The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Buy Chinese mobiles at your peril

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Tuesday, Jun 16, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Buy Chinese mobiles at your peril

Abhijit Dev Kumar

Gullible buyers are falling for cheap mobiles that offer a lot of features

One person died recently when the mobile exploded in his pocket
Chinese mobiles not integrated with the mandatory 15-digit IMEI number

FILE PHOTO

ARE THEY SAFE?: Cheap Chinese mobiles have flooded the market.

HYDERABAD: Want an iPhone for Rs. 4,500? If not, then you can grab a touch screen phone for a measly Rs. 2,500. You could buy an iPhone for that price and flaunt the double. Yet, these Chinese made imitations that have, off late caught the public imagination and storming the mobile markets, do not guarantee safety and quality.

They come with a lot of features for less price compared to branded mobiles.

Starting from Rs. 2,500, some even give the users an option to view live TV streaming. This is making the gullible fall for them. However, accidents with such handsets are endangering the users.

In a recent incident, a mobile phone explosion snuffed out the life of a 23-year-old construction worker in Ranga Reddy district. Mohammed Nizamuddin, hailing from Bihar, was charging his phone kept in his pocket while listening to music. A few minutes later, the handset exploded leading to grievous injuries to the lower portion of his body.

The tragic incident has raised a question on the safety of such handsets. Though traders vouch for the safety of such mobiles, buyers, especially those who are aware about the ill-effects of such handsets, don’t mind shelling more and get the branded ones.

Poor safety norms

“Handsets like these are assembled and do not adhere to safety norms. I wouldn’t want to take the risk of owning a mobile that could go off while charging,” says Sushant Kumar, a student.

Sometime ago, the police raided shops in several areas in the capital selling Chinese mobiles because the phones were not integrated with a 15-digit International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number -- a feature made mandatory for every phone maker.

But the scenario has changed today. ‘Buy one Chinese mobile and get a 2 GB memory card free’, screams a banner dangling from a shop in Jagdish market. “Now they come with an IMEI number,” says Aleem, a salesman. And the sales have gone up too, they claim.

Imitations

Dual SIM card slots, MP3, touch screens, video and audio recording, what not! Some phones are imitations of the existing Nokia and Sony Ericsson models and a few look as fabulous as the BlackBerry itself.

It’s the features that have traders selling them like hot cakes, guaranteeing a six month warranty and repair service too.

“It’s cheap and comes with so many features. I would have paid ten times more if I decided to get a branded mobile,” says R. Vishal, a student.

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