Apple’s AirPods are the best TWS available in the market. Most iPhone users prefer being AirPods than any other truly wireless earbuds. If you are buying AirPods from Apple Store or Apple’s authorized reseller, it is fine. But buying it online may be risky because there are several sellers who are selling fake AirPods. Fake AirPods look exactly like the real AirPods and come with an almost identical charging case with Apple’s branding. It makes it hard to identify fake AirPods until you have the real AirPods to compare side by side. If you are also worried, this article will provide you a way to spot fake AirPods.
Check the serial number
The most reliable way to tell if AirPods are fake is to check the serial number on Apple’s website. Apple has a web page where you can check a product’s warranty status. You can find out the serial number of AirPods or AirPods Pro, on the charging case. It will be the underside of the lid of your Charging Case.
Enter the AirPods’ serial number there. If the product is genuine, you will get the details there.
If this web page returns information including valid purchase data for the serial number, the AirPods are real.
Check by Pairing them with the iPhone
If you pair the AirPods with the iPhone or iPad, it opens a window that pops up on the device’s screen. It happens with genuine AirPods because the feature relies on the W1 chip.
In Some fake AirPods, there will be a similar pop-up screen but with different text.
After AIrPods are connected to your iPhone, navigate to Settings > General > About > AirPods. If you see the serial number and model number, the product is genuine.
Original AirPods connects quickly. If the product is taking time to connect, it may be the fake one.
Obviously, the sound quality and battery life of the fake AirPods cannot match the original one. There will be a huge difference in sound quality. Fake AirPods don’t offer a noise cancellation feature and mic quality will also be very poor.
Check the design properly
If you take a closer look at packaging and AirPods, you can spot if the product is fake or not. Apple products come with perfect designs. So fake AirPods always miss something that is there in the original. You can check the bottom side of the AirPod. Most fake AirPod has a circle-shaped diffuser whole the original AIrPod has an oval shape. There will also be some inconsistencies in the box. Some fake AirPods charging case feature a USB-C port instead of the Lightning port.
How to avoid fake AirPods
The simplest way is to buy AirPods directly from Apple Store or from an authorized reseller. If you are thinking to buy it from an online retailer, make sure you are buying from a trusted seller. If there is an extra-ordinary deal, take extra care while ordering the product. I remember several people complaining about fake AirPods on Flipkart’s sale when AirPods were available at nearly 40% discount. Now Apple also has Apple Store online to order Apple products online directly from Apple.
