Planning to Get a New Smartphone or Laptop? Here’s is How to Tell a Fake From Original

Counterfeiting is a huge industry. Factories all over the world turn out clothing and electrical goods that look like the real thing but, critically, are not. Sometimes the same people in the same factories make goods that are genuine, and goods that are counterfeit.

So you make think a good fake is worth having. But in almost all cases you would be wrong. Even leaving aside the moral implications of buying fakes, when it comes to tech devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops, buying a fake is never a great idea.

You have no idea what you are purchasing, it is unlikely the product will be of the same class as the one you wish to buy, and you won’t get proper support if (and when) things go wrong. Counterfeit tech can be dangerous, never mind a bad investment.

1. Price

This is the one thing you can check with confidence before you purchase, even if you are buying online. There are all sorts of reasons why you might see a staggeringly low price for a phone, tablet, laptop or any gadget. The trouble is, none of those reasons are good.

You can find a bargain, of course. But if you see a phone or a laptop being sold at less than half the price for which it is retailing elsewhere, be alarmed. it could be a fake.

2. Build and design – performance

Generally speaking fakes are easy to spot. They may even be manufactured in the same place as the genuine article, but the makers are doing something to get the price down. Usually this relates to the materials and components used.

Pick up a phone, tablet or laptop. A fake will likely be surprisingly light weight. Check the edges and joins, or any manufacturer badges. Look for shoddy workmanship, substandard materials. Fight the urge to accept the bargain, and remain sceptical. If it doesn’t feel quite right, it isn’t.

Finally, boot up the device. Use it. Get a feel for it. A fake phone or laptop will likely have software that is at best pirated, and at worst a shoddy copy of the software it is supposed to run. It will definitely not have a high class processor, storage or RAM. Again: if it isn’t what you were hoping for, it may be a fake.

3. Product code, details – features

Even if you can’t get hold of the product you are considering purchasing, you can make sure you are buying what you think you are buying. The trouble with this is that an online retailer that is happy to sell a fake will likely not be lying about its specs on its website.

But you should check closely for anomalies. The same retailer is unlikely to be the smartest on the block.

Compare the specs of the product you are considering with the specification published by the manufacturer. Find the manufacturer’s product code and check that against the sales listing. Look up the IMEI for a phone and get details on how this fits into the legitimate list.

You can catch a fake by something as simple as it being the wrong size. And look at the features list: if the phone you are buying has only one camera, and the product you think you are buying has two, something is wrong.

4. Availability

Similar to point three, but a simple and surprisingly effective test. If your product isn’t meant to be available in your country, how is the vendor selling it to you?

This is tricky because often the impetus behind your interest could be the rarity of the product, or the version of the product, you think you are getting. But stop and think about it.

It could be a fake. It could be a dodgy import. It could be a scam site. If it looks like you are buying a product you shouldn’t be able to buy, the likelihood is there is something wrong with the deal.