10 Ways to Distinguish Between Original and Fake Xiaomi Phones

Being popular does not always necessarily good in some ways. Let’s take, for example, the fact that possibilities of getting imitated will also increase. That happens in the real world including what Xiaomi has to be run into. There are many fake Xiaomi phones have been distributed and shipped around the world. Furthermore, those shipped fake Xiaomi devices are usually available for purchase at slightly cheaper price.

For common people, it is difficult to spot the discrepancies between the original and the imitation. Especially when they just seeing the device for a glance without paying attention to details. Well, that’s actually normal because generally the resemblance of imitation product is nearly perfect. In my point of view, it can be almost 95% likeliness. However, there are still ways or methods to help you identify fake Xiaomi phone so you can easily avoid from buying it.

Below you can see 10 ways to help you identify Xiaomi imitation phone. You don’t necessarily need to use all of them since one would be enough but using two-ways checking will be better. Read on!

1 – Mi Verification App Method

Being aware of the situation, Xiaomi has released its official Android app to help users easily check whether the Mi phones they have on-hand are fake one or the original ones. However, there is still a drawback: many users of Redmi models reported that their devices failed to perform the test of Mi Verification app. But still, it is worth to give it a try. You can download Mi Verification .apk here.

Simply download and install the app into your phone. Now launch up the app then tap on Turn On Performance On. Next, tap on the Scan and Verify button. Use another phone or use your laptop to visit http://jd.mi.com and scan the QR Code. Just wait till the app verifies your phone.

2 – Authentication Label Method

It is similar to a scratch card. The authentication label is the one you can find it on your phone’s box. However, there is chance you won’t see this label especially if you buy your phone from a seller that also gets the product from third-party store. Just grab the box and find it.

Found it? Now scratch that label until you see a code. Visit http://www.mi.com/verify/?&lan=en and enter the code in the box to verify.

3 – Check The MIUI ROM Version

Most of fake phones are shipped with Custom Android ROM. So go ahead check the About Phone section in Settings. Take a look at its MIUI version and ask Google on which MIUI version should that phone actually have. You can also check it here and read the changelog.

Above is an example of fake Mi Note. There is no MIUI v6.3.6.0 and it is impossible for Mi Note to have 9GB RAM.

4 – Install Stock MIUI ROM

The first principle you should also understand is the fact that OEMs won’t manufacture fake Mi Devices. It means if you flash official stock MIUI ROM on a fake phone, it will eventually brick the phone. The reason is simple: during installation of a ROM, the system will conduct certain parameters check. The system will ascertain device codename, hardware coordination, and so on. However if the result is not as expected, the process will brick the device because the ROM is simply not designed for that device.

5 – Physical Comparison

This is the most simple thing to do and can be done initially before any other check. Nevertheless, it requires good observation skill as well as good knowledge of physical characteristics of original device such as dimensions, built quality, design, Mi logo, etc. Hence, it will be easy to spot the differences. Take above picture as the example. The golden one is an authentic Mi Note Pro, whereas the silver one is not. Look at how the Mi logo is different. Also look at the built quality of its camera and flash light.

6 – Do Benchmark Test

Download AnTuTu benchmarking app from Play Store. Do a quick benchmarking test onto your phone. Note down the score and try googling to verify the range of the score. The key point is simple: If your benchmark score is just slightly different (either higher or lower) then you can consider your device is authentic. However, if the score is significantly different, then you can assume your phone is an imitation. Take a look at the picture above: the first one is original Mi Notes whereas the second one is fake.

7 – Identify Bloatwares

Bloatware is, in short, an unnecessary app which is useless and it comes preinstalled on your phone. Bloatware can slow your device down. Mostly it is also harmful in many ways like stealing your personal information. Most of bloatwares can not be removed by usual uninstall method. Most of the app has Chinese character that you can’t even understand.

However, since fake phones are using custom Android ROM, there will be lot of possibility that bloatwares are in it. So do a quick review of all pre-installed apps.

8 – In-box Accessories

Check all accessories come with the phone. Original Mi phone comes with no earphone. Also check the and make sure it has Xiaomi branding. Make sure there is a user guide to read which mostly fake phones do not come with it.

9 – Compare The Price

It is one of important factors that can be suspicious and can lead you to the fact whether the phone is imitation or original. Usually, fake phones are sold aggressively cheap to temp people for buying it. Despite this is common, there is still possibility that seller will sell fake phone slightly cheaper. The rule is simple: any phone sold dramatically cheaper than current price, it has very big risk to be a fake phone.

10 – Use AnTuTu Officer App

Open up Google Play Store and download AnTuTu Officer app. The way it works is similar to Mi Verification app above but the data are provided exclusively by AnTuTu. The app will match the hardware to the original registered specs they have in their server. As you may also aware, AnTuTu is a popular benchmarking app used by many manufacturers to test their products.

Here’s an example on Mi5:

Do you have any different idea on how to easily recognize fake Xiaomi phones? Do not hesitate to leave a comment below.

Credits: MIUI Device Team.