There are many listings for Nokia N96 devices on eBay. On any given day there are about 100. Of these the 96 are legitimate. They have 5 megapixel cameras, A-GPS, 2.8 inch screen with 16 million color depth and are actually manufactured by Nokia.

There are a small number of  listings that are for counterfeits.

They have a Nokia name on them and that is all that is Nokia about them. These have 1.3 megapixel cameras, dual SIM slots, no GPS, a 3 inch screen with a 256K color depth, a touch screen or some combination of these non-standard features. Some honest sellers have taken to labeling these as CECT N96 phones. My hat is off to them for their truth in advertising. These CECT auctions almost always do not have Nokia branding on the device. Additional information about Nokia N96 specifications and how the fakes differ may be found at this guide. 

Here is the truth: ALL Nokia N96 have GPS.  If it doesn't have GPS it is a fake - report it to eBay.

Also, the N96-3, the US version, is made in China. Nokia makes them there.  So if a seller is saying this the "China version"  or it is "made in China so it doesn't support GPS or WiFi" they are either:

1. ignorant of it's unauthorised copy nature.
2. being deceptive about its unauthorised copy nature

I was taught to assume ignorance before malice so I will always take #1 until shown otherwise.

A check of the nokia.cn site, which is the Nokia site for the People's Republic of China, will reveal the specification for the genuine Chinese market Nokia.

The official Chinese Nokia N96 includes

• A-GPS,

• 5.0 megapixel camera,

• 2.8 inch screen with a 16 million color depth.

If someone is selling a device as a Nokia N96 and claims it does not have these features they are selling a counterfeit. They might not realize it, but they are.

Less specification oriented and more visually oriented tells are the keypads.

Presented here are genuine keypads. These illustrations are compiled from official Nokia documents.

Compare the "C" of the main keypad on the listing illustration, unless it is copied from Nokia's site, to the illustration from Nokia.
Also note the relative size of the word Nokia, the relative thickness of the nickel D ring as well as the Internet access button symbol.

If the media slide is shown note the difference between the smoothness of the buttons on the genuine
Nokia compared to the one offered in the listing. The thinness of the typeface used in "N96" is another
tell for the counterfeit. It is somewhat thicker in the counterfeit and thinner in the genuine as pictured here.

Note there are no lumps or bumps on these keys. Smooth all the way!    Here is the bogus N96 Note the earpiece,
                                                                                                              the button, the type. No slide rails are visible
                                                                                                              on the genuine Nokia N96, they are quite
                                                                                                              apparent with the imitation.

 There is a limit to the number of illustrations that may be added to a guide or many other examples would follow.

Another easy tell is the back cover logo.

Here the upper portion of the image is taken from an eBay auction. Note the thinness of the NOKIA
lettering and the spacing compared to the lower, genuine logo. The big difference is in the Nseries.
This lettering is way off position in relation to the  word NOKIA and is the wrong typeface. The
placement relative to the camera bezel is also way off. The bezel itself is not close to the appearance of
a genuine N96. But if you've not seen one you don't know. This is not always consistent. Some of the
fakes have gotten better at the lettering. The camera bezel remains a give-away.

Some examples have the legend "16 GB" on the camera side. This is also a fake device. Some have
a chrome looking "3". This is apparently the J96 being passed off as the N96.

The retail box is another place where the counterfeiters have not been able to meet standards.

• The box is made of cheap corrugated paperboard and the corrugations are clearly visible in the photos
• The image of the device on the box top is clearly too large compared to the rest of the retail boxes shown on eBay
• The image of the device on the box top is more than two pencil widths from the red line on the left side of the box top
• The inner surface of the box top is natural brown paperboard color, not finished in black (most) or white (some carrier special boxes)

It's Hard to Fake The S60 Operating System

When the seller shows screen shots of the device they are selling frequently you'll get a clue that something isn't correct.

• No SIM in the device generates "Off-line" next to signal strength rather the correct "Offline" message
• A "No Service" message next to the signal strength rather than T-Mobile, AT&T or other carrier. Sure sign it is a Tri-Band phone with an AT&T or Centennial SIM in it. N96 is a Quadband device and No Service is rare.
• The screen font doesn't look right. It is blockier and more difficult to read than the correct Nokia screen font
• In the menu several of the icon tags are incorrect "Messages" rather than "Messaging" for example.

They Prey On Your Lack Familiarity

The hucksters are counting on the fact you haven't had a chance to see one of these in person. I hope this guide has put a virtual N96 in your hand a little more closely. Five Benjamins is a lot of dough to drop on a phone even one as amazing as a genuine N96. To drop it on a CECT N96 pretending to be a Nokia would be a shame.

Progress and the Future

Since the third week of December, 2008 eBay has done a much better job of eliminating the bogus Nokia N96 auctions. Numerous sellers of them are "no longer a registered user" and most of the auctions have been removed permanently. Hopefully the buyers will get back their money. Some of these bogus items are now showing up used. The slick photos from the manufacturer's web sites aren't being used so it will be doubly important to watch carefully. The used auctions are most likely being listed in good faith with cut and paste Nokia specs. These will require careful inspection of the photos.

Nokia also take an interest in these auctions. In a communication from Nokia they state

"Nokia shares your concerns and has a dedicated team of legal specialists that monitor online auction sites on a daily basis.  

When an infringement of Nokia’s intellectual property rights is confirmed, then the appropriate legal action is taken including the closure of the auctions in question."

I thank the folks who have been kind enough to leave a vote. If you have additional information, corrections or comments please contact me.