International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) is a 15-digit unique number assigned to every GSM phone – CDMA devices have a MEID number. IMEI is a unique number for identifying a device on a mobile network. Most of the time we ignore IMEI number because we don’t need to remember it because it is of no use to us on daily life, but it comes in handy when your GSM phone gets lost or stolen.
The carrier can blacklist a device based on its IMEI number and contact other carriers to do the same. This means the phone won’t be able to make/receive calls or connect to the internet using a cellular network.
IMEI number has a lot of benefits if you are planning to buy a used phone.
IMEI number can be used to find the status of the used phone. You can check whether the phone you’re interested in has been reported for lost or is blacklisted by the carriers.
Facts about IMEI
- IMEI number can revel loads of other details about a phone, like brand, model, year or release, hardware details and many more.
- You can find the IMEI number on any phone using *#06#. It is a universal code for every phone.
- IMEI number is assigned by the manufacturer, which is unique and it never changes. It is a myth that IMEI number cannot be changed, IMEI number can be changed but doing so can land you in jail in some countries. Changing the IMEI number is illegal.
The seventh and eighth digits of the IMEI number reveals a lot about the phone you are using.
- 02 or 20 in seventh and eighth place indicates that your phone is assembled in Emirates. The quality of this phone is very low. This combination can be found on some Indian sets.
- 08 or 80 in seventh and eighth place indicates that the phone is manufactured in Germany. The quality is fair.
- 01 or 10 in seventh and eighth place indicates that the phone is manufactured in Finland. The quality is high.
- 00 in seventh and eighth place indicates that the phone is manufactured in Original Factory. The quality of the phone is best.
- 03/30 or 04/40 in seventh and eighth place indicates that the phone is manufactured in China, but the quality is good. The quality is not as good as 00, 01 or 10.
