Certified phone or not. What's wrong with the gray phone. Is it worth buying a gray smartphone?
With the advent of the crisis on the Russian market, prices for smartphones, and indeed for all equipment, began to bite. For many, the way out of this situation was the so-called « gray » smartphones. How safe, legal and convenient it is, read more in our article!
What's happened « gray » smartphones
Large smartphone manufacturers rarely limit themselves to one market for selling their products. Devices from brands such as Samsung, Xiaomi, ZTE, Meizu, Lenovo can be found in many countries in Europe, Asia and the countries of the Customs Union. « Gray » smartphone means that the product was imported into your country illegally, that no customs duties were paid for it, and the manufacturer does not provide its official guarantee.
Initially this smartphone could have been intended for sale in Europe or Asia, but thanks to the cunning of entrepreneurs and holes in legislation, it can be purchased in our country, and much cheaper than from an official dealer.
We also note that certification « growth » absolutely does not mean that the device has been tested and studied by a group of scientists using various equipment and found to be absolutely safe. As a rule, this is a simple formality, and the certification center checks the product for the presence of Russian-language software, instructions, and for compliance with the declared and actual characteristics.
Example prices at the time of writing:
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 32GB (black) — RUB 14,999 on the liaison website.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 32GB (Black) — 9790 RUR in one of the Yandex.Market stores.
The overpayment is simply huge - 50%, but in fact, the devices are absolutely identical.
A few words about the PCT
Many people still ask the seller about the treasured three letters when choosing a smartphone « PCT » . The fact is that PCT, recently, is not a mandatory certification, but a voluntary one. It no longer affects anything and does not oblige you to anything. With the advent of the Eurasian Economic Union, mandatory certification since August 2013 is called EAC ( Eurasian correspondence). Therefore, if the seller answers in the affirmative to the question whether the device is PCT, this means that the device is still EAC, and the seller is too lazy to explain all these subtleties to you, but yes, it has passed certification. Therefore, it is best to ask if the device has an official warranty from the manufacturer, this way you will save time.
Is this legal
Absolutely legal. The seller can sell and you can buy « grey » phone as much as you like. We have no laws prohibiting you from doing this. No one will confiscate your devices. Smartphones are not included in the list of devices that are subject to mandatory certification.
How safe is it?
If purchased « gray » The device is not a fake, but an original, then there is no difference between it and the same model for the Russian market. Here we can rather speculate to what extent Cell Phones safe in principle. There are many videos on YouTube about spontaneous combustion of iPhones, and the explosive Samsung Note 7 actually became a meme.
What are the differences?
First of all, you need to find out for which market the device was originally intended. If the device is for Asia, then you will need an adapter plug for Russian sockets and the packaging will have hieroglyphs. If for Europe, then the adapter most likely will not be needed, and the packaging will have inscriptions on English language. The name of the smartphone will contain the symbols EU, which means European Union.
You should also study the model you choose. The fact is that in China you can find a Lenovo P2 model with 64GB of internal memory, and on Russian market this model appeared with a maximum of 32GB of memory on board. Some Xiaomi models released in Europe with LTE support frequencies Band 20. In China there is no support for this frequency, and therefore LTE in Russia will work worse. By the way, no "e vrotest » does not exist, by this the sellers want to say that the device is not certified for Russia, and they hope that the buyer will have a kind of trigger for the “Euro” prefix. Examples of this are words such as European-quality repair, European-quality, European-standard.
How to check certification
If the seller claims that the device « growth » , but something bothers you, then this information can be easily checked. To do this you need to call hotline manufacturer and name the IMEI of the device.
IMEI - unique identificator gadget. This is something like a license plate on a car - a very rough analogy, but in principle it fits. It can be found on the packaging or on the smartphone itself if you type the command *#06#.
Some manufacturers also provide online database for verification, but it is better not to trust such databases, because the information there is not updated often. Also, of course, the device must be with charger without any adapters, with information in Russian on the box and with fully Russified firmware. It is best when the device is sealed and unpacking happens in front of you.
Distinguish fake smartphone from the original, if you haven't seen the original, it's very difficult. Externally, the smartphones will look very similar. Here are two pieces of advice:
1) if you have already chosen specific model, then it is advisable to look at reviews and remember how and what should look externally. Better yet, save the pictures and compare them when purchasing.
