Method 1: Verification by the serial number
The most reliable and at the same time, a very easy to obtain proof of the originality of the Airpods is their serial number, which is indicated on the box and the inner side of the charging case cover (above the right earphone). And if this kind of entry on the package is fairly easy to fake, then it is extremely difficult to do this on the case, although some manufacturers are managed.
- Find and write down the headphones serial number, then go to the link below.
- "Enter the serial number",
Then below "Enter the code" from the picture and click on the "Continue" button.
- If the airpods are original, information will be shown on the correspondence of the date of their purchase, the term of technical support by telephone (active or expired), as well as the right to repair and service.
If the scan result will look something like that, as shown in one of the following two images,
Headphones are most likely unoriginal and fake.
Whatever of the above results you did not receive, it does not give 100% confidence in authenticity or, on the contrary, the fake Airpods. There is also a very small, but still the likelihood that, for example, the serial was correctly and efficiently copied from the original or that the box and / or charging case are original or high-quality replica, and the headphones in them are fake.
Method 2: External Signs Check
In order to understand whether the Wireless accessory belonging to the Wireless accessory from Apple fake is extremely desirable to have original airpods at hand to visually evaluate all the differences, if any will be detected. Alternatively, you can use photos, but here you need to take into account such factors as the image quality, angle and the angle of lighting, because all this can give different kinds of distortion.
Note! If there are mechanical buttons and / or LEDs on the headphone housing, on the inside of the legs (rotated to the face when used) there is no alphabet L. and R. , There are other inscriptions / engraves other than printing on the inner, "leaving" part of the liner, is a fair fake, and quite low quality. For example, in the image below you can see that the accessory located on the left and its charger differs from the original even the size, not to mention missing or, on the contrary, the elements present.
Headphones
First of all, you should carefully examine the lattices of the speakers - in front and side of the liner, as well as on the leg of the headphones.
In the original Airpods, this component is visually practically distinguished, it is neatly hidden, the mesh itself is extremely small, with barely noticeable holes, and has a black color.
In the leg of real headphones, below, there must also be a mesh, but larger than in the speakers, not black, and gray. This is a diffuser, which is absent on many fakes in principle, either looks somewhat different. In addition, in the original airpods it has an oval, and not strictly round shape. White stripes around the edges can be different - in the fake, they often have a slightly different color and are not located on the same level with the rings framing grid, are a little in-depth in it.
Charging Case
Obviously, if the headphones themselves turned out to be fake, there is no point in checking their charging case. However, there are cases where the sellers are placed in order to increase their earnings place the original AIRPODs into a non-original case.
First of all, pay attention to the power indicator, which, depending on the generation and the AIRPODS model, can be located inside (1st and 2nd generation without wireless charging) or outside (2nd generation with wireless charging and Pro) case. On the original devices, it is on the same level with the body, that is, it does not drank and not recessed, and can only glow green (with a sufficient charge level), orange (when less than one cycle remains) and white (in the search mode, when previously completed Long press on the button on the housing).
Fake manufacturers often give themselves to inscriptions and other small details - on the charger case are the hinge and the seal specified under it "Designed by Apple in California. ASSEMBLED IN CHINA. In the case of a non-original device, the hinge can have a brighter color, and the inscription is thicker and dark or, on the contrary, a light font. So it may be a relatively costly copy of the accessory, if the designated text is not fully listed, it is different or there is no reasonable - in front of you a cheap fake.
Special attention should be paid to the Lightning connector located at the bottom of the housing. On non-original devices, it often has a thicker metal circuit, may differ in color (lighter or darker), to write out, and even be installed asymmetric.
Another option to check the charging case on originality is its lumen in the dark room. Turn on the flashlight on the phone, open the accessory cover and bring the light to the light source. "Internships" should look like this is shown in the photo below. For fakes, they can be completely different, and even absent.
See also: How to turn on the flashlight on the iPhone
Box
All the recommendations suggested above, with the exception of the serial check, are applicable only when you have direct access to the accessory. However, many stores are not allowed to unpack the goods in order to preserve its attractive look or, as if to hide the fake, but it is often possible to identify the latest and external signs.
Carefully inspect the lower part of the packaging - the space between the lid and the box. Copy, especially if they are not the highest-quality, on the contour there may be quite a big gap until this, which will fit the kitchen knife. It is also often different and width in different sections - it is not the same, but somewhere wider, somewhere already.
Another difference, as in the case of a charging case, may be inscriptions - another or simply a more fat font, which has a different color, for example, brighter or dim. Both text and the pattern often turns out to be brighter, brilliant, while on the original packaging they are not such catchy, matte. The only element that really reflects the light is the inscription "Airpods" on the side.
General differences of the original airpods from fake
In addition to the above, we denote some more characteristic features of the original airpods that are missing from most fake headphones.
- Branded Airpods 1st and 2nd generation, as well as a model about available only in white color.
- The replica is often inferior to the original as an assembly. In order to understand the device of which type is in front of you, take a case with headphones in your hand, bring up to the ear and shake: if you hear the sound of the accessory, this is exactly fake.
- The sound in airpods should be "smooth" and balanced, without overload, failures and hindrances on low, medium and high frequencies. The non-original accessory may be overwhelmed (rather even sound muffled) or, on the contrary, squeak, and on high volume - distort or absorb items.
- Airpods work extremely stable and seamlessly, instantly connecting to devices from the epple and switching between them (and manually, and automatically). The replica, even if it is quite high quality, is often deprived of such features, may lose touch, "stutter" when playing and possessing others, albeit non-critical, but disadvantages that make the use of accessory less convenient.
- The closure and opening of the charge case of the original headphones occurs smoothly, with a characteristic, not very loud-clicking. On the fake, these actions occur "spontaneously" - freely and too dramatically, since there is no strong magnet. In addition, the top of the case can go to the left and right on the hinge, over time, it is even stronger, which also speaks about such a voiced feature as poor build quality.
- Apple wireless headphones most often weigh a little more of their replica. Obviously, in view of such a modest size, the differences will be minimal, but the discrepancy of 3-5 grams will be enough to understand. You can find out the exact weight of the original of this or that generation in its technical characteristics on the official website or in the partner stores of the manufacturer.
- Each model of headphones has its own code designation, find and see which can be on the case and in the settings of the associated mobile device. We wrote about "ordinary" liners in a separate article, the reference to which is given below, and the airpods pro numbers look like this: A2084, A2083. At the inexpensive copy, these values will certainly differ.
Read more: How to distinguish Airpods first and second generation
- In addition to the model, Airpods also have the original serial number (it is on it that we checked the accessory at the very beginning of the article), firmware and hardware version. All this information can be found in the Apple-device system parameters on the following algorithm:
- Open the "Settings" and go to the "Basic" section;
- Select "About this device"
and scroll through the page at the bottom;
- Tap the name of their headphones;
- Check out the information submitted - they should look like in the image below (in our example, the second generation gadget is used). If the number, the order of items and the values specified in them differ (with the version of the firmware may well be different), before you are accurately fake.
- Original Apple headphones will longer hold the battery charge (more accurate values are listed in the article below).
Read more: How to charge Airpods
- Connecting genuine airpods is instantly accompanied by a sound characteristic of such products. On forgery, a loud and unpleasant signal is often played instead, possibly copied from other brands, or a female voice.
- Airpods can be found through the "Locator" application (formerly "find iPhone"), which will not work with the absolute majority of fakes.
Read more: How to find Airpods headphones
