What is the difference between legal and illegal smartphones. How to distinguish a certified product from a “gray” one

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 » a smartphone means that the product was imported into your country illegally, that customs duties were not 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 the 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 you can rather speculate on how safe cell phones are in principle. There are many videos on YouTube about iPhones spontaneously combusting, and the explosive Samsung Note 7 has become 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 in English. 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 the Russian market this model appeared with a maximum of 32GB of memory on board. Some Xiaomi models are released in Europe with support for LTE 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 confuses you, then this information can be easily checked. To do this, you need to call the manufacturer’s hotline and give the IMEI of the device.

IMEI is a unique gadget identifier. 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 an online database for checking, but it is better not to trust such databases, because the information there is not updated often. Also, the device, of course, must come with a 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.

It is very difficult to distinguish a fake smartphone from an original one if you have not seen the original. Externally, the smartphones will look very similar. Here are two pieces of advice:

1) If you have already chosen a specific model, then it is advisable to look at the reviews and remember how and what it should look like externally. Better yet, save the pictures and compare them when purchasing.

2) stock up on the free CPU-Z program. It will demonstrate what hardware is installed on the smartphone. The program also has a useful function 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 » (EAC) 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 are an experienced user and have 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.

According to VTsIOM, the most popular purchase in Russia in 2015 was a smartphone. Most often, mobile devices are replaced due to breakdowns or due to the release of new models (press release No. 3024). Soon you will also go shopping for a new smartphone and will inevitably be faced with the question: buy an expensive certified device or find it cheaper on the gray market.

Margarita Shilo

journalist

We figured out whether it is possible to distinguish an official phone from a gray one by eye, whether it is worth overpaying for certification and whether it provides a guarantee of quality. And what does this mean - “Telephone Rostest”?

What is "Rostest"

All goods that reach the shelves of Russian stores must undergo certification. The Rostest testing center checks almost everything - from products and children's toys to complex household appliances and car service centers. It is also associated with checking phones.

In reality, phones tested by Rostest no longer exist. This center has not been certifying mobile devices since the beginning of 2015. And despite the fact that manufacturers continue to paint the Rostest badge on packages, in 2016 this action makes no sense. There are no more growth smartphones.

Mobile phone certification

Mandatory certification of mobile devices in Russia was canceled three years ago. But this does not mean that phones are not checked in any way before import.

Before importing a batch of phones into Russia, the supplier must notify the FSB that the devices contain encryption elements. In parallel, they must pay customs duty - a tax for importing goods. Only after this do mobile phones get across the border.

All phones imported into Russia must receive a certificate of compliance with the technical regulations of the Customs Union. It is needed to make sure: the device entered the country legally, it is safe for use and meets the stated characteristics. This means that the software is Russified, there are instructions in Russian, and the device is ready to be repaired at service centers throughout the country.

They receive such a certificate for each new model and for each software update. If the supplier received a certificate for an iPhone 6 with iOS 8, and then planned to import the same iPhone 6, but with iOS 9, the certification will have to be completed again.

To obtain such a certificate, the manufacturer or supplier must submit an application and samples of phones and chargers to one of the certification centers. Formally, they must be tested in a special laboratory, but in fact they simply compare the technical characteristics on the packaging with those stated by the manufacturer. If they are the same and everything is in order with the documents, a certificate is issued.

What is a gray phone

Gray phones are phones that are imported into the country illegally. This means that they did not go through customs, the distributors did not report to the FSB and did not submit the devices for examination. Essentially, this is smuggling.

A gray phone is not necessarily fake or of low quality. Physically, it may be no different from the certified one. At least they were made in the same factory by the same people.

A gray phone is not necessarily fake or of poor quality

The following scheme often works: the seller buys iPhones at the official Apple store in New York, puts them in a suitcase and imports them into Russia under the guise of personal belongings. He does not pay customs duty and due to this he can sell the phone cheaper.

On average, in Russia such phones cost 10-20% cheaper than official ones. For example, an iPhone 7 with 32 GB in the official Apple store costs 50,990 rubles, and in online stores the same phone can be found for 10 thousand cheaper.

If iPhones are imported from Europe, then they can even apply for tax free and return VAT. This makes the phone even cheaper.

What's wrong with the gray phone

No guarantee. When buying a gray phone, the consumer takes on the risks. In this case, there is no warranty from the manufacturer, which means that official service centers may refuse to repair the device. The buyer receives only the store's guarantee. It is unknown whether the store will exist in a month.

