THEY may look just like the real thing, right down to the packaging .

But there are signs that prospective handphone buyers can look out for to avoid being duped into buying imitations.

Mr Wilfred Chong, the owner of Mobile Square, a handphone retailer in Far East Plaza, said the differences between original and fake handphones can be difficult to spot at a glance.

He said: "We can usually only tell a phone is a fake when it is switched on. The software interface on a fake is usually quite different from that of an original.

"The resolution is poorer, and the ringtones may not sound so refined. It takes an experienced buyer to spot a fake."

He said fake phones are sold without manufacturers' warranties and sometimes come in packaging that's different from the originals.

They usually sell for between $100 and $200 for handsets alone.

Many of the fakes on the market, he said, are copies of various Nokia models and the popular Apple iPhone.

Another handphone shop owner, who runs a shop in Pearl's Centre, said fake handphones are difficult to identify superficially.