Is there any way to check the phone before buying a new device My friend is buying xperia Z1. The actual price of the phone is around 40000 INR but he is getting it around 25000 INR. It has 1 year seller warranty with all accessories.He said the phone is imported. I dont understand why the price is so low. 

The software bug can be fixed. But I am concerned about the hardware issues. Any idea on how to check whether the chipsets were original. 

I planned to run a benchmark tool after he gets the phone. Also to check the service menu. Any other ideas to check?

Also I have the doubt on benchmark tool. Will it read the hardware correctly or it just read the phone name and based on it, it will produce the specs from the database?

What i fear is the clone models. I heard about them but I didnt get any chance to see them. Is it difficult to separate clone from the original.

Thanks in advance.
To start with, I don't think it's possible to somehow change chip on a phone. It would stop working because of incompatible drivers.

Price of the imported phone can be lower, for example Nexus devices are 1/2 more expensive in my country than in the US and it could be used too. Anyways you should check, if it'll work on your carrier if it's imported.

Finally, there are many benchmarks to choose from. I suggest using AnTuTu. It's been here a long time and is still one of the best. It really tests your device, cause I've used it on different ROMs on one device and I had different results.