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Fake, clone, not genuine, Galaxy S4 phones

ironass

Extreme Android User
Aug 17, 2010
12,762
6,351
Cotswolds, England
"Is my phone genuine?"...

Barely 3 months after the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and there was already a growing number of fake versions starting to flood the market.

Some of these fake phones are, outwardly, very good copies indeed and would easily pass casual inspection. Most are being sold on sites such as eBay, Craigslist and some lesser known sites, where the buyer has to rely on photos and descriptions that are supplied by the seller.

Also, quite openly, these fake phones are being advertised and sold as fakes/clones on sites such as this for only US$318.22, (or less, see post #5)...

Samsung Galaxy S4 Quad Core 5inch MT6589 Android 4.2 16GB Phone(1:1version)

I am sure that we will be seeing more of these fake phones as time goes on and will be getting requests from posters as to the authenticity of their phone. This is not an easy task in most cases as there are so many varieties of the legitimate Galaxy S4 phones around, see 23 Galaxy S4 models - know yours?, and as I mentioned, the fakes are very good in some cases. See these videos...

Real vs Fake Samsung Galaxy S4 - YouTube

fake galaxy s4 - YouTube

However, all is not lost as there are some apps, free, from the Play Store that can be downloaded to determine the authenticity of most of the popular S4 models...

First is the "Genunie" Galaxy - Phone Info that checks the phone's details and hardware configuration and also runs performance tests and compares with other phones in the world. Claims to work on the... GT-I9500, GT-I9502, GT-I9505, GT-I9508, SCH-I959, SGH-I337, SPH-L720, SHV-E300S, SGH-M919, SHV-E300L/S/K, SCH-I545, SGH-M919, SCH-R970, SC-04E, SGH-I537, GT-SC04E, Galaxy S4 Mini, Galaxy S4 Active, models.***

Alternatively, you can download, free from the Play Store, Phone Info. This displays a whole host of information for genuine Samsung phones, including firmware details, Knox warranty and country of origin.

*** For models not included above or to double check the results, I would suggest downloading, free from the Play Store, Android System Info and checking your phone in the System tab > BuildInfos.

Whilst it cannot prevent anyone buying a fake S4 it can at least go some way to determining if a phone is fake or not without having to ask a lot of questions.

Also, if you are purchasing a used phone, you should check out the phone's history to see if it has been lost, stolen or blacklisted for non payment of contract. This can be done by obtaining the phone's IMEI number, enter *#06# into the dial pad, and then using a service such as CheckMEND.

For anyone thinking of buying a phone from the web or, indeed, any untrusted source, the watch words are...

caveat emptor... Let the buyer beware!
 
I have a Verizon S4 purchased at Costco (SCH-1545), but the app says: "I'm afraid your not using a Galaxy SIII." Why?

It is probably not one of the devices specified for the app,I wouldn't worry too much if you purchased it from a reputable shop, fake ones tend to be more from individuals selling them at a price that seems too good to be true!
 
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I'm using the Verizon version and when I run the Genuine Galaxy App it reports that I don't have a Genuine Galaxy S3. Of course my phone is the S4. The information seems to match up with the specs of a genuine S4. Does anyone with the Verizon version get it to report as Genuine Galaxy S4?
 

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I'm using the Verizon version and when I run the Genuine Galaxy App it reports that I don't have a Genuine Galaxy S3. Of course my phone is the S4. The information seems to match up with the specs of a genuine S4. Does anyone with the Verizon version get it to report as Genuine Galaxy S4?
It may not be very helpful but at least it's accurate - you don't have a genuine Galaxy S3 ;).
 
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For those who missed it in post #1, here, again, are the S4 models that Genuine Galaxy S4/S3/Note II works with...

However, all is not lost as there is an app, free, from the Play Store that can be downloaded to determine the authenticity of most of the popular S4 models... GT-I9500, GT-I9502, GT-I9505, GT-I9508, SCH-I959, SGH-I337, SPH-L720, SHV-E300S, SGH-M919.

