What is Cloning? Can my Mobile get Cloned?

what is cloning? Can my mobile phone get cloned?

What Is Mobile Phone Cloning?

The  term cloning refers to the placing of a computer chip into a mobile phone with the purpose of permitting modification of the handsets electronic serial number (ESN). This clone may be directly to the phone or, today more commonly via the mobile phones SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module).

The ESN is used by the Cellular Network to verify that the caller is the legitimate owner of the phone and will pay the cost of the call.

The cloning procedure may also involve modification of the MIN (mobile identification number) implying the clear purpose of placing fraudulent calls at the expense of the legitimate owner of that MIN.

In simple terms if someone has a cloned replica of your cell phone then YOUR Network Provider will be sending YOU a bill for calls placed by BOTH handsets!

Is Mobile Phone Cloning Common?

Evidence indicates that CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) wireless networks, like Verizon and Sprint in the USA or Telus  and Bell in Canada, are at greater risk of  cloning than GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) networks. AT&T, Vodafone, Orange, O2, Three and T-Mobile are all GSM networks.

However, as GSM phones do not have an ESN or MIN number, but instead have an IMEI number (International Mobile Equipment Identity) it is not the phones internal data that is at risk of getting cloned but the SIM card containing the IMEI.

To answer the question, to clone a mobile phone offers only a limited and probably brief benefit as all mobile phones contain a radio fingerprint within its transmission signal and despite compromising of the  ESN or MIN the Cellular Networks have developed methods that search for discrepancies.

How To Clone a Cellular Phone?

With phone technology changing at lightening speed the procedure to clone a phone will be constantly modified. Currently about 75% of existing SIMs are at risk and cloning a SIM card involves the use of a wafer thin SIM card (wafer card) that can be programmed to replicate the algorithm of the target SIM .

The programming of the clone SIM involves sophisticated but readily available equipment and software that can be purchased over the internet or, in some countries, over the counter. Instructions on Clone Mobile Phone SIM can be found on Google and protestations of “Do Not Use This Information For Illegal Purposes” are laughable.

Clone Phones For Sale

The internet is awash with offers of  Buy Clone Phones, Clone Mobile Phones, HTC Clone Phone, BlackBerry Clone Phone (to name just two manufacturers). Some offers are scams, others quite legitimate.

Here at UnlockWorldwide.com we have nothing to do with cloned phones. Only ice cream clones. Cloning has nothing to do with unlocking. Unlocking is a legitimately legal procedure that already comes built into a mobile phone’s OS (operating system) by the manufacturer. Unlocking is safe and when done by code will never void the cellphone warranty, as it in no way touches or changes the phone’s firmware.

Can A Cloned Phone Be Legitimate?

Yes a cloned phone can be legitimate. Many businesses provide mobile phones to employees and it is not in their interest that the employee use that phone for personal use. Hence many people travel and work with two phones; often at great inconvenience.

Secondly, some developing nations are served by Networks that operate only in limited geographic areas; think of it as the market being divided up by regional monopolies. Roaming is as inconvenient or expensive as moving from Continent to Continent.

The solution of two mobile phones to resolve carrier issues obliges the distribution of two numbers to clients or friends and no guarantee that the caller will dial the right one. Hence a  demand for a single number (MIN).

In fact , to avoid the need to clone a cell phone some countries are already offering mobile phones that incorporate two SIM (within China even three).

Dual SIM Mobile Phones

As early as the year 2000 dual SIM phones were sold in Finland by Benefon. More recently the technology has been improved to offer active dual SIM where both SIM are active at the same time. In fact AKAI are now offering the TRIO in some markets, with triple SIM slots.

While the close relationship between cellular phone manufacturers and the major network operators has delayed marketing this benefit in developed nations, both Nokia and Samsung have begun to offer dual SIM in developing countries.  The demand for Dual SIM convenience is likely to become available in the near future but currently at the cost of reduced battery life.


Cloning Mobile Phones has a thin veil of legitimacy that is exploited by some genuine enthusiasts (geeks) who strive to improve their devices. But cloning is more widely used to scam genuine subscribers and network providers.