Vox Populi: Chinese Handsets Get the Boot

Vox Populi: Chinese Handsets Get the Boot

Rahul Srinivas, Dec 24, 2008 1646 hrs IST

Is it wise to spend money on devices that don't provide a contact number to call when something goes seriously wrong?

Two days ago, Techtree carried a story indicating that cellular operators plan to legalize the countless illegal Chinese handsets that are freely available in the country.

The response to the story has been tremendous with many people voicing their opinions on what they think should be done - ban these phones completely or legalize them by the means of a "software update" the cellular companies are reportedly working on.

While we've had many responses from our readers, the overall sentiment is clear. Over 80% of the people who voted think cheap, unbranded, and more importantly, illegal Chinese handsets should get the boot. The main reason for the sudden interest in these unbranded Chinese handsets is the allegation that such handsets were used by terrorists to make untraceable calls, thanks to the lack of IMEI numbers on these devices.

A pertinent question is, was it appropriate to allow the sale of these handsets in the country in the first place?

Mobile phones are powerful devices. Leading companies put a lot of effort and money into research and development to bring you a phone that would not only be reliable in the long run, but also conforms to all safety norms, and meets the Specific absorption Rate (SAR) levels prescribed by governmental agencies across the world.

It is unfortunate that in spite of being the second largest market, after China, for mobile phones in the world, India does not mandate that manufacturers declare the SAR level of a product prior to a launch. Handsets manufactured for international markets normally do pass SAR levels certified by other countries that might have a regulation in place - resulting in a safer deal if you go for "branded" handsets.

This does not however hold true for unbranded Chinese phones.

Think about it. Apart from being unsafe for you, the end user, they also end up affecting the country's coffers as custom duties or taxes due on the handsets are not paid by the importers. Siva, a Techtree reader from Hyderabad, says, "We need to ban them. First, they are a big threat to the society. Next, they are also illegally imported into the country, making huge profits by skipping custom duties and so on. It's a big loss to our economy as well."

He goes on to add, "I would like to see a ban on most of the goods illegally imported from especially China. China is that kind of a country which would like to unsettle the economy of our country." May be it's stretching things a bit; however, he does have a valid point. A fellow reader Druid seems to share his view. Druid says, "Definitely, not just phones -- ban all Chinese products which are half assed and of a poor quality anyway. If not IMEI, it's something else they are lacking."

Another reader, Gokul, seems to be dead against these phones. Listen to what he has to say, "Our government has made the right decision. I am using a device, which is imported and was brought into the country without customs clearance, is illegal, even though it's "value for money." Well, the question is 'do you want to buy a genuine cell phone for the right price or a good-looking paper weight?' Knowing the cell phone which was misused is better than NOT KNOWING it at all , and then , all calls which were made with this cell phone and their locations can be traced in case of an investigation. But who will make sure that the so called 'software update' is not hacked into..., which will be even more troublesome to manage.

The best way is to shut it down. I am sure nobody would want to lose their hard-earned money twice by buying bad, cheap, copy-cat phones again." Makes sense doesn't it?

Gokul Prashant from Bangalore too has a similar opinion. He does add an interesting fact at the end of his comment when he says, "Who told you Chinese cell phones are cheap? Low end branded phones (Nokia, Spice, Motorola, etc.) cost around Rs. 1000 in any store and come with a one year warranty. Let me know if Chinese phones cost lower than this. In addition, Chinese phones are really unreliable with no spares available."

Point taken Prashant, but you carefully chose to ignore the underlying issue. Sure, you get many branded handsets in the 1000-2000 price range; however, here's the catch. By shelling out a few more thousands, users can get "feature packed," touch-screen enabled, wannabe home theater challengers from China! Now, who wouldn't mind shelling out more for something that by the looks of it seems to offer so much more than the plain-Jane handsets you get for around Rs. 2000? That, my friend is the problem.

There are counter-points too however. A reader from Mumbai who seems to be in favor of Chinese phones quipped, "Obviously it should be allowed. It's value for money. I am sure the Indian government and mobile manufacturers will not think about middle class people. Once Chinese mobiles are banned, the mobile manufacturers' (in India) sale would increase drastically and the government would also get benefited by the taxes."

Only 15% of the voters thought that these phones should continue to be sold in India; the main reason obviously being value for money.

Another reader, Gyanendra from Rudrapur, says, "No these handsets should not be banned, but they should be legalized as they are being used by a large number of people in India."

Others seem to be concerned about IMEI spoofing issue and have questioned the rationale behind the decision to ban these devices for the sake of national security. They claim that IMEI spoofing is possible even with branded handsets, so why single out Chinese handsets or blame them?

Nitin from Sunnyvale seems to share the same opinion. He says, "If they (the operators) can create IMEI using a software, then who is preventing terrorists from getting a similar software and creating some valid IMEIs on their phones? This will create more problems than a solution. Tomorrow, all of a sudden, you will see police knocking at your door, because some terrorist somewhere has created IMEI using this software, and unfortunately it's the same as the IMEI on your phone. Rather than enforcing something on the cell phone using some stupid software, enforce things on SIM card, which can truly be traced to its real owner."

A valid comment indeed!

Only 5% of the readers who voted seem to be actually using one of these Chinese handsets. The large number of responses we received does indicate an increased awareness amongst the users to take a stand against the invasion of spurious Chinese phones.

While we at Techtree are all for cheaper and value-for-money devices, the very fact that these handsets have little or no safety norms in place makes us think if it really is "value-for-money" as many claim. True, it is feature-packed and does not cost the earth, and most probably, it might even work fine throughout its lifetime. However, should we be actually spending money on these devices, which do not provide us a contact number to call in case something goes seriously wrong?

Who would be held accountable, God forbid, if something serious happens? You, the buyer, or the Government who did not ban the phone?

It's not just about people from the middle class and low income groups enjoying high-end features in phones at low-end prices. It's about personal and national security now. Like as one of the responses said, "Tough times call for tough measures," it's time something concrete happens on this front very soon. Whatever the decision be, it should be made keeping in mind the security of the citizens.

Vox Populi: Chinese Handsets Get the Boot

Is it wise to spend money on devices that don't provide a contact number to call when something goes seriously wrong?

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