The Apple product AirPods are one of the most popular wireless earbuds in the electronic gadgets market, but they are also one of the most counterfeited products. Fake AirPods can look very similar to the real ones, but they often have very poor sound quality, battery backup, and Bluetooth connectivity. How can you tell or check if your AirPods are fake or not? In this blog post, we will show you how to tell or check if your AirPods are fake or not. Let’s see in detail.
1. See the Serial Number to Check If Your AirPods Are Fake or Not
The AirPods come packed in high-quality material. Printing on the box will be very clear without any smudges or blurriness with airtight plastic wrapping over it. Fake AirPods boxes have unclear printing and loose plastic wrapping.
In the box with the AirPods, there should be an instruction manual, safety sheet, warranty card, Lightning cable (or USB-C cable for the latest AirPods), and extra ear tips.
The Apple logo should be the same as on the Apple website. No misspellings or incorrect font sizes should be there.
Every pair of genuine AirPods has a unique serial number that you can find on the original packaging and box contents, the charging case, or in the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
You can also verify the serial number on Apple’s website to see if it matches your AirPods and warranty status. If the serial number is invalid, missing, or different on each device (apple device), you likely have fake AirPods.
2. See the Physical Aspects to Check If Your AirPods Are Fake or Not
Fake AirPods will be slightly different in size, weight, or color. To confirm more, open the charging case and check the printed serial number under the lid of the charging case. Match this serial number with the help of Apple’s website. Fake AirPods may not have serial numbers here.
The LED indicator light on the charging case behaves in a specific way (usually flashing when you open the case or charge the case). In the case of a fake, it behaves differently or inconsistently.
3. Check the sound quality and features
Genuine AirPods have excellent sound quality, noise cancellation, and spatial audio features. They also have sensors that detect when you take them out of your ears and pause the music automatically.
Fake AirPods may have poor sound quality, distorted audio, no noise cancellation or spatial audio, and no sensors. You can test these features by playing some music and videos on your Apple device and comparing them with another pair of genuine AirPods if you have one.
4. Check the connectivity and compatibility
Genuine AirPods will have a seamless Bluetooth connection with Apple devices, and they show up as “AirPods” on the Bluetooth menu. They also have a pop-up window that shows the battery level of each earbud and the case when you open the lid near your Apple device.
Fake AirPods will have frequent disconnections or limited Bluetooth range. It may have a different name on the Bluetooth menu (i12 or TWS), and they may not have a pop-up window that shows the battery level of each earbud and the case when you open the lid near your Apple device. They may also have compatibility issues with some apps or devices.
5. Check the price and seller
Genuine AirPods are sold by Apple or authorized resellers, and they have a standard price for AirPods. You can compare your preferred model with the official Apple website. Fake AirPods are often sold by third-party sellers on online platforms and they have a much lower price.
Note: Fake AirPods models do not work with Apple’s Find My feature. Fake AirPods models also do not support wireless charging.
Conclusion
These are some of the ways to check if your AirPods are fake or not. Point to remember that some fake AirPods may be very convincing and it is very difficult to distinguish them from the real ones. The best way to avoid buying fake AirPods is to buy them only from Apple or authorized resellers. Also, check the serial number before you use them.
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