So you just got your brand new phone, but is yours an ORI or AP set? And do you know how to check if it’s a legitimate product with proper certification by SIRIM? It sounds a bit complicated for those who are fresh in these terms, but no worries, that’s why we have this article to help you to determine if your phone has gone through proper certification or not.
#1 Download the Check Your Label app
First, download the “Check Your Label” app for free from either the Google Play Store or Apple Store. After you’re done downloading, you can go straight to IMEI and tap on “Check My IMEI”.
Check Your Label app at Google Play Store
The main page of the app (iPhone's version on the left, Android's version on the right)
#2 Check if it's certified
From here, there can only be two scenarios - either it shows your the certification by SIRIM or a warning saying your product may not be safe. If your phone has a warning label, it doesn’t mean it’s not safe to use or something.
We can pretty much assume 99.99% of AP smartphones usually won’t have any SIRIM certification, as we have tested a few AP phones with no results found while the original sets are alright.
Apple certified page after checking IMEI
Android's page after checking IMEI certification
Uh oh, not certified
What's the difference between ORI and AP set?
Ideally, all smartphones should be registered and certified by SIRIM, but because of time constraints and saving costs most AP sets get bypassed. This is why AP sets are usually cheaper than original sets, but then again, this gives the retailers the freedom on what the pricing should be. There are also risks of getting one as opposed to ORI sets (only some, not all). For one, you probably have no way of knowing if the device is brand new or refurbished models that look “new”.
Region lock is also possible as the device cannot be used with certain telco carriers, also claiming warranty might be a hassle even if the local distributors have their own versions (which is usually 12 months), whereas ORI warranty is by the local manufacturer or the official brandname Malaysia warranty. It’s also important to note AP sets aren't always destined to “die” after a few months (lol).
By the way, if you got your smartphone from our local telcos (Digi, Maxis, Celcom, U Mobile), or official stores like Samsung, Huawei, etc. It’s very likely that the products are original sets, but it’s not impossible. So better be safe than sorry and check using the method above.
So there you have it, is your device an ORI or AP set? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more geeky articles at TechNave.com.
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