In order to be able to recharge your smartphone or tablet in a timely manner, you do not need to be constantly in the immediate vicinity of the mains. There is an alternative option, with the help of which the process of replenishing the charge level of your gadget can be carried out in any setting, even outside the city or in a car.
We are talking about external batteries that have the ability to accumulate an electrical charge and give it out when other devices are connected. One of the best manufacturers of such devices is the Chinese brand Xiaomi, which presented a number of models of various capacities. However, like all quality products, its products are often copied by unscrupulous manufacturers. How to avoid the possibility of buying a fake Xiaomi power bank? You will learn all about this from our article.
This is due to the fact that the buyer does not have the slightest idea of \u200b\u200bwhat structural components the device consists of, what components were used and whether all technological nuances were observed. Xiaomi company carefully monitors the quality of its products, controls their production at every stage and guarantees their impeccable quality.
Also, purchasing a fake Xiaomi Mi Power Bank, the risk of inconsistency between the declared capacitive indicators and the real ones increases sharply. This means that the number of possible recharges of the gadget will be less than the owner expected.
And most importantly, a fake product can cause failure of the devices connected to it, since the quality of the connectors may be far from the best and safe.
Pay attention to capacity metrics
Currently only 6 models can be purchased with a variety of capacity options. The indicator is measured in mAh:
- 5 000;
- 5 200;
- 10 000;
- 10 400;
- 16 000;
- 20 000.
Accordingly, if you are offered a Xiaomi external battery with a different capacity, then this will be a clear sign of a fake product. And by the way, it is definitely a fake Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 20800, since the manufacturer did not release this option for sale.
On the back of the device, the manufacturer puts data on what the capacitive characteristics of the device are. On the original products you will find numbers and letters in a pleasant silver shade. If you touch them, they will be slightly rough.
If you are dealing with a copy of Xiaomi, then the letters / numbers will most likely be black and glossy. There is a possibility that they will be indistinct, and their outlines - blurred.
Code designation
In order to make sure that this is not a fake Xiaomi Power Bank 20000 or other modification, it is recommended to pay attention to the data contained in the code on the package. There should be a sticker on the box of this unit with a protective layer at the top. It is enough to rub it with a hard object, and a combination of 20 numbers will appear before your eyes.
It is needed in order to enter it in the appropriate field on mi.com/verify/. For ease of introduction, the code combination is divided into four parts, 5 digits each. Below you will see a field for captcha, which is required to confirm that the request was sent by a real person and not by a robot.
After clicking on the Verify button, literally a few seconds will pass, and information about the origin of the device will appear on the monitor. You will also find out how many times a request was made about Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 10000. Please note that if this number is more than one, then someone already has access to the identification code, which cannot but alert.
USB cable design
Regardless of the modification, a microUSB is included in the delivery set of original products. It is completely white, there are no designations on it, including the likes of Mi, Mi.com or the brand name, and the manufacturer recommends that it is through it that you charge the external battery.
It is recommended to carefully inspect the connector, as its inner plastic part should be black. In most fakes Xiaomi Power Bank 10400 and other variants, the connector inside will be white, sometimes with uneven edges.
Another feature is that the inside of the USB ports must be made of white plastic in a pastel shade.
The fake options in the microUSB port will have a black plastic material, and in the standard USB it will be milky white.
Flow charging
Agree how convenient the instant charging function is: just connect the external battery to the network, and then another gadget to it, and simultaneously recharge two devices at once. Fake models can't do that.
It is easy to check this: connect the Xiaomi power bank to the electrical network (it is not recommended to connect to a laptop or PC, because there may not be enough power for this check), and to it - a smartphone or tablet. If you have a fake Xiaomi Power Bank 2 or another model, then only the battery itself will be charged. Your phone / tablet will not be recharged.
Function of LED indicators
The original Xiaomi power bank is distinguished by its ability to keep the LEDs glowing when charging and holding the power button. Even if you release it, the indicators will not go out, but will continue to light. Accordingly, the copy cannot do this, therefore, no matter how much you press the button while recharging, the LEDs will not work.
