How to Recognize Counterfeit AirPods
Version Française - Deutsche Fassung
Welcome to the Apple Community,
This article aims to recognize fake AirPods based on the packaging of the AirPods, the AirPods themselves, and the accessories.
Part 1: the clues/theory
We will proceed in the order of unpacking the AirPods.
1: The label
If the label on the box looks like the one circled in red (one label for all the information instead of two) then this is the first clue that the AirPods are the counterfeit.
You may also see spelling mistakes on the fake box: ipod touch (iPod touch) and ipad (iPad)
2 : The relief
The image representing the AirPods on the cardboard packaging must be in relief when you touch the packaging (on some counterfeits the relief has also been reproduced but sometimes the relief and the impression of the image of the AirPods are offset).
3 : The format of the manual
After opening the box, the third clue is the AirPods user manual.
On some counterfeits, the edges are not rounded like on the original instructions.
On the counterfeits the colors and printing are very poorly reproduced but without the original AirPods next to it you can see it badly. If the edges of the leaflet are sharp then this is the third clue that they are counterfeit.
4 : The layout of the accessories
When you unpack the AirPods, the layout of the accessories is not random. As you can see below, the original cable is rounded and follows the shape of the box, same for the small cardboard support that supports the rubber tips, it fits perfectly in the box unlike the fake where the packaging of the tips is too small and where the cable is oval shaped.
5 : AirPods Pro tips support
For people who own AirPods Pro, the support of the tips may be a clue to counterfeiting. The small cardboard support that holds the AirPods Pro tips is often well counterfeited but it lacks some details. On the fakes as you can see below there are no small holes on the top to hold the tips in place, so they often move around in the box.
6: The support that holds the AirPods in the box
On the counterfeits what holds the AirPods in the box is a plastic part. On the originals it is a paper/cardboard support. When you bend the end of the support, since the fake is made of plastic it bends, and for the real one which is made of cardboard the support cracks.
7 : the cable tie
On the original AirPods you have for the old models a tab to pull to remove what retains the cable, and for the new models it is a simple cardboard finch; on the counterfeits they do not have such a sophisticated system, the cable is retained by a cardboard protection as on the originals, but when you try to remove this part of cardboard it has been glued, so you have to tear it.
Easy opening, old model
Easy opening, new model
Here on the counterfeit no easy opening
available, one is obliged to tear the
tear the packaging which is glued
8: The cardboard box
On the counterfeits, the cardboard box is of poor quality and shows imperfections as you can see below.
You can see on this picture all the imperfections and differences between an original model and a copy. We will come back to this picture later.
On this picture you can see on the right the counterfeit which shows the border where the edge is glued, and the bottom of the box. These imperfections are not present on the real box on the left.
9: The protection of the LED
We will now begin inspecting the AirPods themselves.
One of the first points to check on the exterior of the AirPods is the plastic protection in front of the LED on the front face of the AirPods. On lower quality counterfeit products, the plastic protection in front of the LED that indicates the status of the AirPods may be absent.
You can see in image 1 that the small protection is missing, whereas in image 2 it is present. Although this may seem like a minor detail, the absence of this protection can indicate that it is a counterfeit.
10: The interior of an AirPod
On the AirPods, the detail that differs between counterfeits and genuine ones is the technology inside the AirPods. On some counterfeits, when you try to remove the ear tips, it can happen that the earpiece opens in two, which would never happen with real AirPods.
If one day one of your AirPods opens, here are the differences inside between real and counterfeit ones: on real AirPods, most of the components are black and the Apple logo is affixed, and there are no "wires" inside the AirPods, but rather "ribbon cables."
On the other hand, on counterfeits, the inside of the AirPods often includes a battery held in place with yellow tape, wires, and no Apple logo. On first-generation real AirPods, the battery is located in the "stem" of the AirPods, but on fakes, the battery is in the upper part of the earpiece.
In this image, you can see that the inside is black, the Apple logo is present, and there are no wires, but rather ribbon cables.
In this image, you can see that the inside includes a gray and yellow battery, the Apple logo is absent, and there are no ribbon cables, but rather wires.
/!\ Do not disassemble the AirPods, as if they are real AirPods, you will lose the warranty and it will be difficult, if not impossible, to reassemble them. /!\
11: The prints on the AirPods
An insignificant difference between real and fake AirPods lies in the text printing.
