What is IMEI?

IMEI stands for International Mobile Equipment Identifier and is the number every single mobile telephone is given, in factory, to be identified by.

IMEI uniquely identifies the mobile phone in a GSM net. This means that if a mobile phone is stolen, it could be block for futher use in all GSM nets, but only if every single GSM net system contains routines for checking the IMEI number against a cntral blocking register. Almost all European GSM net operators fullfill these demands.

In some mobile phone you can change IMEI. Avoid these and try to influense retailers and manufacturers to make more secure IMEI numbers.

Everyone gains, except the criminals, on a functioning IMEI numbering system.

The IMEI number is most often found behing the battery.
With *#06# you can often retrieve the IMEI number from the phone
Here comes some help to interpret the meaning of the IMEI number:
for example 446620404196340 is to be devided ito for groups of figures
446620 ---- 40 ---- 419634 ---- 0
446620 is the TAC (Type Approval Code) the two first figures is the code for the approving country.
40 is the FAC (Final Assembly Code)
--- 01,02 ---- AEG
--- 07,40 ---- Motorola
--- 10,20----- Nokia
--- 41,44 ---- Siemens
--- 51 ------- Sony, Siemens, Ericsson
419634 is the serial number
0 is just an additional figures, most often set to 0