Back in 2008, there was a big hue and cry over the arrival of unbranded Chinese handset in India. These phones, most of which did not have valid IMEI numbers were banned by the government. However, like most “bans”, in India, it was questionable as to how strictly this one was implemented. With IMEI numbers becoming mandatory for phones to be allowed on to a network, people have found easy ways to fudge IMEI numbers and hop on to a network even on a phone that did not have a valid IMEI.
Anyway, the reason why we are talking about Chinese phones now is because of an unfortunate incident that ended up in the death of a 25 year old. The young man, owner of a Chinese phone was electrocuted when he tried to use his phone whilst it was being charged. The incident happened in the Panchmahal district of Gujarat.
Back in 2008, the major reason for the banning of these handsets was due to security concerns. However, what most of us forget is also the kind of non-existent quality control over these handsets. Most of these phones have much higher SAR levels than internationally permitted norms. As made evident by this issue, they could also pose danger to your lives.
Anyway, as the case always is in India, it takes a tragedy for officials to open their eyes and do something concrete to prevent mishaps like this from happening. At a time when even phones from reputed brands have been reported to have exploded, how can you trust an unbranded Chinese phone?
Got an unbranded, Chinese handset? Well, all I can say is, Stay safe!
