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Help Is my GT-I9100 genuine?

Atsui

Newbie
Aug 7, 2012
15
0
Hello,

I've just bought this GT-I9100 and I am not positive that this phone is the real deal. Got it 2nd hand for about 100 Euro, tried checking the IMEI and it says that the IMEI might be correct.

There's not much info about the phone that I can give since *#*#1234#*#* or *#1234# don't work, it simply says "Operation not allowed".

I also cannot get it to go into Recovery Mode and/or Download Mode.

However, this info I can give:

Phone info:
Model: GT-I9100
FCC ID: A3LGTI9100
S/N: RV1C42QFV6P
Software Version: EMMI.MST.MSW8533N.GPRS.10AW1021.02.0403W2P5.1c.06141310
Made by SAMSUNG ( No country specified )

Battery info:
Made in Korea / Finished in China
S/N: AA1B429AS/5-B

Hope this could help you help me.
Looking forward to see if I wasted 100~ Euro on a clone.

Thank you,
Alex.
 
The price was very cheap.

If the codes won't work, this could mean, that the phone is running a custom rom. I am using rootbox 1.7 - there is nothing left from Samsung and of course the codes do not work for me either. They did work, when my phone was on Samsung stock.

By the way: The second code should rather be *#1234#

What information do you get, if you go to menu, settings, about? You should see there details about the phone, baseband-version, kernel. Would you mind posting it here? I think, that should show at least something.
 
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The price was very cheap.

If the codes won't work, this could mean, that the phone is running a custom rom. I am using rootbox 1.7 - there is nothing left from Samsung and of course the codes do not work for me either. They did work, when my phone was on Samsung stock.

By the way: The second code should rather be *#1234#

What information do you get, if you go to menu, settings, about? You should see there details about the phone, baseband-version, kernel. Would you mind posting it here? I think, that should show at least something.

Typo :p @ *#1234#

Well, the IMEI, the Software Version and Memory Details.

Software Version: EMMI.MST.MSW8533N.GPRS.10AW1021.02.0403W2P5.1c.06141310
 
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As you cannot seem to get a response by entering the usual codes into your dial pad, try going to Settings > About phone.... and you will see a screen displayed like this, (ignore the information shown on this old screenshot from my rooted phone):-

CheckROMRevolutionv3.png


What does it show for the following:-

Model number

Android version

Baseband version

Kernel version

Build number



You could also download and install Android System Info, free from the Play Store and check your details under, "System > Build Infos > Display & Fingerprint".

You may also find this thread, on the same subject, very useful. See, here.

Tip: Never, ever, publish your IMEI number on any forum. Whilst most of the people on here are really great... you never know. Someone who has access to your IMEI number can cause all sorts of problems if they wanted to. ;)
 
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As you cannot seem to get a response by entering the usual codes into your dial pad, try going to Settings > About phone.... and you will see a screen displayed like this, (ignore the information shown on this old screenshot from my rooted phone):-

CheckROMRevolutionv3.png


What does it show for the following:-

Model number

Android version

Baseband version

Kernel version

Build number



You could also download and install Android System Info, free from the Play Store and check your details under, "System > Build Infos > Display & Fingerprint".

You may also find this thread, on the same subject, very useful. See, here.

Tip: Never, ever, publish your IMEI number on any forum. Whilst most of the people on here are really great... you never know. Someone who has access to your IMEI number can cause all sorts of problems if they wanted to. ;)

You are right about posting the IMEI, thanks.
As for that thread, I've read it before, been up for the past 14 hours trying to figure out if this phone is a clone.
I don't have the Play Store, which is wierd.
I also have many things missing in the menu, for example, as I said before, all I have in my About Phone are the following: IMEI, Memory Information, Software Version.

I guess I should come back with a video and post it.
 
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You are right about posting the IMEI, thanks.
As for that thread, I've read it before, been up for the past 14 hours trying to figure out if this phone is a clone.
I don't have the Play Store, which is wierd.
I also have many things missing in the menu, for example, as I said before, all I have in my About Phone are the following: IMEI, Memory Information, Software Version.

I guess I should come back with a video and post it.

There are numerous, legitimate, variants of the Samsung Galaxy S2 with different configurations and rooting and flashing a custom ROM can change all sorts of things.

Does the sticker under your battery look similar to the one, here?
 
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Looks exatcly like that one, just that it says "Made by SAMSUNG" w/o any country.

Can you, using your web browser, navigate to this page and post that you are viewing, and select, the following site:-


Quadrant Standard Edition download for Android - Softpedia


Select, "Softpedia Secure Download (US) [APK]" and download the .apk file. This should download the latest version of Quadrant installer .apk to your phone.

Providing you have a File Manager on the phone, you can navigate to the download location, usually... "/sdcard/Download"

Click on, "Quadrant.apk", to install it to your phone. Once installed, go to the App Drawer and select Quadrant Standard and select, "Sytem Information". This will give you a run down on your System, Device and CPU.
 
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Can you, using your web browser, navigate to this page and post that you are viewing, and select, the following site:-


Quadrant Standard Edition download for Android - Softpedia


Select, "Softpedia Secure Download (US) [APK]" and download the .apk file. This should download the latest version of Quadrant installer .apk to your phone.

