Tips on how to tell if an N95 is fake....

Here are a few of the things you should watch our for when shopping for a Nokia N95, so you don't get duped into buying a knockoff:

1. A real Nokia N95 doesn't have a touchscreen, a small touchscreen menu at the bottom of the screen, and a stylus;

2. A real Nokia N95 has a 5 megapixel camera. Fake N95s either have a lower quality camera or sometimes even no camera at all. The built-in LED flash is also smaller on fake N95s. A real Nokia N95 also has a lens cover. Some fakes don't. Note that a genuine Nokia N95 8GB variant doesn't have a lens cover as well;

3. A real Nokia N95 has a two-way slider. Most fakes either slide down only or don't slide in any direction at all;

4. A real Nokia N95 boots up a lot slower than most fakes. The built-vibrator also momentarily activates when booting up a real N95. Counterfeit N95s boot up almost instantaneously, with no vibration, and sometimes with a different startup sound;

5. The battery of a real Nokia N95 mounts on the lower rear of the unit. Some knockoffs mount the battery on the top rear instead. This type of fakes typically don't have a camera since the battery is where the camera ought to be;

6. A real Nokia N95 is a quad-band phone with HSDPA, 3G and EDGE network capabilities. Fake N95s are typically dual-band with GPRS capabilities at most;

7. A real Nokia N95 has WLAN capabilities. Fake ones usually don't;

8. A real Nokia N95 has a built-in GPS receiver. Fake ones usually don't;

9. A real Nokia N95 only supports one SIM. There are fakes which support more than one SIM;

10. A real Nokia N95 has a silver finish in front, and either a dark purple/plum or a yellowish/sandy colored rear. Fake N95s usually have a black rear, and the branding (the word "Nokia" or "Nokia Nseries") may be printed upside-down. Note that a genuine Nokia N95 8GB variant has a black finish all-around;

11. A real Nokia N95 is charged via a miniplug at the bottom of the unit which is the same for all Nseries phones. Fake N95s sometimes use a USB port style charger which plugs in the side of unit. The power button also should be at the top of the phone. Some fakes have the power button on the lower front of the unit instead;

12. A real Nokia N95 comes with headphones, a data cable, a TV-out cable, a charger, a CD, and a number of manuals and booklets. Fake N95s usually don't include these accessories in the box. A real Nokia N95 comes with only one battery. Fakes sometimes throw in two batteries in the box;

13. A real Nokia N95 has a UPC sticker on the side which contains a bar code, the serial number of the phone, and information on where the phone is made. There may also be a security hologram seal, and perhaps a warranty sticker. The boxes of fake N95s usually lack one or more of these stickers. Note that some fake N95s may be sold in original N95 boxes, so don't base your conclusions solely on the appearance of the box itself;

14. Lastly, and more importantly, fake N95s are sold a whole lot cheaper than the original. If the price is too good to be true, then it's probably a fake.

If any N95 you're eyeing has even one of these warning signs, chances are that it's a fake. Just walk away. To be on the safe side, make your purchase at an authorized Nokia dealer. Sure, it may be more expensive, but at least you're assured of getting the real thing.

Here's a YouTube video of a fake N95 which was offered for sale on eBay. By now in all likelihood some poor schmuck has shelled out his or her hard earned cash for this cheap imitation.

Buyer beware.

Note:

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