removable battery (e.g. Redmi 4A, Redmi 5), you can find the date of production directly from the sticker on the battery. Xiaomi applies it in YYYY-MM-DDD or WWYY (week/year) format.

Examples of markings:

• 🔋 2021-03-15 — 15 March 2021 year-end.
• 🔋 1220 – 12th week of 2020 (March 2020).

How to check:

1. Turn off the phone and remove the back cover (for models with removable battery).
2. Remove the battery – the date is printed on a white sticker in the format specified above.
3. Compare the date to the serial number: they must match the error of ±2 weeks.

On non-removable batteries (for example, in Xiaomi) 11T POCO F4) The date of production is sometimes indicated on the sticker under SIM-You'll need a magnifying glass to read it, and it's fine.

Method 4: Checking through Hidden Engineering Menu (CIT)

Xiaomi phones have a hidden CIT (Customer Engineer Test) menu that displays a production date among other technical information, which works on most MIUI-based models, but it takes care not to change the settings in this menu!

Instructions:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter the code: ##4636## (for new models) or #284## (for older models).
3. Select Phone Information or Hardware Info.
4. Scroll down to the Manufacture date or Production date.

Date format in CIT:

• 📅 20210315 – March 15, 2021.
• 📅 W12/2020 — 12-I'm a week. 2020 year-end.

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If the ##4636### code doesn't work, try typing it without stars: ##4636##. Some MIUI firmware requires confirmation via the call button.

⚠️ Note: Do not change Band Selection settings in the Engineering Menu or RF Test, it can cause you to lose your network. If something's changed, reboot your phone.

Method 5: Determining the year from the model and revision of the processor

If the phone is already in hand, but none of the above methods worked, you can determine the approximate year of release for the modification of the processor and revision of the board, this is true for models that have been released for several years in a row with hardware updates (for example, the Redmi Note 8 Pro or Poco X3 NFC).

How to find out the audit:

1. Install the CPU-Z app from Google Play.
2. Open the SoC tab (System on Chip).
3. Look at the Process bar, and it will indicate, for example, the TSMC 7nm or Samsung 8nm LPP.
4. Compare this with the revision table for your model (see below).

You can also see the revision on the motherboard itself, you have to take your phone apart. Look for REV 1.0 or V2.1 labels next to the processor. For example, Redmi Note 8T had V3.0 cards in 2020 and V1.0 in 2019.

💡

If the CPU-Z displays a G-suffix processor (such as the Snapdragon 720G) and it is not in the model’s characteristics, then you have a later revision with improved graphics.

Method 6: Check through the official website of Xiaomi (by IMEI)

Xiaomi provides an official IMEI authentication service: mi.com/global/verify, where you can not only confirm the originality of the phone, but also find out the activation date (which is usually close to the date of production).

Instructions:

1. Go to the checkout page at the link above.
2. Enter your phone's IMEI (can be copied from *#06#).
3. Enter the captcha and press Submit.
4. In the results, look for the Activation Date line, which is the date of the first activation of the device.

Please note:

• 🔍 The activation date may be 1-6 months later than the production date (depending on the time of lying in the warehouse).
• 🔍 If the service makes a mistake IMEI not found, the phone is either fake or stitched with custom firmware.
• 🔍 For Chinese versions (China) ROM) use the site order.mi.com/imei.

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi’s website sometimes displays a production date in the format YYYYMMDD, But it's not always the exact date on the conveyor -- it could be the date of the firmware or the packing.

Frequent Mistakes and Myths in Determining the Year of Release

When checking the production date, users often encounter incorrect information, and let's take a look at the most common misconceptions:

Myth 1: “Date in phone settings is the date of production”

In fact, Settings → The phone displays the firmware build date (e.g. 2023.07.10) rather than the device’s production. These are different things: the firmware could have been updated after purchase.

Myth 2: “All phones of the same model are produced in one year”

Xiaomi often extends production of popular models, such as the Redmi Note 9S was released from March 2020 to October 2021. Even in a single batch can be devices with a difference of 2-3 months.

Myth 3: “IMEI can be changed software”

The IMEI is in permanent memory (eMMC) and cannot be changed without physical intervention (chip soldering), and if a vendor claims to have "changed the IMEI to register on the network," that is a fraud.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions