The government will be switching off fake (read china) mobile phones at the end of this month. People who suspect to be owning such gadgets have been advised to send an sms containing their IMEI number to 1555. To do this, just dial *#06#, and a 15 digit number will appear. Write it somewhere and send it to 1555. If your phone is original, you will receive a confirmation message containing your brand name and model number.
If yours is fake, you will be told.
For sometime now, there has been a misconception that just checking the IMEI number is enough to tell if your NOKLA is original. Far from it. The IMEI number is just the first step. However, there are the genuinely fake phones that display nothing when *#06# is dialled. If your’s falls in this category, you do not need any other confirmation. You were conned.
In case the verification process is slow or down, there is another simple way to determine if you are carrying a genuine phone in you pocket. Just place it against the following 10 golden rules and if any of them describes your device, then you are good to go… and get another one.
Translated to Swahili for a national audience.
1. kama simu yako inaanza ku charge ikiwa karibu na socket hata kabla uiweke kwa socket basi simu yako itazima…
2. Pia kama simu yako ina ringtone kubwa yenye lazima uikatie license ya NEMA, hiyo simu ni fake
na itazimwa.
3. Pia kama vibration yake ikiwa silent mode ni loud kuliko ringtone, wembe ni u le ule…
4. Kama imetengenezwa na chuma, ikikwangukia vidole zinafura siku tatu, tafadhali uzia watu wa welding kabla izimwe..
5. Kama camera imeandikwa 10 mega pixels na picha inatokea kama negative, uko tu nayo mpaka nxt wk..
6. Kama uliinunua ikiwa ya blue na saa hii huwezi jua ni rangi ipi itazimwa!
7. Kama iko kwa mfuko, ikivibrate unasongasonga, hio itazimwa!
8. Kama iko na 3G na TV na uliinunua Sh2499, ushaskia..
9. Kama simu haijamaliza miezi mbili na already uko battery ya tatu, hio haiachwi.
10. Kama simu ulinunua Sh 1,999, na ukapewa memory card ya 2GB, HIO ITAZIMWA !
© nairobiwire.com