It is the Genuine Galaxy S4/S3/Note II that checks the phone's details and hardware configuration and also runs performance tests and compares with other phones in the world.

For models not included above, I would suggest downloading, free from the Play Store, Android System Info and checking your phone in the System tab > OS.

You're not going to see many cmda fakes.

Most of them are gsm, because that's where the biggest market is

If you are on Verizon or sprint you can be pretty sure its real

I am inclined to agree with Rxpert83. The fakes will concentrate on the popular S4 handsets such as the i9505 and i9500 and disregard the less popular minority variants for commercial reasons.
 
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Interesting. At least in some of the fakes, they are identified as clones (link in the OPs post):

Wholesale Free Shipping 1:1 Clone Samsung Galaxy s4,China Clone S4, has 5 inch HD screen, with 1.6GHz quad-core MT6589T processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, and 13MP rear camera, installed Android 4.2.2 OS.have Motions and Getures functions same as real one,do remember subscribe our youtube chanel to earn free gifts of screen protector for s4!we has been uploading videos of this phone to our youtube chanel.this is the best galaxy s4 clone version,100% everything is same as real s4,please note:we use original s4 box and accessories for this phone,you can use our accessories on real s4,of course you can use original s4 accessories on our clone,becuase they are universal!!!
 
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Interesting. At least in some of the fakes, they are identified as clones (link in the OPs post):

Wholesale Free Shipping 1:1 Clone Samsung Galaxy s4,China Clone S4, has 5 inch HD screen, with 1.6GHz quad-core MT6589T processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, and 13MP rear camera, installed Android 4.2.2 OS.have Motions and Getures functions same as real one,do remember subscribe our youtube chanel to earn free gifts of screen protector for s4!we has been uploading videos of this phone to our youtube chanel.this is the best galaxy s4 clone version,100% everything is same as real s4,please note:we use original s4 box and accessories for this phone,you can use our accessories on real s4,of course you can use original s4 accessories on our clone,becuase they are universal!!!

They are most definitely one of the exceptions and how many unscrupulous buyers purchase these in bulk to then sell on the web, as the genuine article, at a a huge profit without that description.

Particularly as they state, "note:we use original s4 box and accessories for this phone".

Now, I wonder why they say that? :rolleyes:
 
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Thanks for that kellyhasen.

Hai,

I'm using the Verizon and when I run the Genuine Galaxy App it reports that I don't have a Genuine Galaxy S3.

To be fair... you don't have a Galaxy S3. ;)

Of course my phone is the S4.

The problem with that app is that whilst it is fine with the majority of S4 models, it does get a bit hit and miss on the carrier branded, minority, S4 variants. Thankfully, AFAIK, there has never been a carrier branded, minority, fake/clone as the market would be far too restrictive for sales and therefore the clone/fake phones tend to be for the worldwide, International, versions. I have amended post #1 to include a double check with Android System Info.

EDIT I am also looking into another app that shows device details, to see if it is more reliable... Phone Info.... updated post #1 with it.
 
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i have been conned. I bought a so called used Galaxy S4. is there a way i can turn it to a genuine S4. i would be willing to pay

Hello and welcome to Android Forums paul2004! :)

Sorry to hear that you have purchased a fake Galaxy S4. I am afraid that there is no way that you can turn this into a genuine version as it will not have the hardware and chipset of a real Samsung Galaxy S4 and therefore you will be unable to flash it with the genuine Samsung firmware. :(
 
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Thank you for your quick reply.
One last question, if i conect to the internet, would i be able to download playstore.
also would it be a secure phone to use, if i set up an email account

Without knowing the precise details of the firmware you are running, it is impossible to answer your question as some of the fake phones are running an ersatz version of Android which may preclude interaction with real Android apps and could quite easily not offer the security of a genuine Samsung Galaxy S4.
 
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