2) stock up free program CPU-Z It will demonstrate what hardware is installed on the smartphone. The program also includes useful feature Online Validation In chapter About. By clicking there you will need to enter your name and email optionally. After this, the program will compare the hardware of your device with that declared by the manufacturer. My Xiaomi Mi Max has passed the test, as evidenced by the green seal. Although the device was not tested on the official website at the time of purchase.
Firmware
Devices « growth » (EAS) always come with Russian. But if you buy « grey » gadget, it is advisable to check with the seller what firmware it contains. Most uncertified devices are sold with so-called global (international) firmware, but they may also have Chinese Russified firmware, especially if the model is new.
There are no questions about international firmware. They, as a rule, are updated, the Russian language does not disappear in them, and 4G works with all networks. Chinese firmware may not be updated, or updated depriving the user of the Russian language. They may also have various glitches and bugs and it is not a fact that LTE works. A very unpleasant aspect of such firmware is that when resetting the settings, Chinese may appear.
When buying a gray smartphone, be sure to pay attention to the firmware. And if the model is new, then it is better to wait for the release of the international firmware and buy it right away.
Important point. The phone must be without, otherwise online banking will not work, which is not very convenient.
Is it worth buying a non-Rostest smartphone?
It is difficult to answer this question unambiguously. If you advanced user and studied this issue, then of course yes. For those who don't know what it is recovery, global And band We can also recommend such a device, the main thing is that it has good international firmware.
And it is very important to buy from a good and trusted store, because only the store provides a guarantee for such smartphones. Purchase « gray » Buying a smartphone from an unverified seller is a risk, and if something happens, it will be difficult or even impossible for you to repair the smartphone under warranty.
At first glance, there is nothing particularly scary about the phrase “gray” phone. Not black after all. Although not “white”. Such equipment is usually cheaper than certified equipment, which attracts buyers - you can save money! But is this really so, and what problems do owners of smuggled devices face? The article will tell you.
On the back panel of some phones sold in Ukraine, you can see the EAC marking. Often this designation misleads buyers that the product meets the requirements of the European Union, and they can safely take it. But the EU uses the abbreviation CE for this purpose. The EAC inscription means that the phone is certified by the Customs Union, whose members as of 2018 are the Russian Federation, Belarus, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan and Armenia. In fact, this sign means that the product was imported into Ukraine from one of these countries.
The status of the owner is emphasized:
How to distinguish a certified iPhone from an uncertified one
Before buying an expensive phone, Ukrainians are often interested in what “gray” means and how such a gadget differs from “white” equipment. Gray mobiles are uncertified devices smuggled into the country. This means that they did not pay customs clearance for the device and did not register it in the Ukrainian State Center Radio frequencies.
Usually these are smartphones produced for the market of one country (Germany, for example), but actually used in another – Ukraine. Only certification confirms that the communication device meets quality and safety standards for the buyer and the environment. Then the device falls into White list, otherwise, after illegal use, it turns out to be gray.
How to find out that the device is not certified using an example:
| Official | Informal | |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Authorized Reseller or Apple Premium Reseller sign at point of sale | Eat | No |
| Warranty card of the official distributor of Asbis | Eat | No |
| Information sticker in Ukrainian | Eat | No |
| On back side packaging sticker with product code | Eat | No |
Alternative to top devices:
Before you decide whether to buy gray iPhone or a phone of another brand, you need to analyze the problems faced by owners of uncertified gadgets.
Disadvantages of contraband devices:
- About the brand warranty service you can forget. Some outlets and private sellers promise a warranty on the device, but this is by no means the same as a warranty from the manufacturer. Depending on who is selling, guarantee period ranges from one month to a year. Moreover, in the event of a malfunction, authorized service centers will not accept the device for repair; the seller’s workshop may not have necessary details. In addition, their price is sometimes a third or half of the cost of the gadget. IN best case scenario For repairs, they use cheap analogues made in China. At worst, you will have to spend time and money searching for a repairman who will agree to tinker.
- An illegal device may be reflashed, and it is not a fact that there are no errors in the process. This will negatively affect the quality of communication and the operation of the device as a whole. In addition, on reprogrammed phones there may be missing and unavailable for downloading required applications, which are installed by default and free of charge in officially shipped devices.
- The unknown origin of a gadget often causes a lot of problems for the owner. After all, the device could have been stolen before reaching the counter, and not just brought into the country in a suitcase. And if the “gray” phone is stolen from the new owner, the search will be difficult - the device identifier will not be found in the UGCR database.