And one more important point: the presence of the function of protection against recharging of the gadget "itself" in the real external batteries of Xiaomi. It is very easy to check for its presence: connect the cable included in the kit to both ports at once and make sure that the device will stop working. But the fake version will try to replenish the charge even in this way.
Rechargeable batteries
You can only be sure of their original origin if you open the product yourself. Please note that after this procedure, the terms of warranty service will no longer apply to it due to the fact that the integrity of the case has been violated. The Xiaomi brand installs batteries from trusted companies that have proven the quality of their products. We are talking about LG, Samsung and Panasonic. If you have batteries of another brand in front of you, then these are clearly counterfeit products.
To connect their contacts, strong wires are used, without breaks and backlash. They are quite thick, unlike non-original wires, which excludes the possibility of their melting at high current.
Using our advice, you can buy the Xiaomi power bank in the original version and get confidence in its durability and reliability.
In our time of total dependence on a smartphone, the icon of a discharged battery becomes more terrible, and therefore few of us have not thought about buying an external battery. Recently, Xiaomi has established itself well in the market and has become the permanent leader of the domestic Chinese market, and therefore, as usual, other enterprising citizens immediately began to stamp fakes on its products.
Unfortunately, I became the owner of one of them. I received this battery as a gift from my beloved at a time when I suffered from the weak battery of my last phone, it was purchased on this shit for as much as 1000 UAH. Similar products on aliexpress would cost 3 times cheaper, so you can imagine what I think about them "___" The battery was quickly discharged and obviously did not feed my phone to a full charge, and therefore I looked for and collected signs of a fake Xiaomi battery for you.
- They support circular charging. What is it? This is when both ends of the wire are stuck into the same device and it charges itself (and scientists soared over a perpetual motion machine)
2. The surface is poorly sanded and grainy (the original grain is very, very invisible)
3. The lights in the device are lit so that part of the plastic is illuminated
4. Non-standard volume (as in my case). VERY often stores report that this volume was made to order / this is a special batch for wholesale buyers / come up with it yourself, BUT after I contacted the company representatives, they answered me that the entire range is presented on the site [link]. All the same, "non-standard" battery capacity is nothing more than a scam. They have a volume much less than stated and ...
5. ... are made of low-quality batteries.
Smartphone designers of almost all companies strive to make their devices thinner. Often, the autonomy of gadgets suffers from this, although according to customer surveys, it is its higher indicator that is most desirable in new models.
In contact with
Because of this, you have to resort to the world of auxiliary accessories, in the top of which are (namely Power Bank, and not battery cases that significantly inflate harmonious devices).
The most popular model has become, which is notable for its low price and good quality. But the problem is that there is no official delivery in the CIS, and about 80% of the external batteries sold from Xiaomi are fake. In this article, we will tell you how to distinguish an original high-quality accessory from devices made by people hungry for profit.
I myself have become a “victim” of a counterfeit by ordering a Xiaomi Mi Power Bank for 16,000 mAh. Ultimately, the battery can charge the iPhone 6 a little less than a full two times, and the self-discharge of the battery is simply enormous. But with the purchase of Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 5,000 mAh, I was lucky and now there are clearly signs of a fake and an original device. By adding world experience we got this material.
Packaging
Mi Power Bank is packaged in white quality cardboard packaging.
It will have a license sticker with a unique code under an erasable protective cover consisting of 20 digits.
It is enough to go to the official Xiaomi page and enter the code, as many questions will automatically disappear. A fake cannot have a sticker at all, or it will have an indelible surface. This method of checking for originality is the simplest and most effective.
Cable
The short original charging cable has a plastic inside the USB plug with black connectors. In a fake, they are usually white.
BOM end
The easiest place to determine whether a device belongs to a particular camp.
The lettering should be clear, but not bright, while the print of the counterfeit is darker, and the edges are often blurred or have ink streaks. Frankly weak fakes have completely different text and obvious errors. For example, the inscription under the icon "LHON", although it should be "LI-ION".
