Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Small Talk - Difference between AP, Original & Water Set for Mobile Phone





  


Most of us owned a mobile phones and most comes with warranty for at least 1 year. However, are we aware of the difference between the warranties given by each retailer? Today, I would like to share on whats the difference between an Original warranty, AP Warranty and Water Set.
Any questions so far? If yes, please comment on the post. If no, then we proceed.

There are many questions on what is it so important to make a right choice when buying a phone? Why would someone pay the extra few hundred dollars for the original set while some are willing to get an AP set at a lower price? Let's us go through some of the common questions asked.

Q1. The warranty between an Original Set and AP set are the same. So why should I pay extra for an Original set?
A1. While the duration of the warranty provided are the same, the terms and conditions would varies from one to another. Most original phones warranty covers LCD and accessories for 12 months while the AP only covers the phone for 12months to 24 months but the LCD are not covered. For the accessories, most would only cover for 6 months. For a Water Set, the seller might not even give you any warranty for the phone! 

Q2. Why is it so important to have original warranty? I still bring the phone to the shop I bought from should anything happens!
A2. We do not know what will happens in the future unless we can read it. If you are buying an AP set, any problems with the phone you will need to bring it back to the shop. If the shop closed down, then you can kiss your warranty good bye. On top of that, most AP set are being repaired by third party technicians. If they can't fix it, they will tell you a lot of stories that the damage is caused by you and warranty does not cover it! Again, kiss your warranty good bye.

Q3. Some local package does not come with additional accessories compared to those launched overseas. For example, local sets do not come with extra battery while some countries gives extra battery as part of the package. 
A3. While some AP sets comes with additional accessories, most are not. Some accessories might not even suits our country. For example, the charger. Due to different voltage and plugs in the world, the AP set you got might contains charger that has different pin than the standard one in Malaysia. 

Q4. What others problems i might face / experienced if I bought an AP set?
A4. For those who are lucky, then your phone will works as good as an Original set. But for those who are not, you might be getting a recond set instead of a new one. Some retailer brings in a used or refurbished phone and sell as a new set. This means you might be paying for a new phone but the fact is, the phone are a refurbish unit.

Knowing the difference of the different types of warranty, any questions? If not, let's proceeds.

Ok. Now I am willing to pay for the Original Set. But how do I know if the set is original?
There are many ways to differentiate an original phone over an AP set. The main one is the coverage of warranty. Ask the retailer and they will tell you. If not, just look at the warranty card. 

List of Authorised Dealer for Original Phones.

1. Apple - Apple International
2. HTC - SIS
3. Samsung - SME / FMG 
4. Nokia - Zitron / Avaxx
5. LG - Zitron
6. Sony Ericsson - Midlands / Thorus
7. Motorola - Brightstar / MDM
8. Blackerry - Brightstar 

There might be new appointed Authorised Dealer so you will need to check with the reseller.

Another way of identifying the warranty of the phone would be checking the IMEI. You are advised to check the IMEI on the phone against the box to ensure it match. Otherwise, demand for another unit! 

Lastly, you can compare the pricing of the phone. An original SME set Samsung Galaxy S3 are selling at around RM1950 - RM2199. If some one offers at RM1700 and below, you should suspects on the authenticity of the phone. 

Example of a AP warranty card


That's all for tonight. Again, if you have any questions or comments, please write it below.

31 comments:

  1. other than IMEi code, is there any other thing i can differentiate? like stick behind the phone or in the battery?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. the easiest is to look at the coverage of warranty. Refer to the authorised distributor list. For samsung, its the easiest to differentiate as all local set for Samsung are sticked with SME sticker.

      Delete
  2. is the camera of ap same v ori , and those component inside the phone between ori and ap are sames?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry for late reply. For clarification purposes, all AP and Original Sets are the same. Both set came from the same manufacturer.
      The difference between the 2 are:
      1. Coverage of warranty - Most brands provide local warranty except for Apple which offers worldwide warranty and Google Nexus 7 offers both local and international warranty.
      2. Packaging & Supplied accessories - Some brands have different accessories supplied in different countries
      3. 3G or LTE enabled - Market dependent. Some of the models launched came with LTE support while some might not.

      These are some of the main difference.

      Delete
  3. mintak izin untuk guna pakai segala ayat di atas kepada org lain , tq

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry lambat reply. kamu dibenarkan untuk menggunakan semua ayat tapi boleh kamu letak source http://guakalu.blogspot.com/ supaya pembaca boleh juga singgah di blog saya? Terima kasih,

      Delete
  4. helo there, how can i make sure that the ap sets is new one not from refurbished or 2nd hand one? is there anything to check on? Most of the seller (sabah) here sold AP sets,they said that the phone haven't been used before, can they be trusted?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, glad to hear you are from Sabah. In fact, I am too.