The font style, font size, and text color printed on AirPods are different between real and fake AirPods. It is not easy to see when you do not have real AirPods beside you, but on counterfeit AirPods, the "Designed by Apple in California, Made in China" or the serial numbers engraved on the AirPods are often darker and written in larger font than on real AirPods.
It is difficult to see without a comparison element, so it is advisable to have real AirPods beside you to compare.
You can see in the images surrounded by red that the writing is darker than on those surrounded by green, which means that the AirPods surrounded by red are fake.
11: The serial numbers
Disclaimer: Checking the serial number of AirPods on Apple's website "Check Your Service and Support Coverage - Apple Support" does not allow you to know if your AirPods are counterfeit. This is explained by the technique used by counterfeiters. Counterfeit manufacturers steal serial numbers that are linked to real AirPods. So when you check the serial number engraved on your fake AirPods, the system displays information about the real AirPods that are linked to that serial number.
A very good way to recognize counterfeit AirPods is to check if the serial numbers are identical. "On AirPods (2nd and 3rd generation), and AirPods Pro (1st and 2nd generation), each AirPod also has its own serial number, printed on it."
So if the serial numbers on the AirPods (AirPods (2nd and 3rd generation), and AirPods Pro (1st and 2nd generation)) you purchased are the same on both earbuds or on the earbuds and the case, it's probably a fake.
On the above AirPods, the serial number is the same on the earbuds and the case. If so, it is a fake.
As for the software side, when you add AirPods to your iOS device, you can view the serial numbers from the settings. To view the serial numbers of the left and right AirPod, tap on the serial number of the case.
To access it: From Settings, open Bluetooth settings, tap on the "i" next to the name of your AirPods, and then scroll down to the serial number.
When you add fake AirPods, the serial numbers displayed in the settings may be different from those displayed on the case or on the AirPods.
In the image above, you can see that the serial numbers in the settings do not match the numbers on the AirPods.
If you need help, you can find below the different ways to identify your AirPods and find their serial number:
Part 2: Recognizing a counterfeit / practice
In this part we will apply what we have learned above.
V1/F1 : we can notice on the counterfeit that they didn't go all the way through, so the edges are not finished which means that there is a hole, which is not there on the original version on the left.
V2/F2 : As we saw before, the cable tie on the counterfeit is just a piece of cardboard glued on, unlike the original on the left.
V3/F3 : On the counterfeit the edge is not completely glued to the box, unlike the original.
V4/F4 : You can notice that the cardboard part that holds the tips is too small compared to the place that was planned in the box. On the original the support for the tips fits perfectly in the box.
V5/F5 : Part five shows that the cable on the counterfeit is not completely round and more of an oval shape so it does not fit the shape of the box. On the original the cable fits perfectly into the box.
F1 : On this picture we can see that the flange goes up on the plastic false bottom and is not glued.
F2 : We can notice here that there is a hole which shows that the false edges are not long enough.
F3 : On this part we notice reflections in the light on the part which is supposed to be the base of the AirPods in the box. However the base is supposed to be out of cardboard We thus understand that it is out of plastic and that it is false.
F4 : We can see on this part that the cable is oval, unlike the original cable which is supposed to be rounded.
F5 : On this last part we notice that there is no easy opening on the cable.
If you don't have the box or still have doubts
Another community member has created another user tip to be able to recognize a counterfeit on the software side of AirPods.
This tip is very well written and comprehensive, it is available right here :
Vérifier l'authenticité de mes AirPods - Communauté Apple (only in french)
Conclusion
To conclude, you may have noticed that counterfeits are often very well made, but they are never perfect and do not match the quality of genuine AirPods.
Also, I strongly advise you not to buy your AirPods on resale websites.
On this kind of site 95% of the ads for AirPods are ads for counterfeit AirPods (if you have any doubts, you can go right now to one of the sites and examine the ads with the tips I gave you above. You will see right away that most of them are counterfeit).
If you still need help, you can ask the community right here:
https://discussions.apple.com/post/question
(When you open a post, remember to give as much details as possible about your problem)
I hope I have made it clear,
See you soon👋
Julio