Front part
The MI logo should be darker and the fake font is often slightly larger. The very surface of the fake aluminum gives a light glint, from which it clearly smells of cheapness, while the original "can" has a matte surface, which practically does not reflect light, very similar to the case of a MacBook. In addition, the body of counterfeit products often has abrasions or minor scratches.
End with buttons, indicator and USB
1 ... The indicator in the original Power Bank, covered with protective transparent plastic, has a very small diameter. In a fake, usually the holes for the indicators are larger, and there is no protection at all.
2 ... There is a contact plate inside the MicroUSB port. In the original it is white, in the fake it is black.
3 ... The plate of the original USB port is white and the fake one is beige.
4 ... On the far end of the USB port there should be a company logo - "MI".
What is inside?
The original Mi Power Bank uses LG branded batteries connected directly to the PCB. Fake external batteries have a mediocre manufacturer, and the batteries themselves are connected to the board through thin wires that tend to heat up.
Tests
If you turn on the original Mi Power Bank to charge through the adapter and connect the iPhone to it at the same time, then both devices should be charged. There is no such possibility in a fake external battery. The test fails if charging from a computer USB port.
When charging iPhone or iPad with original Power Bank, the indicator will blink.
Output
When buying a Mi Power Bank, like any other device, the cost should not be lower than the price indicated on the official website. If you do not order from the official website through an intermediary, then make sure that the third-party store that sends the battery to your region has positive reviews on the product and a high rating (usually, the markup in such stores can reach 60% of the original cost of the product). Be carefull!
How not to be deceived?
Xiaomi Mi Power Banks are incredibly popular all over the world. They have an honest declared capacity, excellent appearance and at the same time quite affordable prices. It is not surprising that such a combo of characteristics attracts not only buyers, but also scammers who present their low-quality fakes under the guise of original Xiaomi power banks. In this manual, we talked about how to distinguish a real Xiaomi Mi Power Bank from a fake in the simplest way.
Step 1. Find the sticker with the Xiaomi logo on the back of the package of the Xiaomi Mi Power Bank you purchased.
Step 2. On the sticker, you will find a washable protective coating familiar to most lottery tickets.
Wipe off the protective covering with a paper clip, coin, or even your fingernail.
Step 3. Under the protective layer there will be a serial number consisting of 20 digits. Go to special service page Xiaomi to authenticate products and enter your Xiaomi Mi Power Bank number in the box “ Please enter your 20-digit security code».
Step 4. After that, specify the captcha and click Verify... The service will tell you if the power bank is genuine or not.
In case the Xiaomi Mi Power Bank is genuine, the service will display the message “ This is an authentic product. This is the first time this security code has been queried". Also, this message will indicate that the power bank has not previously been checked using this service.
If the message is like: “ This is an authentic product. This security code had previously been queried 3 times”, It means that the device is genuine, but has been checked three times before. Note that it is almost impossible to face a similar situation in the case of a new original external battery from Xiaomi.
Well, if the service issues a notification “ Please check that your code has been entered correctly and try again”, This, unfortunately, means that the tested external battery is a fake. If you purchased the device from an online store, then try to open a dispute as soon as possible and return the money for the purchased fake.
How to distinguish a fake Xiaomi Mi Power Bank without packaging
You can check Xiaomi Mi Power Bank for authenticity without packaging, even if such a need arises quite rarely. The surest way is to weigh the battery. Chinese craftsmen can fake the appearance of a power bank very accurately, but instead of a capacious and heavy battery, they most often insert ordinary rechargeable batteries into their gadgets. And at this very moment they are pierced, since the weight of the fakes turns out to be much less than the original device. The weight of all Xiaomi Mi Power Bank models is shown below.
- Mi Power Bank 5000 - 156 g.
- Mi Power Bank 10000 - 207
- Mi Power Bank 10400 - 250 g.
- Mi Power Bank 16000 - 350 g.
- Mi Power Bank 20000 - 338 g.
