Fake phones have been proliferating Nigerian market for a while now, so it’s understandable that you’re worried about buying one. With poverty so high in Nigeria, fake phones become very appealing to Nigerians. Buying a fake mobile phone always seems like a good deal at first. But it will eventually leave you frustrated. Because on fake phone some of the promised features may not work at all or may not work as expected.
There are also many cases when people believe they are buying genuine phone – Nokia, Samsung, Sony, Tecno, BalckBerry or HTC. And after paying a lot of money they discover that they were dumped and got low quality China fake phone.

If you are planning to buy a mobile phone and you do not want it to be fake or sub-standard, here are a few tips to ensure you buy genuine mobile phones.
Price vs Specs
If the price sounds too good to be true then it probably is. Fake mobile phones are made from cheap substandard components allowing them to be produced at a fraction of the price of genuine products. Also, counterfeiters don’t have to invest in product research, design and safety testing. All these factors mean fakes can be sold at a much lower price than a genuine product.
As a rule the more features a mobile phone has, the more expensive it gets. A camera phone that is sold at less than N6,000 is probably fake or will come with a toy camera. A good color screen mobile phone with a modest camera resolution and a working internet should cost 10,000 NGN and more.

Physical Inspection
You can sometimes identify fake mobile phones by inspection, but some specific knowledge is needed here:

1. Check out the packaging. If you see misspellings or tampering, that could be a sign that the phone is a fake.
2. Check the manual and make sure it is written in English. If the manual is written in Chinese, German, or any other language other than English or an indigenous Nigerian language, then it is probably a fake mobile phone. If you notice misspellings on the manual to the extent that you can barely understand what you are reading, then the mobile phone is likely to be a fake.
3. Check materials used for device. Go to the cell phone manufacturer’s website and check the materials used. To be sure, it’s better to check their website to know what materials were used for your handset. For example, your handset is a Samsung; it states on the website that this Samsung cell phone’s screen is made of glass. If the screen of the handset you have is made of plastic, there is a possibility that it’s a clone.
4. Check IMEI. Every mobile phone will have a unique IMEI number associated with it. Usually fake mobile phones don’t have an IMEI or use a duplicate one. IMEI number will be a 15 digit serial number. If you own the phone, you can dial *#06# and your device’s IMEI number will be displayed. If you are going to buy a new phone either the bill sticker should have the IMEI printed on it or somewhere around the box or under the battery of the mobile phone.
5. Open the back cover and check for the battery and the internal parts of the phone. The battery will have the brand name and the phone’s body will also have it and the IMEI too.

Why Buy a Genuine Phone:
- SAFETY & QUALITY: Before they can be sold, all models of genuine phones and phone batteries are tested to ensure they are safe for users.
- Dangerous Components: Fake phones, batteries and chargers are made from cheap substandard components and may contain chemicals, which are dangerous to the environment and your health.
- Network Disruption: Non-genuine phones often use inferior antennas, resulting in poor call reception.

Full article with pictures - here:
http://www.mobofree.com/blog/identify-a-genuine-original-phone-versus-fake/

mobofree:
Fake phones have been proliferating Nigerian market for a while now, so it’s understandable that you’re worried about buying one. With poverty so high in Nigeria, fake phones become very appealing to Nigerians. Buying a fake mobile phone always seems like a good deal at first. But it will eventually leave you frustrated. Because on fake phone some of the promised features may not work at all or may not work as expected.
There are also many cases when people believe they are buying genuine phone – Nokia, Samsung, Sony, Tecno, BalckBerry or HTC. And after paying a lot of money they discover that they were dumped and got low quality China fake phone.

If you are planning to buy a mobile phone and you do not want it to be fake or sub-standard, here are a few tips to ensure you buy genuine mobile phones.
Price vs Specs
If the price sounds too good to be true then it probably is. Fake mobile phones are made from cheap substandard components allowing them to be produced at a fraction of the price of genuine products. Also, counterfeiters don’t have to invest in product research, design and safety testing. All these factors mean fakes can be sold at a much lower price than a genuine product.
As a rule the more features a mobile phone has, the more expensive it gets. A camera phone that is sold at less than N6,000 is probably fake or will come with a toy camera. A good color screen mobile phone with a modest camera resolution and a working internet should cost 10,000 NGN and more.

Physical Inspection
You can sometimes identify fake mobile phones by inspection, but some specific knowledge is needed here:

1. Check out the packaging. If you see misspellings or tampering, that could be a sign that the phone is a fake.
2. Check the manual and make sure it is written in English. If the manual is written in Chinese, German, or any other language other than English or an indigenous Nigerian language, then it is probably a fake mobile phone. If you notice misspellings on the manual to the extent that you can barely understand what you are reading, then the mobile phone is likely to be a fake.
3. Check materials used for device. Go to the cell phone manufacturer’s website and check the materials used. To be sure, it’s better to check their website to know what materials were used for your handset. For example, your handset is a Samsung; it states on the website that this Samsung cell phone’s screen is made of glass. If the screen of the handset you have is made of plastic, there is a possibility that it’s a clone.
4. Check IMEI. Every mobile phone will have a unique IMEI number associated with it. Usually fake mobile phones don’t have an IMEI or use a duplicate one. IMEI number will be a 15 digit serial number. If you own the phone, you can dial *#06# and your device’s IMEI number will be displayed. If you are going to buy a new phone either the bill sticker should have the IMEI printed on it or somewhere around the box or under the battery of the mobile phone.
5. Open the back cover and check for the battery and the internal parts of the phone. The battery will have the brand name and the phone’s body will also have it and the IMEI too.

Why Buy a Genuine Phone:
- SAFETY & QUALITY: Before they can be sold, all models of genuine phones and phone batteries are tested to ensure they are safe for users.
- Dangerous Components: Fake phones, batteries and chargers are made from cheap substandard components and may contain chemicals, which are dangerous to the environment and your health.
- Network Disruption: Non-genuine phones often use inferior antennas, resulting in poor call reception.

Full article with pictures - here:
http://www.mobofree.com/blog/identify-a-genuine-original-phone-versus-fake/

Good.