Cellphone Buying Guide by
markyap
things to test and look for before buying the phone you want.
- IMEI on box matches IMEI on phone (*#06#) and the IMEI on the phones sticker(battery compartment)
- Minute scratches on the screws may mean that it has been opened/tampered with already. open the casing
if possible to check.
- Battery must be the actual battery specified by the model and that it is new and 100% original. it helps to bring a friend along who knows, fake batteries are very hard to spot these days. but some are obvious fakes
example: 6600 uses BL-5c, a bigger more expensive more powerful battery than say BL-4c. both looks the same but bl4c is slightly thinner. but mailad nya mo kay both battery works on that unit rabah. most units packaged with this are fake batt. BL-5c and BL-4c are harder to detect if its orig or not.
- Unit turns on the 1st time. kanag gahi mu on, could be luag ang batt niya, tandugunon, or gahi lang gyud ang power switch. better safe than sorry.
- LCD lights up as it should (watch out for dead pixels)
- Make a call: there's sound coming from both the earpiece AND the loudspeaker; you can be heard by the person you called; play around with the tones; make the phone ring by calling it (i recommend you use ur own sim to test the unit you are buying) some units dont work with some sims. example, a batch of 6600 doesnt work with smart 64k sims. particularly version 4.09.
- Type in a few text lines. check how each key reacts. kung kahit may isa na mahirap pindutin, pa check mo ulit. could be the keypad is misalign lang. or baka may problema nga.
- Test out other sims (different networks) to check if its openline as it should be. but if it is sold as locked or kit then no worries unless...be WARNED ha, baka block listed na yan so check mo mabuti hehehe.
- Casing fits snugly and no extra uncut plastic from the mold (baka Class A replacement case nalang yan). check out if may worn out areas or used na signs, texture is altered kasi. be meticulous lang gyud.
- Checkout the phone's firmware version (*#0000# for nokias) check unit code matches the actual unit. bisan lain na sulod hehe. rare ra nuon kaayo na. its also good to know what version the unit comes in, compared to latest version available. you might consider having it upgraded to the latest verion right there an then
Or checkout its manufacturing date (*#92702689# or *#war0anty# for nokias)
- Make sure you are getting the right product. Some units have the same model number but intended for different networks. What this means is that you get less signal or no signal in many places where other dualband (900/1800) or triband(900/1800/1900) phones have signal. Example: product code RH-12 and RH-28. both are nokia 6230 and both are triband, but what you may not know is that (6230b) RH-28 functions as a single band 1800mhz gsm in the philippines. it doesnt have 900mhz band. only 850/1800/1900. many shops dont know this difference actually exist. many shops purchase this type from suppliers thinking its the same and cut cost coz its cheaper. to the naked eye its identical to the RH-12 and it does work here in the philippines, kaya lang expect drop signal and such specially if ur using smart and globe. variants for 3100, 3200, and many more nokia and other brands exist out there. ingatz nalang when buying
nokia are nokias, SE are SE's...as long as its not recon/referb. then they are all original...they are
of the same quality regardless of where it was made.
those so called recon/referb units are not just repaired units, they are actually and completely FAKE. made by different underground manufactures in china and are only made to look like those nokia's and SE's
never buy RECON/REFERB, save urself a lot of trouble and money.
TiPs in detecting a FAKE nokia unit.
notice each product has a code.
example: NSM-3D for 8250 and NSM-3 for 8210.
if u see a unit nakalagay sa sticker NSM-3 nya 8250 naka lagay, fake yan! also the battery will most likely be fake.
iba ang texture ng original batt. no harsh edges on the sides of it.
best and last advice, buy from a good rep**able shop
cellphone buying guide...CHECKLIST:)
definitely a must-read! 
Posting Permissions