5 ways to check phone certification by IMEI:
- simple and accessible for adults and children - dial the combination *#06#. If the device is white for one SIM card, one number will be displayed, if for two, maybe two numbers;
- on Android devices, go to “Settings” and select the “About phone” section. The “Device Identifiers” item contains all the basic data about the device, including the number;
- Using a Google account, the owner can see all the devices linked to it, as well as basic information about them;
- iPhone owners can find the code in the “About this device” section, which is located in the main settings;
- The IMEI must be indicated on the gadget packaging.
What are gray smartphones, where do they come from and whether they can be used - the answers to these questions can be found in this article.
In Russia, people started talking about gray smartphones more and more often. The real surge began after Rossvyaz announced that it was collecting all uncertified gadgets by creating a database of IMEI codes for all Russian mobile devices that were imported illegally. According to Rossvyaz, this will reduce the theft of phones and also completely eliminate the use of counterfeit mobile devices. If the law comes into force, a person who bought a gadget on AliExpress will have to complete the purchase and pay all taxes, otherwise the device will be blocked.
It is difficult to predict how the situation will develop, but first you need to clearly understand what gray smartphones are and what their advantages and disadvantages are.
Difference between white and gray phones
Before purchasing a gadget or other equipment, we often go to various resources where we can compare prices in different stores. The first thing that catches your eye is the difference in the cost of a gadget (especially Chinese) of several thousand rubles. Here you need to understand the difference between certified devices and “gray” ones.
In fact, all products must undergo certification, from children's toys to equipment. Previously, certified devices were marked with the PCT sign, but it was recently replaced with EAC. This marking is used in the member countries of the Customs Union. It is its presence that confirms that the product is subject to service at the manufacturer’s service centers in the territory of the Customs Union, the product has a guarantee and its use is safe for both health and the environment.
In fact, gray smartphones are not dangerous. It’s just that they were originally produced for another country, and there may not be an EAC seal. For example, if a purchased uncertified gadget is broken, it will not be possible to repair it at the manufacturer’s official service center under warranty - you will have to pay for the repair. In addition, some devices may not have the Russian language (extremely rare).
Gray smartphones are simply imported into the country illegally without paying customs duties for them, and the devices themselves are not certified. But this is not a fake device, it is no different from a certified one, the only difference is the price. On average, in Russia gray devices cost 10-20% less than their certified counterparts.
Advantages
The undoubted advantage of the gray device is its price. For example, on this moment price official samsung Galaxy S8 in stores is about 49,000 rubles. Having looked through the offers on Yandex.Market, you can find the same flagship for 37,000 rubles - the benefit is obvious.
There is no official guarantee from the manufacturer for the buyer of a gray smartphone, but there are stores where you can purchase such devices, often providing their own warranty for up to one year.
Disadvantages and risks
Unfortunately, there are many more shortcomings. These include the lack of an official warranty, which is why if a manufacturing defect is discovered, you are unlikely to be able to exchange the gadget for a new one.
Some uncertified smartphones may have poor reception of the signal, and sometimes even lose it altogether. Some devices have problems with Russification, but today such a problem occurs extremely rarely - almost all gadgets have a Russian language.
How to distinguish a gray smartphone?
Visually there is no difference, but sometimes you come across smartphones with logos foreign operators. Its presence directly indicates a cunningly brought gadget. In addition, in a box with official device The instructions must be in Russian.
A clear indicator of a gray device is the interface on any foreign language which appears when you first turn it on. This also suggests a gadget created for a different market.
Another interesting fact is that some smartphones that were originally intended for Japan or South Korea, it is impossible to turn off the sound when taking photos or videos. This was done on purpose, since according to the laws of these countries, it is impossible to sell gadgets on which you can completely turn off the sound, in order to eliminate “photo hunting for skirts,” which began to flourish after the appearance of cameras on devices.
Is it worth buying a gray smartphone?
There is no clear answer to this question. It all depends on why the device is needed and whether you are ready to “deal with it”. With peace of mind, it can be purchased by those who understand gadgets, know how to reflash them, do various unlocks, and so on.
If you need a smartphone for comfortable use without firmware and various settings, it's better to choose certified device. Even if you encounter any problems with it, you can contact service center and receive warranty service.
You have most likely already heard about the so-called “gray” smartphones and phones that are sold in online stores. And you probably have a question, what is this “gray” device? We will answer this question.
A “gray” phone is a device that was imported unofficially (not to be confused with the word “illegally”, these are different things) into our country. What does unofficial mean? There are official supplies from the manufacturer, but some companies or even small online stores import devices themselves.
