How to distinguish the original AirPods from fakes?

When Apple released AirPods in 2016, their price tag of 13 thousand rubles ($159 in the US) seemed incredible. Time is running,

but AirPods not only do not fall in price - demand forThey are so high that they are often not available for sale in Russian stores. It is not surprising that many are looking for a way to save at least a couple of thousand - and end up stumbling upon a fake.

In collaboration with the Apple hardware storeiPhonePiterWe have prepared instructions for you on how to distinguish real AirPods from fake ones. Because the chance that the new AirPods for 9 thousand rubles are not original is higher than we would like.

Visual differences of the original and fake

The difference in size between the original (right) and a typical fake (left).

No matter how hard the Chinese try, most of the fakes are pretty easy to pretend if you have ever held the original in your hands. The most common mistakes of unauthorized manufacturers:

  1. The size of the headphones themselves is larger than the original. Accordingly, fakes stay in your ears worse and fall out easily - especially if you have miniature ears.
  2. There is no Apple logo on the box and charging case.
  3. The case has a micro USB or USB-C connector instead of Lightning.
  4. On the case of the headphones there are physical buttons (used to synchronize with a smartphone and control playback).
  5. The instructions that come in the box with the fake headphones may contain grammatical errors.

Hidden differences

If the previous features of fakes are immediately noticeable, then some differences can be identified only in the process of use:

  1. Due to the lack of an Apple W1 chip, counterfeits cannot instantly connect to an iPhone - which means you have to go into the Bluetooth settings menu.
  2. Headphones are connected to the smartphone once, or are disconnected spontaneously (may also indicate that you have a defective original).
  3. Problems with the built-in microphone (poor noise reduction, poor sound quality).
  4. Some fake AirPods have LED indicators in the headphones themselves. They are not noticeable in bright light, but in the dark you will see that the headphones from time to time glow red and blue.
  5. Sound quality (if someone you know hasthe original, you can compare how the same track sounds). Expensive fakes, as a rule, do not sin with disgusting sound quality, but the difference in tuning the bass and treble can bring the Chinese to the clear water.

Important: the fact that the headphones connect to an Android smartphone or tablet is completelydoes not speakthat this is a fake.AirPods sync via Bluetooth with all devices that support this technology (including computers running Windows 10). However, some functions (for example, Siri support, playback through one earphone and stopping the track when you remove the earphone from your ear) are only available when connected to iOS devices.

Important 2: the most advanced fakes have only one difference from the original: the absence of the W1 chip. Therefore, the first point in this case is the only way to say for sure that this is a fake.

What to expect from fake AirPods

Any company that carefully builds itsreputation and has weight in the market, obviously will not copy AirPods (and if it suddenly does this, it will quickly leave the market after Apple sues it). So, if you deliberately decide to buy fake AirPods to save money, then in most cases they will be from a Chinese manufacturer with a dubious reputation – You can’t count on the level of Huawei, Xiaomi and Meizu here. This affects, first of all, the sound quality, but in some cases it also affects the materials.

Also expect many compromises inquality and functionality. There is often no battery in the fake charging case, so you’ll have to put the headphones in the case and plug it into a power outlet (using a micro USB cable, not Lightning). At the same time, the headphones themselves will not start charging automatically as soon as you put them in the case - to do this, you also need to press the charge button.

The vast majority of fakes do notaccelerometer or proximity sensor, so they can not determine whether they are in the ears or not. On the legs there are buttons that you need to press to stop playback or switch the track. Without a proximity sensor, they cannot automatically stop playback when you pull out one earpiece, and turn on the music back when you insert it again. Naturally, the fakes also do not support instant configuration and sync via iCloud with your other Apple devices - which is what the AirPods do without problems.

Are the fakes bad?

When you're deliberately looking for a $ 20-30 fake and notexpect a lot from them - for example, if a child asks for AirPods, and you know that he will lose them in a month, - it’s worth a try: Aliexpress, eBay and other sites are full of all kinds of copies. Remember only that often different sellers offer absolutely identical headphones with a different price tag and description. The best strategy here is to look for a model with a large number of orders and plausible-looking reviews.

If you tried AirPods, they are for youliked, but you do not want to pay the full price, in most cases you will be disappointed by buying a fake and hoping for a similar quality. At the same time, due to the visual differences between the fakes — especially their size — anyone who has seen AirPods, it will be obvious that something is wrong with your headphones.

Finally, the worst case scenario - if you are tryingsave on AirPods, purchased a fake, which was positioned as the original. In such a situation, your only opportunity is to try to return the headphones and get the money back.

Buying Tips for AirPods

If you buy headphones from a physical storeor from your hands, then you have a chance to at least visually evaluate the device before purchasing. Also check the terms of the warranty to ensure that you can fully inspect the home and return it if it is tampered with.