Although in its early days, the Chinese smartphone had a lackluster reputation due to a lack of customer trust. However, the “Made in China” has still managed to find its way to success thanks to a variety of high-quality phones; Huawei, Xiaomi or even Oppo… China has managed to take the lion’s share of the pie against the smartphone giants. But is this success story really worth it for all low-cost mobiles?
As the most used way to connect to the internet, the smartphone industry is now one of the fastest growing technology sectors in the world.
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China is revolutionizing the global smartphone market…
With the rise of mobile devices, it was to be expected that China would join the game. And of course, since the planetary giant entered the smartphone industry a few years ago, it hasn’t hesitated to hit hard by establishing its own rules. Also, with 1.43 billion smartphones sold worldwide in 2021, according to statista, it’s no wonder countries are competing for market share, with China topping the list. In fact, the global economy giant very quickly became the mid-range empire, leaving the high-end niche to its American or even South Korean competitors. In reality, Chinese manufacturers have understood very well that prices had to come down in order to achieve significant economies of scale.
Smartphone: beware of counterfeits
It should be noted above all that we are not referring to famous Chinese brands on the market, such as Xiaomi, OPPO, Vivo, Honor, OnePlus or even Huawei, which make excellent mobile phones, but rather precisely counterfeit smartphones. Therefore, consumers who don’t really know about it can be easily deceived. While browsing e-commerce websites like AliExpress or Amazon, you’ve probably come across counterfeit versions of many products more than once. Since this is a Marketplace for everyone, this is actually nothing new. In fact, these platforms offer the possibility to anyone to participate in the sale of goods online.
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Chinese smartphones to watch out for
Cheap cell phones are available to everyone, especially those on a budget who want to “find the bargain.” Using these platforms has advantages and disadvantages. In fact, the advantage is that there are more options available, giving you a wide range of options when shopping for a phone. The problem is that you cannot tell if it is an authentic product or a counterfeit. You can find a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra on sale for just over 100 euros and whose description leaves you speechless; Latest Snapdragon 8 Gen.1 CPU, Android 12, 5G and even 1TB storage capacity. With rush delivery times, many people overheat their credit card and unfortunately fall into the trap.
Unboxing a new smartphone. source: spm
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The dangers of fake smartphones
Even if the requested phone arrives in good condition, it does not mean that it works optimally. In general, counterfeit smartphones can pose a real danger to the health and safety of consumers. Some of the more common problems encountered include:
- GPS location issue.
- Play Store or App Store not working.
- Updates not available.
- Compatibility problem with the country’s operators.
- Network signal problem.
- Counterfeit charger that heats up quickly and can cause a fire.
- Device that contains dangerous substances such as cadmium or lead.
- Malware or spyware pre-installed on the device.
According to a study by the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), published by the newspaper Les Echos, one in five smartphones sold on the world market is fake. Although there’s no way to tell the difference between a genuine version of a phone and a fake, you still need to follow these few tips to avoid falling for it:
- Check the reviews of both the seller and the smartphone you want to buy.
- Compare the price displayed on the e-commerce platform and that of the brand in question. Also, the price is a crucial part that should not be overlooked when buying these types of devices. Doesn’t it seem suspicious to you that a mobile device with a retail price of around 1,000 euros is available at a significantly lower price?
Victim of a counterfeit smartphone. source: spm
Here are some ways to recognize a counterfeit cell phone or a branded copy:
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- Examine the packaging and accessories: The packaging and accessories on counterfeit phones may be of poor quality or may not match the original phones.
- Check the build quality – Counterfeit phones may have inferior build quality, with parts that don’t fit correctly or low-quality materials.
- Look out for logos and branding – Counterfeit phones may have poor-quality or incorrect logos or branding.
- Check the tech specs: Counterfeit phones may not have the same tech specs as genuine phones, such as a poorer screen or less powerful processor.
- Beware of low prices: If the price of a mobile phone seems too good to be true, it could be a fake.
It is important to be careful when buying cell phones and get devices from reputable sources to avoid buying a counterfeit phone.
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