How to spot a fake Xiaomi Power Bank

Xiaomi Power Bank

 There have been numerous reports of retailers - online as well as physical stores selling counterfeit Xiaomi power banks. The Mi power banks are in great demand due to their low price compared to competitor devices. The fake Mi power banks look exactly as the original ones, and obviously don't deliver on the quality. We will guide you on how to identify a fake Xiaomi power bank.

It is not easy to differentiate between a genuine and a fake Xiaomi power bank, but the following checks will ensure you don't end up with a counterfeit product:

1. [Only for China] Original Mi Power banks sold in China come with a sticker that reveals a 20-digit code upon scratching. You can use this code and verify the authenticity of the device through the Xiaomi website. However, power banks sold outside China don't have this sticker.

2. Colors on the USB cable:
     The microUSB cable provided with the original Mi power bank does not have any Mi branding. If you see one with "Mi" printed on it, it is definitely a fake. The original one also has a black interior in the port, as shown in the image. Most fake ones have a white interior.

3. Pass-Through charging
     Genuine Mi power banks support pass-through charging, i.e., you can charge your mobile device while the power bank itself is being charged. This test holds true when charging the power bank using the original charger and not with low-amperage chargers such as PC USB ports. Fake Mi power banks when plugged in will not be able to charge a mobile device.

4. Color of the USB port
     In genuine Mi power banks, the front visible part of both the microUSB and standard USB ports have a rice white color. Most of the fake Mi power banks have a milk white color on both the USB ports.

5. Print at the bottom
     Genuine Mi power banks have a printing at the bottom which is light grey and clear. It is also textured and can be felt by moving fingers over it. Fake ones usually have a darker print which is not textured.

6. LED lights
     On original Mi power banks,  holding the power button while charging will turn of all the LEDs and they light up when the button is released. Fake ones do not show this effect.

7. Branding on the USB port
     Genuine Mi power banks possess a tiny Mi logo on the chasis of the standard USB port as shown in the image. Fake devices do not carry such branding.
P.S. This branding is missing on the newer 16,000 mAh variant

8. There is no 20,800 mAh version
     Xiaomi power banks are available in three capacity variants - 5200, 10400 and 16000 mAh. However, some sellers seem to be stocking Mi power banks with 20,800 mAh capacity. These certainly are fake.

You can make use of the above points to identify whether your Mi power bank is genuine or not.
Have you come across fake Xiaomi power banks? Let us know your experience.

Check out our hands-on video review of the Xiaomi Mi4.

Source : MIUI forums