If a store specializes in selling gray devices, it can enter into an agreement with some basement service center, which will repair phones for six months and only if it is constantly reminded. Formally there is a seller's guarantee, but in fact it is a farce.

Focused on another country. There is a high risk of running into a device linked to a foreign mobile operator. To make it suitable for domestic operators, sellers are forced to hack phones - install programs that remove the block on working with “non-native” cellular operators.

Because of this, errors often occur: the phone may unexpectedly refuse to work with a Russian SIM card or connect to the Internet. Gray iPhones tied to an American operator cannot simply update to a new version of iOS - they have to wait for hackers to build an “unlock” for it. Moreover, the “unlock” itself could theoretically contain Trojans or viruses.

The certificate of conformity also does not guarantee that the device will work perfectly. This is due to the verification scheme: a certificate is issued for the entire batch at once; out of a thousand devices, only two will be checked. If some other device has a radio module mixed up at the factory or the antenna is not soldered, it will not work, despite the certification. But at least a certified phone can be repaired or replaced under warranty, but a gray one is not a fact.

Fake. The gray phone may turn out to be a Chinese clone or even a dummy. There are a lot of such cases, and not only in Russia. For example, in 2014, a UK resident complained that a Chinese copy of her iPhone exploded next to her child. And on one of the buses in China, a surveillance camera filmed how a mobile phone jerked in the hands of a woman when she tried to replace the battery.

However, not everything is clear here either. Last year, a now-legal iPhone exploded in the pocket of a 12-year-old boy in Saudi Arabia, leaving him with serious burns.

Possibility of fraud. Gray iPhones can be sold in gray. There are dozens of dubious schemes. For example, selling a smartphone with the Find My iPhone function enabled. A trusting buyer buys a phone, and after some time receives a message: “This phone has been stolen. I know where you are. Give me back the phone or I'll go to the police." After this, the smartphone is blocked. As a rule, the device is quickly returned to the owner, and the deceptive algorithm is started again.

Large online stores also cheat. One of the most high-profile cases occurred in 2014. On the eve of the release of the iPhone 6, the Russian online store “S-a-s” offered to buy it in advance for 19,999 rubles, with the official price being 31,990 rubles. The adventure attracted many, some customers even received the device, but at some point the store’s website stopped opening.

How to distinguish

Visually identifying a gray smartphone is almost impossible. About 10 years ago, when everyone used push-button phones, the main sign of a fake was the absence of a keyboard in Russian. Now the Russian language is in the phone settings, and both gray and official devices look the same.

But this can be checked: a phone officially imported into Russia must have instructions in Russian.

Another alarming sign is the logos of foreign operators on the packaging. If they are, you have a gray phone in front of you.

If, when you first turn on your phone, it loads Korean or Chinese without asking, it is most likely illegal. If the phone is made for international sale, it will first ask you about the language.

It is believed that you can check whether a phone is original using IMEI - the international mobile equipment identifier. However, Samsung experts warn that checking the IMEI cannot determine whether a device is fake, since the unique code can be copied from the original device. This means that you may again be faced with a fake. Read about it from Samsung.

You can check the authenticity of a smartphone using the Benchmark and Antutu applications: they will indicate the pedigree of the phone.

Finally, a gray phone can be determined by its price. If an official supplier sells a 32 GB Samsung Galaxy ES-7 for 50 thousand rubles, and an unknown online store offers it for 38, this is a reason to be wary. On the other hand, nothing prevents an unknown online store from selling a gray phone for 50 thousand.

What to choose: gray or official

A gray phone is worth buying only for those who like to tinker with firmware, unlocks and alternative operating systems. These people know what they are doing. When you understand your phone at a hacker level, you can achieve greater performance, customize it however you like, and also save money. Such people will carry out warranty repairs for anyone you want. Buy “gray” if you have such a specialist as a friend.

For work, buy only the official one. Remember that an unlocked gray phone may be loaded with spyware.

Remember

Gray smartphone

They will not accept warranty at official service centers.

If you're unlucky, you'll have to reflash

If you're really unlucky, you'll get a fake

Official smartphone

Will be accepted at all official service centers

Always works in Russian cellular networks

The concept of “gray” technology today is known to the vast majority of sellers and buyers. This color in the lexicon marks products that entered our country unofficially; they did not undergo customs control and mandatory certification. The semi-criminal origin of the equipment is compensated by its low price. For example, “gray” smartphones are usually 20 and sometimes 30% cheaper than their certified counterparts. It is important to understand that the price in this case is the only, albeit significant, plus of the “gray” device. There are many more disadvantages, including non-obvious ones. We explain why “grayness” is bad in questions and answers.

