[Touch Diamond2, Pure General] Shoofty:
Genuine or Non-genuine: How to tell.

ABOUT THE BOX & ITS CONTENTS

The non-genuine packing box is approximately 1 centimeter thinner because it does not contain the User Manual. Presumably it is too expensive for the producers of counterfeit phones to produce the 232 page User Manual. (see below)

There must be a serial number sticker on the base of the box and a number of duplicate stickers within the box. These are generally omitted with counterfeit phones.

The box should but does usually not contain the following:-

The HTC Care pamphlet.

An individual Microsoft Windows 6 License number affixed to a small sheet of paper with instructions for synchronizing the phone.

The HTC multi-language Warranty Statement.

The HTC Smart Accessories Smart performance pamphlet.

Screen protector pack (2 sheets)

Spare stylus (1 or 3 pack).

Leather phone pocket or case.

Two FULL SIZED genuine HTC CDs.

A 232 page User Manual.

The Getting started booklet. For T5353 models this is normally written in English. I do not know about other models.

A genuine earphone/headset. On a genuine HTC headset, the moulding extends beyond the earplug in a short square spur. The non-genuine earphones moulding is rounded at the point where the housing joins the round earplug.

A genuine phone wall charger in two parts. The genuine charger is a long rectangular base unit designed to accept the smaller adapter supplied which has the appropriate pins for connection to the supply in the destination country. The non-genuine charger is usually a cheap one piece charger.

ON THE PHONE ITSELF:

Writing near the camera on back of the genuine phone is silver grey, but on the non-genuine phone is white.

The front camera of the non-genuine phone is set approximately 2mm lower and 1mm further to the right than on the genuine phone.

The letters hTC just to the left of the speaker is slightly larger on the non-genuine phone than on the genuine phone.

On the side of the phone to one side of the volume control are the words hTC INNOVATION. On the genuine phone these words appear in fine silver grey lettering. On the counterfeit phone the lettering is smaller and it is black.

On the top of the phone the symbol for the on/off switch is also much less clearly defined, the switch button is shorter on the counterfeit phone and as with the volume control button, it is glossy chrome rather than self coloured as on the genuine phone.

On the base of the phone, the counterfeit phone has a smaller USB symbol, a significantly larger “dot” and a larger and more blocky earphone symbol.

The symbols on control keys for the genuine phone are fine and clear. Those on the non-genuine phone are less well defined and slightly more blocky.

The "Home" symbol, below the end key is considerably more blocky and less well defined on the counterfeit phone.

The tail on the "+" sign for the image enlarger, immediately below the screen, points slightly more to the vertical on the counterfeit phone than it does on the genuine phone.

PERFORMANCE MATTERS THAT REQUIRE INITIALIZATION OF THE PHONE

Camera on the non-genuine phone is usually a low quality camera which does not take 5MP images.

The Photo Zoom area below the screen usually does not zoom images and often zooms the volume instead.

None of the phones I have tested could be hard reset.

The counterfeit phone generally cannot be upgraded to Windows 6.5 because (a) the serial number is not valid which prevents downloading of the required ROM flash from HTC and/or

(b) the phone cannot be flashed with the necessary updated ROM. This may be because the phone cannot be hard reset, a requirement for the ROM flashing process, but even in the rare event that a hard reset is possible the upgrade usually fails for other reasons.

PLEASE NOTE THIS IS NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST.