The Note 40 series is the latest Note series from Infinix Mobility. There are currently a total of 5 smartphones on this series; the vanilla Note 40, Note 40 Pro 4G, Note 40 Pro 5G, Note 40 Pro+, and the recently added Note 40 5G.
All of the above phones offer amazing hardware specifications at unbeatable price tags. They look good too, so if you’re thinking about buying a unit for yourself, then you are not alone!
But what about the issue of counterfeits? Fake gadgets, especially smartphones have been a growing concern in the tech industry, and they can be difficult to spot too, especially for folks with untrained eyes.
Talking about trained eyes, I am writing this article today to give you a guide on how to spot fake or counterfeit Infinix Note 40 series. This guide will equip you with the knowledge to identify a genuine Infinix Note 40 from a cleverly disguised imposter.
How to Identify Fake Infinix Note 40 Series
So how do you identify a fake or counterfeit Infinix Note 40? There are basically two approaches that I’d recommend. The first approach is what I will term “physical approach“, while the second approach will be “key specification approach“
Physical Looks Approach:
This approach requires knowing what the real and original Infinix Note 40 series looks like. So to use this approach, you’ll need to know what the original device look like in order to be able to identify the fake or counterfeit copy. Here are the arears to pay attention to:
1. Clear branding:
Infinix takes pride in its brand identity. Therefore, a genuine Infinix Note 40 device should have clear, crisp logos and markings etched consistently. The Infinix Note 40 has it logo perfectly printed at the back of the phone without any smudges or misspellings. The logo is INFINIX, and the brand name is Infinix, NOT Infinis or Infiniix or something.
It is important to also note that Note 40 or Infinx Note 40 is NOT THE SAME as Infinix Note 40. There are a lot of Note 40s on marketplace like Aliexpress, eBay, Amazon, Shopee, etc that are entirely different from the Infinix Note 40 series. Consider the image below.
2. Screen Notch Type
What is a notch in smartphone displays? A notch is a design feature on the display of modern smartphones, where a portion of the screen is cut out to accommodate front-facing components such as the camera, sensors, and earpiece.
The Infinix Note 40 series features a centrally placed punch-hole notch housing the selfie camera. So you need to ensure that the notch type on the device you are inspecting matches what is used on the Infinix Note 40 series. Counterfeit models may have a different notch design, just as shown in the image below.
3. Actual screen size and resolution
Verify the screen size and resolution very carefully. All the models in the Infinix Note 40 series comes with a 6.78-inches screen, and has Full-HD+ (1080 x 2460) pixels resolution. Measure the screen size diagonally and compare it with the official size and resolution mentioned above. Counterfeit units will often have lower resolutions diagonally spread across a smaller, or even larger screen size, just like the image below.
Key Specification Approach:
This approach requires knowing, to some extent, the actual specifications or key features of the Note 40 series.
As much as it is possible and within your powers, try getting yourself acquainted with phone specifications platforms like droidafrica.net or all mighty gsmarena.com to learn and know what the key features of any phone you are buying should be, before going ahead to buy it, especially if you are not shopping directly from certified outlet and dealers.
This will help you to know some of the key specs that your device (the Note 40 series in this case) should have. For example, and just as discussed above, knowing what the actual screen size is, will help you avoid buying a phone with either bigger or smaller screen, which is one of the key and easiest way to identify any fake device.
Here are some of the key specifications to focus on under this approach.
1. Battery capacity:
All models in the Infinix Note 40 series comes with a 5000mAh battery with either 33W, 45W or 70W depending on the specific variation you are buying. Check the battery specifications in the device settings or on the packaging of the very unit you are intending to purchase before you buy. Counterfeit devices often have lower battery capacities which translate to shorter battery life.
Please note that this and any other built-in specification can be easily and negatively manipulated. For this, ensure to the read the last part of this article to learn the simple method to dig out the actual specs.
2. Processing power
As stated before, there are a total of 5 smartphones variations in the Note 40 series, and varying MediaTek CPUs are used across the board. Some has the two 4G models (Note 40 4G and the Note 40 Pro 4G) has Helio G99 Ultimate gaming CPU, while the Note 40 5G, Note 40 Pro 5G, and the Note 40 Pro+ are powered by the Deminsity 7020 5G CPU respectively. Anything outside of these, as of when this article was written is fake.
3. Other key features
Other features to check include the camera setup and specifications (both front and back), presence and location of the fingerprint sensor (under display scanner is used across board), the specific Android version (Android 14 with XOS 14 is what we know), among others. Compare these features with what your phone offers to determine it originality.
The Final and Most Important Section (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!)
Note that some of the above features can be manipulated easily, especially if you are merely relying that what is written on the phone box. This is because, a dubious manufacturer could put any writeup on the box of the phone, or on the label that covers the screen, that is entirely different from the phone’s internal features.
Some can even go as far as altering the specifications and features that are listed in the About section under the phone setting.
So to overcome the above, you can download certain apps from the Google Play Store to check the actual built-in specifications of the phone.
Note: This application must be downloaded to the Note 40 itself to be able to access the actual built-in specifications. So you must ensure that your purchase supports full refund policy so that you can safely return the phone and easily get your money back without unnecessary stories incases where need be.
There are many apps on Google Play Store that you can use for this purpose, but one of the most reliable ones I’ve tested is DevCheck.
How to use DevCheck to identify the original specifications of any of the Note 40 series.
This is very simple to do. Just head over to Google play store, and search for DevCheck, or you can click here to download it.
When successfully installed, locate and launch the app. You’ll be immediately shown an overview screen showing you key specs and hardware that are built into your Note 40. You can then scroll to the right, or back left, to see details specifications of other segments of the phone like Display, Camera, Battery, Sensors, etc.
Compare these built-in specs with what is attainable on Infinix’s official website, or use trusted phone specification platforms like droidafrica.net, or gsmarena.com to ascertain the originality of your smartphone.
Conclusion
Following the steps outlined above to identifying a genuine Infinix Note 40 series phone. Remember, a little vigilance can go a long way in protecting your hard-earned cash. If you’re still unsure about a phone’s authenticity, it’s always best to err on the side of caution and avoid the purchase.
Best place to buy the Note 40 series will be either directly from the manufacturer, Infinix in this case, or a reliable offline store known for selling certified tech products, and with simplified return / refund policy.