What is it for? This approach allows you to reduce taxation; besides, unofficial stores, although they are chasing profit, prefer to take large amounts of money, so the cost of “gray” smartphones and phones is often much lower than official devices (or “white” ones, as they are sometimes called). In some cases, there is a twofold difference in cost between a “gray” and a “white” device!
What are the risks of buying a “gray” phone?
In most cases, “gray” and “white” smartphones do not differ. Take the same iPhone - there is no difference, there is even support for the Russian language. The only thing that may raise questions is the connection to a specific operator (in the West, sales of smartphones with an operator contract are common). However, stores are usually imported, that is, they are not tied to any operator, so they can be used in almost any country in the world.
Let's say more - many smartphones, including not the most famous Chinese companies, in general, are not officially supplied to Russia, so you can purchase them on large platforms like Aliexpress or in stores that offer them with a slight markup. An example of a smartphone that is not officially available to us (at the time of writing) is OnePlus OnePlus3:
In the latter case, the guarantee is from the store. Stores, as a rule, cooperate with service centers that produce warranty repair, which means there should be no problems with repairs. But when ordering from a foreign site, in case of problems you will have to rely only on your own strength - look for a service center and pay for repairs...
At the same time, you need to remember that there are “gray” models in which support for the Russian language may be completely absent, but in “white” (PCT) models there is Russian language. However, this is rather an exception to the rule, since manufacturers are trying to add maximum amount languages.
So, answering the question posed, we can say the following - you can save a fair amount by buying a “gray” phone, although if you have the money, it’s better, of course, to buy a “white” device.
Today we will answer a very important question: How to find out if Samsung Galaxy is original? Many consumers want to save money by buying devices on various ad sites, where it is very deceiving to an unknowing person. If you are buying from official retailers, then this problem should not worry you as they sell 100% original gadgets.
Due to the current economic situation in Russia and neighboring countries, people are forced to look for more profitable offer. Not suspecting that you can be deceived, you buy a smartphone 2 or even 3 times cheaper than the average retail price and only after a while you realize that you bought a fake.
So how to distinguish original Samsung Galaxy from fake? There are several ways that you will now learn about. Choose the one that is most convenient for you and use it when purchasing a smartphone or tablet from the Samsung brand.
1. Check using the service code
This is the simplest and quick way checking any Galaxy smartphone for originality. Each company device has a proprietary menu that is launched using a secret code.
2. Check by IMEI
Checking by IMEI number is not very good reliable way determine whether the device is original, but in many cases it really helps. The determination procedure is also not very complicated, it consists of only two steps:First you need to find out the number IMEI phone. To do this, enter in the dialer service code*#06# and in a moment you will see it on the screen. It is also on the box from the device and we recommend checking them at the same time (the numbers must match).
Now go to the Samsung website and enter the IMEI. It's worth noting that here you won't check the device if it's older than the Samsung Galaxy S7. For example, I entered my number Galaxy Note 4 and the system reported an error. In this case, use the services of another service - IMEI.info. Enter the same number and press the “Check” button to check. You should see information about the device if it is original.
Keep in mind that particularly advanced scammers can “steal” the real IMEI from a genuine gadget Samsung and replace it in Chinese copy. However, this happens very rarely and the third method will help you make sure whether Galaxy fake or the original device.
3. Study the characteristics of the desired smartphone or tablet
If you research in advance specifications desired smartphone or tablet, this will help distinguish the original from the fake. The fact is that copies have significantly best specifications, so it won’t be too difficult to see the difference.
Ask the seller to test the device in popular benchmarks such as Antutu, Geekbench and GFXBench, and then send you screenshots. Most likely, he will refuse to do this, which is a good confirmation that the device is not original. We also recommend installing the AIDA64 program on your phone, which displays full list characteristics.
Copies, for example, use other screens, processors, memory, flash drives, and cameras.
4. Determine by touch
It is very easy to distinguish the original from the fake by picking up the device, if, of course, you have such an opportunity. Before purchasing, you should definitely go to the store and hold a real Samsung gadget in your hands so that you have an idea of the materials from which it is made.The next time you get your hands on a copy of it, you will immediately notice the difference. Because of Bad quality materials used and less capacious battery at Chinese fake you will feel the difference in weight. The original will probably be heavier and better built.
Now you know all the popular verification methods Samsung smartphone for originality. If you still have any questions, feel free to write them below.