Providing you have a File Manager on the phone, you can navigate to the download location, usually... "/sdcard/Download"

Click on, "Quadrant.apk", to install it to your phone. Once installed, go to the App Drawer and select Quadrant Standard and select, "Sytem Information". This will give you a run down on your System, Device and CPU.

Can't, message: "Unsupported media"
 
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Can't, message: "Unsupported media"

How odd! :thinking:

Just tested it myself and it went straight to a Downloading page for me and then proceeded to download the .apk file.

Does inputting... *#06# on your dial pad give you your IMEI number?

I did check your IMEI number and I received the same message as you... "might", and not the usual make and model of phone, etc; that I would normally expect.

If you type in... *#9900# on your dial pad, do you get SysDump come up?
 
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Can't, message: "Unsupported media"

How odd! :thinking:

Just tested it myself and it went straight to a Downloading page for me and then proceeded to download the .apk file.

Does inputting... *#06# on your dial pad give you your IMEI number?

I did check your IMEI number and I received the same message as you... "might", and not the usual make and model of phone, etc; that I would normally expect.

If you type in... *#9900# on your dial pad, do you get SysDump come up?
 
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How odd! :thinking:

Just tested it myself and it went straight to a Downloading page for me and then proceeded to download the .apk file.

Does inputting... *#06# on your dial pad give you your IMI number?

I did check your IMEI number and I received the same message as you... "might", and not the usual make and model of phone, etc; that I would normally expect.

If you type in... *#9900# on your dial pad, do you get SysDump come up?

It says "Proccessing... Please wait" and after a few seconds it gives another message "Operation not supported".
 
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OK... last try

Dial pad > input... *#272*[Your IMEI number]#

This should give you, "Preconfig", and show your 3 letter Sales Code or CSC code as it is known.

Takes me to a screen where it shows nothing.

Oh and, I have no idea what I did to it, I have two IMEI's now o.o.. something to do with SIM1 and SIM2 I think, cause now I have two signal bars, one has a 1 on it, which is the SIM I have iserted and the other one equals to null signal.

On the second IMEI it says that "Operation not supported" message again when I try to bring up the Preconfig.

Is there a way to set it the phone back to Factory Settings via USB?
Ain't got that option in the menu.
 
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Takes me to a screen where it shows nothing.

Oh and, I have no idea what I did to it, I have to IMEI's now o.o.. something to do with SIM1 and SIM2 I think, cause now I have 2 signal bars, one has a 1 on it, which is the SIM I have iserted and the other one equals to null signal.


Is there a way to set it the phone back to Factory Settings via USB?
Ain't got that option in the menu.

This doesn't sound right I'm afraid!

On a genuine Samsung Galaxy S2, there is a Factory Reset option in Settings.

Can you stand by whilst I contact some of my colleagues on here and see what they say.
 
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This doesn't sound right I'm afraid!

On a genuine Samsung Galaxy S2, there is a Factory Reset option in Settings.

Can you stand by whilst I contact some of my colleagues on here and see what they say.

Sure thing, in the mean time I'll make a short video of the phone to show you the menu and the messages it says when I try to dial them codes.
 
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Sure thing, in the mean time I'll make a short video of the phone to show you the menu and the messages it says when I try to dial them codes.

Thanks! That would be both helpful and informative, "if", Samsung Galaxy S2 clones are now on the market.

I have PM'd some of the, "wisemen", to have a look at the results, so far, before making a final call on this.


SIM1 and SIM2? Do you mean it's a dual SIM handset? Wouldn't that automatically mean it's not a Samsung? Or are you using a dual SIM adapter?

Doesn't look good Hadron. Especially as there doesn't appear to be a dual sim adaptor installed.
 
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If it is a clone, hardware wise looks a good one.
And it has the quickest boot time I've ever seen. :rock:

As for the ROM, its not like anything I've seen before specifically, but the closest I've come across are MIUI based ROMs.

If you want a pure samsung rom, flash one through Odin, but as you can't get into download mode, I would try purchasing a USB jig off ebay firstly.
Secondly, are you SURE you cant get into download/upload mode? It can be temperamental at times.

ie. Press VOL-DOWN+HOME+POWER (in that order) and keep all three pressed until you see something come up on the screen (it can take up to 5 seconds or so) and then release all three and press VOL-UP
 
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Well, here are two videos.
Sorry for the background noise, I'm just too tired to edit them and I'm also sorry for the poor quality, taped it with a Samsung S520.

Video 1: Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100 - Clone or Genuine? #1 - YouTube
Video 2: Samsung Galaxy S2 GT-I9100 - Clone or Genuine? #2 - YouTube

There they are.

It had some Galaxy S2 logo at the start-up before, but I don't know how I toyed with it and now it has that Android logo.
Can't even see sent SMS's anymore.

IMHO, it is a clone phone.

One thing on video #1 at around 20 sec's in, that caught my eye, was that the sim card appears to be partly covered by the Camera lens housing which is not the case on my GT-i9100... see screenshot, here. Also the housing below the sim card and above the battery does not look correct. There seems to be screws missing.

The fact that your boot-up screen and menu's do not correspond to the stock one's means nothing as I have used lots of custom ROM's that can change any software on the phone.

It is difficult to see but is there a hard, rectangular, "Home", key at the bottom centre of the phone?

These photographs of the Samsung Galaxy S2, GT-i9100, may help you, here.
 
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