11 January 2008

Nokia warns consumers
of fake handsets sold locally!

We have already written few times about significant improvements in cloning techniques.

About incredible well looking Chinese Nokia N93i clone as well as about perfectly cloned Nokia N95 and now Nokia Philippines follows our example and warning consumers about the proliferation of fake Nokia devices being sold in the local market.

A team from the Asia Pacific region is now coordinating with local enforcement agencies to conduct an investigation on the sale of these fake products, which is likely violating the company’s brand, said Nikka Singson-Abes, corporate communications manager of Nokia Philippines Inc., in an interview.

Singson-Abes said Nokia Philippines has received reports from its Nokia centers that have been receiving fake products from customers wanting to have the units serviced.

“We’re also trying to verify reports about those being sold in popular malls and in the provinces,” she said.

Notice the different font for N95 Nokia (right one is original)

*click to enlarge

The Nokia Philippines executive said the latest Nokia phone models like Nokia N81, Nokia 5310, Nokia N95, Nokia N82, Nokia 6120, were being sold at half or a third of the original price, which is an indicator that the unit might be fake.

“They’re branded Nokia and sometimes even the packaging is made to look like the real thing. I am told the phones are lighter in weight than the original. Some are being brought to the Nokia Care Centers for repair and because they are fake, they are turned down,” she said in an e-mailed advisory.

Asked how serious the problem has turned into, Singson-Abes said this development has already prompted the local office to warn consumers.

To check whether the units being sold are genuine, Nokia Philippines said consumers should look for the following when buying a new handset: A 12-month warranty sticker slapped on top or side parts of the phone’s box; a tamper-proof label at the back of a unit along with the NTC logo and the type acceptance as part of one sticker; a Nokia tamper-proof warranty seal; a hologram showing Nokia connecting hands at one angle and the original enhancements logo at another angle in the battery.

“When you angle the hologram on the left, right, down and up sides of the logo, you should see 1, 2, 3 and 4 dots on each side respectively,” a Nokia advisory added.

Small size of the flash led (by the way its fake, it doesnt even work =) )

*click to enlarge