How to distinguish a “gray” device from a “white” one?

Firstly, the price. It will differ by 20–30% less than the cost of the same smartphone in large retail chains. It is important to understand that at non-market prices (70–80% cheaper than the official smartphone), it is not “gray” products that are usually sold, but fakes, copies of popular smartphones. In order to identify a legitimate device, you need to open the battery cover (if possible). Here you can find the EAC conformity marks. Many believe that this is a sign of European certification. However, in the European Union another designation is used - CE.

EAC is a new unified mark for the circulation of products on the market of the member states of the Customs Union, which indicates that the products have passed all the assessment procedures established in the technical regulations of the Customs Union.

Thus, on the territory of the Russian Federation, the EAC sign can be considered a replacement for the PCT sign. A phone marked EAC is highly likely to be “white” and legal, its use is safe for health and the environment, and in the event of a breakdown, the consumer can contact any manufacturer’s service center throughout the country.

Are there more advanced methods for checking a smartphone?

The phone can be “pierced” by its individual number, the so-called IMEI. This number can be found on the packaging or sticker near the battery.

If you couldn’t find it in these places, you can type the combination *#06# on your smartphone keyboard, after which the IMEI number will appear on the screen. The buyer will only need to call the hotline of the relevant manufacturer and dictate this number. The support representative is required to inform you whether a particular smartphone is certified in Russia or not.

The seller promises a guarantee for the “gray” device. Can he be trusted?

Only at your own peril and risk. The fact is that full warranty obligations can only be fulfilled by a certified service center, which employs specialists who have confirmed their competence. A guarantee “from the store” almost always implies that the smartphone will be repaired by a certain “traditional craftsman”. Moreover, no seller can provide the terms of the “manufacturer” guarantee. The warranty will be shorter in duration and may not apply to some components. By the way, if the device is completely beyond repair, the official service must replace it with a new device. It will be much more difficult to convince a “gray” seller to do this.

Apart from the warranty, are there any other disadvantages?

Certainly. Devices not adapted to Russian conditions may lose the network, freeze, etc. There may be problems with the Russification of the menu and the correct operation of some programs. In addition, a “gray” smartphone can have a lot of software installed that is completely unnecessary in our country and cannot be removed. However, it is important to note that completely “white” devices can “glitch” and have all the indicated problems.

All these are minor risks that are compensated by the low price

Maybe. But it is worth noting separately the fact that “gray” phones are not covered by insurance claims. That is, if a smartphone causes an accident or causes any damage to its owner or his property, only the official manufacturer can provide insurance guarantees. No one will be responsible for the “gray” phone.

I bought a “gray” smartphone. Have I committed a crime?

Yes and no. Formally, according to the Law “On Communications”, radio-electronic communications are subject to mandatory certification, which must be carried out either by the manufacturer or the seller. However, if the device is not brought into the country for sale, certification is not required. That is, the law is not violated when the consumer personally brings the device from abroad for his own needs. But it is violated by the seller who sells you such equipment in the store. Moreover, according to the latest amendments to the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation “On approval of the list of communications equipment subject to mandatory certification”, the maximum fine for “gray” devices for individuals has been increased to 5,000 rubles, for officials - up to 30,000 rubles, for legal entities - up to 150,000 rubles.

Despite everything, my “gray” smartphone works!

Congratulations! What a score. At least for now. Some “gray” smartphones use special, unofficial firmware, which allows the smartphone to work in Russia. When trying to update the firmware to the official one, the consumer runs the risk of receiving a “brick” instead of his handset. Therefore, some “gray” smartphones can only be updated from sellers and craftsmen. By the way, you will also have to pay for this.

Certification provides goods and products with a supporting document - a certificate confirming that the product meets quality and safety standards.

Obtaining a certificate for the products manufactured by your company is an important step towards the development of any business. As experience shows, product certification provides the consumer with only high-quality goods, and the manufacturer with only grateful consumers and buyers who, thanks to the presence of a quality certificate, are confident in the quality and safety of the purchased products.

The certification process improves the activities of an enterprise at several stages, be it the service sector or the production of goods. Production certification benefits both the company itself by improving the quality of internal processes and for business partners who will know that you are working in accordance with international quality standards.