- Mi Power Bank 2 10000 - 228 g.
- Mi Power Bank 2 20,000 - 330.5 g.
- Mi Power Bank Pro 10000 - 223 g.
- Mi Power Bank Pro 2 10000 - 223 g.
Of course, not everyone and not always have the opportunity to accurately weigh an external battery. For example, when buying from hands on the street, it is extremely difficult to do this. In this case, a flashlight will help you out. Highlight the USB connector of the Mi Power Bank; the Xiaomi logo should be clearly and efficiently embossed in its plastic part.
It is important to note that only one model from the line - Mi Power Bank 16000 - does not have a logo in the connector.
For the sake of making phones more original, their manufacturers are trying to reduce the thickness of the devices. Usually, batteries have to be sacrificed, the volume of which leaves much to be desired. Reading the characteristics of the smartphone, we are delighted until we reach the “Battery capacity” column, where there is little mAh.
Power Banks are a way out in this situation. They allow you to leave the house without thinking about the battery, because you have the necessary additional charge for the gadget at your fingertips. One of the most popular on the market is the Xiaomi power bank. The main advantage of such a Power Bank is a huge supply of energy for batteries at an affordable price. The main thing is to buy an original device, not a fake one.
The popularity of the product on the market is predetermined by the fact that numerous counterfeit devices appear, which, unlike the original, are not at all so powerful, although they are not cheap. Therefore, today we will talk about how to distinguish the original Xiaomi Power Bank from fake devices. Are there any visual differences between them? Is it possible to identify a fake by external inspection of the product? How is the external battery verified? We will tell you about all this right now.
Packaging
You can distinguish the original from a fake by the packaging of external batteries. There is a license sticker on the box with the data of the original code. It consists of 20 digits. When you see the verification code, the authenticity of Xiaomi can be determined. To do this, go to the manufacturer's official website on the Internet and enter the code. If it is not in the database, then the Xiaomi Power Bank 16000 is a fake. If there are no external stickers on the packaging at all, then this is also a clear sign that the Xiaomi Power Bank 10000 is a fake.
Cable
Original cables from Xiaomi are small, and by looking at their external characteristics, you can also identify a fake. Inside the plug there is a small plastic piece with black connectors. Unlike original devices, white parts are usually put on fakes.
Butt
Another way to check the originality of a device is to look at its end. All important information is indicated there, including the size of the battery (for example, 10400 mAh or 28800 mAh). Original batteries are clearly labeled, but not too bright. Xiaomi Power Bank authentication can be considered unsuccessful if the print of the sticker is dark, and the edges are blurred or ink drips are visible. When checking, sometimes very strange bloopers are found, such as the inscription "LHON" instead of "LI-ION", etc.
Front part
The verified Xiaomi bank must have a logo on the front. It is darker on the original product than on the fake. If during the check you noticed that the font of the inscription is too large, then this is also a reason to refuse to buy a gadget. The aluminum surface of the fakes gives a light flare, and the original Power Bank does not know this, because its surface is matte and practically does not reflect light. For counterfeit inspections, it is often helpful to examine the surface for scratches and abrasions.
End with indicators, buttons and USB
You can also check the originality of Xiaomi at the other end, where the USB connectors and indicators are located. Let's dwell on the most important points:
- In the original Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 20800, the indicator is covered with protective plastic and has a minimum diameter. Counterfeit holes are large and sometimes lack protection at all.
- The micro-USB port has a plate with contacts. The original Xiaomi 20800 mAh has white, while the fake Xiaomi Mi 20800 Power Bank has black.
- The USB port plate of the real Xiaomi Power Bank 20000 is white, while the fake Xiaomi Power Bank 20000 is beige.
- The far end of the original USB port is distinguished from the counterfeit by the Mi logo.
Differences in quality
Original external batteries are supplied with batteries from LG, which have a direct connection to the printed circuit board. Counterfeits often have low-grade batteries from dubious manufacturers. The connection to the board takes place through thin wires that quickly heat up.
