- Companies buy old smartphones and sell them in the market again
- IMEI number information can be compared with phone details to know if the phone is brand new or refurbished.
There are huge discounts and offers on smartphones during the festive season. E-commerce companies are selling smartphones at cheaper prices due to competition. Many companies are selling the phone at half price. After using such a smartphone for a while, when the problem arises, many questions arise in the mind.
Many companies are buying old smartphones and reselling them. This type of phone is called refurbished. The body of the phone is changed to give it a new look. There is a huge market for fake models in the country. So it is important that you make sure that the smartphone you buy at a cheaper price is refurbished or brand new.
Here are 3 ways to tell if a smartphone is genuine or fake
1. Verify by text message
You can send an SMS to the Department of Telecommunications asking about the phone. For that you have to send IMEI number to the department.
Follow these steps for the message
- For the IMEI number of the phone dial * # 06 # or go to phone settings and click on About Phone.
- Here you will see the 15 digit IMEI number of the phone, take note of it.
- If your smartphone is dual SIM, you will see the IMEI number of both the SIMs.
- Now after KYM give space and type the phone’s IMEI number and send it to 14422.
- After sending the message, you will get a message with information about the manufacturer, support band, model.
- Verify message details and your phone details.
. Find out from the app
You can also use the app to know if your smartphone is brand new or refurbished. For that you need to install KYM – Know Your Mobile app from Google Play Store. You will see many apps with this name, but you only need to install the app developed by CDOT.
Follow these steps after installing the app
- The first time you open the app, it will ask for some permissions. Allow it.
- There will be an option to submit IMEI number in the interface of the app, next to it there will be a scanner.
- You can use the scanner or click on the sim icon below.
- Clicking on the SIM icon will show the name, support band, brand and model of the phone’s manufacturer.
- Verify the details that appear on the screen with the details of your phone.
3. Check from the website::
You can also use the website to check if the phone is genuine or counterfeit. You will be able to know other information including the brand, RAM, model of the phone from the website which gives the details of the phone from the IMEI number of the phone.
Follow these steps on the website
- First go to a website called www.imei.info.
- Click on the IMEI Submit option below. Submit IMEI number in it.
- Now click on the CHECK button to see the details of the phone.
- Compare website details and your phone details.