Not so long ago product certification in Russia it was a mandatory procedure. Now the certification procedure has a more expanded scope. There are both mandatory and voluntary product certification. Product certification is regulated by the Laws “On Protection of Consumer Rights” and “On Technical Regulation”. Certificates of product conformity are issued by specially authorized government bodies.

Mandatory product certification necessary during customs checks, as well as in the case of product sales. There is a certain list of goods that are subject to mandatory certification. According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, the need for certification is determined in the Product Nomenclature, for which mandatory certification and declaration of conformity are provided. You can check whether products are subject to mandatory certification using HS and OKP codes. Most goods and equipment not only produced in Russia, but also imported from abroad are subject to mandatory certification.

For certain types of goods that are not subject to mandatory certification, a voluntary certificate of conformity can be issued. The only difference from mandatory certification is that you yourself will be able to determine the standards of your services and goods.

Voluntary certification provides a significant advantage compared to competitors among the company’s partners and clients. Certified services and products of your company will give confidence to your clients, partners and customers in the quality and reliability of services and products. Voluntary certification helps to increase the competitiveness of goods and services, so you can increase the volume of trade turnover. Quite often, customers require suppliers of components and materials to have a certificate as a condition.

Today, the possibilities of obtaining voluntary certificates are simplified as much as possible.

How to determine whether a certificate of conformity is needed?

Define, do you need a certificate of conformity? not so difficult.

The basic rule here is this: a certificate of conformity is needed if a product or service is included in the list of products subject to mandatory certification.

In Russia there is a unified list of goods, the conformity of which must be confirmed by a certificate of conformity and a declaration of conformity.

You can determine whether a certificate of conformity or a declaration is needed in this list. The entire range of products is divided into two sections - the first lists products for which it is mandatory to obtain a certificate of conformity. The second section reflects products that are subject to mandatory declaration. If you find the products you are interested in in the first list, you need a certificate of conformity; if in the second, then a declaration of conformity is issued.

If the product is not included in either the first or second list, then the product is not subject to certification and declaration. In this case, the manufacturer or importer can issue a voluntary certificate of conformity or an explanatory letter stating that the product is not subject to certification. These letters are also issued by the certification body.

Articles and Lifehacks

When purchasing a mobile device, it is very important to find out whether it meets certain requirements, in other words, state standards. In this regard, many potential people are interested in how to determine if a phone is certified.

You should know that each such device must have certain service stickers, thanks to which we could distinguish them from counterfeit devices. How to do this?

What is mobile phone certification and how is it determined?

First, let’s figure out why mobile product certification is needed.

All cell phones that are imported into the Russian Federation must meet international standards, that is, have a certain level of quality. They are subject to mandatory certification; the same applies to the commercial activities of the manufacturing company itself.

On a cell phone that has been certified and found to comply with GOST standards, you can easily and without any difficulty obtain customs documents.

In addition, those companies that do not pay due attention to certification risk losing all positions in the domestic mobile market.
You can obtain certification information by knowing the 15-digit IMEI code. For example, cellular devices based on UMTS and GSM must have such a code.

The manufacturer of mobile equipment undertakes to embed the IMEI during the manufacture of the device, so that it is almost impossible to change it in the future.

Instructions for determining phone certification

In order to find out whether our mobile device is certified, we will need an Internet connection. We remove the battery and carefully inspect the stickers for the presence of the ROSTEST logo, etc. We look for the IMEI code there, after which we begin to inspect the packaging and warranty card. Let's compare our 15-digit code with all other IMEI combinations. If everything matches, you can think about this model.

In addition, it is necessary to compare it with the combination that will be displayed on the device display upon request *#06#.

When choosing a device in a store, it is recommended to ask for a sales license from one of the sales consultants. If this is refused, it is better to contact another retail outlet. If the numbers do not match, the mobile device is not certified. If the IMEI codes are the same, move on to the next step. We enter our code into a special line on one of the online resources to check such numbers.

For example, we use the NumberingPlans website. We analyze the IMEI identifier in the menu option called Number analysis tools.
When understanding how to determine whether a phone is certified, one should not forget about the accuracy of the code entered on the site.

If the information that is displayed on the site matches the data known to us, most likely the mobile device is original.
It happens that the search does not produce any results. If the resource we are using is working correctly, we may just need to enter the code again. Repeated absence of data indicates falsification in the same way as their discrepancy.