      Steps You can take on identifying original phones.
      1. Always buy from a reputable authorised reseller.
      2. Always make sure the security sticker are not torn. Request to open the box yourself. If they are genuine, then they should allowed you to do so.
      3. Check the imei on the phone with the imei on the box.
      4. Price should not difference too much from the RSP as original phone's margin are very small. (e.g. if the RSP for a SME set Galaxy S4 is RM2199, and the shop are selling at RM2000, then you have every right to ask them how come they sell so cheap. From there, you judge whether he is honest or not)

      Even if you decide to invest on AP Set, few questions you should consider asking.
      1. How long is the warranty? Most AP offered 2 years warranty and if you are planning to get one, why go for a 1 year Warranty?
      2. What are the warranty coverages for the accessories?

      Good luck shopping for your phone. Do visit our store at www.connect2u.my. We carries a variety of mobile phones & tablets accessories. We carry both Original and OEM version and we CLEARLY STATE Original or OEM. Thanks

      Delete
  5. sorry if it sounds stupid.. but if both the ori and AP set is from the same manufacturer.. why they produce AP set in the 1st place? AP might affect the sales of the ori set rite?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry for the late reply. Yes. Both Ori and AP set is from the same manufacturer. Original phone are the models sold on the intended market while AP are imported set from other markets. AP set are phones that are imported from other countries.
      For example, SME is the sole local distributor for Samsung phones in Malaysia. All the phones distributed by them will be called original set. Any samsung phones that doesn't bear the SME sticker will be considered an AP set and any damages on the phone will not be liable to any warranty by SME.

      Delete
  6. thank you for reading. Sorry about the bad grammar.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Can we sent AP set product to the Official Service Centre to be repair? Without we claim the insurance... It can or not? Means, we have to pay for the furthers service.. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Yes. you can send the AP set to Official Service centre for repair. But the price will be very steep.

      Delete
  8. hai..saya nak beli s2 tapi tinggal ap set je sebab orang kedai tu cakap samsung dah tak keluarkan lagi original set untuk s2.betul ke?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ya. Takde dah. Sebab terlalu lama dah model S2.

      Delete
  9. Hai...saya ingin bertanya....kita boleh cek ori sme or ap set for samsung by using *#0*# right...adakah benar kalau keluar gambar anjing chihuahua adalah ori sme and keluar gambar fon samsung adalah ap set?? Mohon pencerahan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Saya kurang pasti tentang ini sebab tak pernah cuba. Cari paling senang untuk pastikan sama ada ianya AP atau ori, hanya tengok warranty yang diberi.

      Ori - Warranty Card dari SME (Samsung Electronic Malaysia). Boleh pergi kemana mana pusat servis samsung di Malaysia.

      AP - Warranty Card selain SME. Hanya boleh claim warranty dari kedaii dimana phone itu dibeli.

      Delete
  10. Hi..how about Lenovo?
    could u give me the differences between Ap and Ori set?
    Who is the sole distributor ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi. For Lenovo u can look for Lenovo technology sdn bhd. The differences between ap n ori for Lenovo is the same as the other brands. Coverage of warranty being the main reason people rather pay to get ori set.
      There are a few distributors for Lenovo in Malaysia.

      Delete
  11. helo, saya nak tahu, saya pakai samsung note1.. tapi saya tak tahu samsung ne ori atau tak ori... kalau ikot kan no IMEI dia tengah2 tu no 04... ori ke tak ???? kawan ayah saya kata yg ne ori, tapi masalahnye sekarang saya nak hidupkan internet dalam phone samsung note1 pon tak boleh ????

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Helo, boleh saya tau itu warranty card masih ada? kalau ada, kamu boleh tengok warranty dari siapa? Kalau Samsung Malaysia Electronic (SME), ori la... kalau bukan, maksudnya AP dah.

      Delete
    2. ouh yeke, okayokay nnti i tengok balik

      Delete
  12. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi,

    Nak tanya regarding phone lenovo..
    Most people cakap lenovo phone x bagus sbb bateri die cepat panas..it is sbb phone tu ap set?or original punya pown sama?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi i would like to know is ap phone very different or the same from ori.and what is the ^kekurangan^ from the ori

    ReplyDelete
  15. sy nak tau adakah semua phone samsung mempunyai no IMEI sebanyak 15 digit. sy check phone sy ada 17 digit ? mohon pencerahan. tq

    ReplyDelete
  16. This is an informative post review. I am so pleased to get this post article. I was looking forward to get such a post which is very helpful to us. A big thank for posting this article in this website. I am also shareing new branded smart phone like :-Refurbished Samsung Galaxy Tabs

    ReplyDelete
  17. Is the AP set, legally sell? Coz, I heard no taxes for AP set.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I would like to know the Samsung note 4 (Ori) price in Malaysia.....

    ReplyDelete
  19. Refurbished Phones from USA from usa have been repaired and restored to like-new condition. All parts and accessories that would have been included with the original product are present, and our thorough inspection process ensures that the product is clean and in working condition.

    ReplyDelete