Stay away from cheap Samsung copies!
Even though it has his flaws, we must admit that the Samsung Galaxy S5 is definitely one of the best selling smartphones of the moment. New or second-hand, many units are sold each day, worldwide. And when it comes to buying a Samsung phone, you have three options:
- Getting one from your carrier, with or without a contract
- Getting one from an authorized online store
- Getting one from a seller you found on eBay or similar sites
Carriers and authorized sellers are selling you the phone only full-box, with all the accessories and without a doubt that the phone can be fake. Still, you can’t say the same thing about a third-party seller, as sometimes, there’s a risk of getting a fake Samsung Galaxy S5 instead of the real thing. So, here are a few tips you should consider before engaging in buying a new phone, tips which will help you differentiate before a real Galaxy S5 and a fake one.
First of all, go to a carrier’s shop and take a look at the actual Galaxy S5 – Make sure you check the key features, like the fingerprint scanner, heart rate monitor and the camera. Also, keep an eye on the other details, like the position of the slots, sensors or anything else that you consider important. Play a bit with the phone and see how some of the functions should work. This step is essential, as you need to know what you should expect to see on the phone you’re planning to buy!
Inspect a bit the phone and make sure you follow these steps:
1. Test the camera – Before buying the actual phone, take a few pictures and see how they look. The original has a 16 MP camera, with functions like real-time HDR or Selective Focus. On a fake Samsung Galaxy S5, these features could be missing.
2. Check the typical functions – Test the heart rate monitor, the fingerprint sensor and the rest of the typical Samsung features, like the gesture controls. They can be found in the settings menu.
3. Check the pre-installed apps – Most fake versions of the Samsung Galaxy S5 don’t have the Play Store installed, so make sure it’s there. Also, look for the TouchWiz specific apps, like S Health, S voice, ChatOn or Samsung Wallet. On the original versions, they should be there.
4. Check the connectivity features – One important details that can also help you spot a fake Galaxy S5 is the micro USB port. The real one comes with the 3.0 version, which has a different shape than the 2.0 one. Fake versions are still using 2.0, but the one on the original version should look like this:
5. Pour some water on it – As you probably know, the Samsung Galaxy S5 has the IP67 certification, making it water and dust resistant. If you drop some water on the phone you’re about to buy, it should be ok. Otherwise, you’re dealing with a fake.
And these are our tips which should help you spot a fake Samsung Galaxy S5 or any other similar smartphone. Our advice is to rely only on authorized sellers, even though a third-party one could offer you a very good price. Still, you’re going for this, never pay for a phone before seeing it with your own eyes and applying a couple of tests to see if it’s a fake or the real thing.
Looking forward to unlocking your phone? UnlockUnit.com can help you unlock your Samsung, LG, Motorola, iPhone or BlackBerry, using safe, fast and secure methods!
If you enjoyed this article, you can follow our Facebook and Google+ pages, in order to be the first one to find out about the latest articles, tech news and many more.
P.S.: Don’t forget that you can now unlock the new Samsung Galaxy S7, using the easiest method on the market! More details here.