How to Spot Fake AirPods
AirPods are cool, trendy and expensive . If you have the opportunity to buy these popular headphones at a discount, especially at a big discount, you will obviously be interested. However, this enthusiasm fuels the counterfeit AirPods market so much that Apple enabled AirPods authentication in iOS 16 . So how can you protect yourself from a fake Apple product?
I’m not talking about legitimate wireless headphones from the competition, which have a lot of great (and not so great) options. I focus on products that look and feel like real Apple AirPods, but that just aren’t: knockoffs, knockoffs, whatever you call them, designed to trick you into thinking you’re buying. the real deal at an exceptional price.
Maintain a healthy skepticism
Hunting for the best AirPods deal is definitely a good strategy. But if you see a price that’s too good to be true, it probably is. You don’t have to worry too much about buying from a store like Amazon, though if you’re buying from a third party check the seller to make sure it’s legit and you shouldn’t worry about buying from a major retailer like Best Buy or Walmart.
But if you see a lot of offers on Facebook Marketplace, eBay, or Craigslist, be careful. Not buying counterfeit AirPods is the only guaranteed way to avoid scams. Real AirPods are constantly being sold in these markets and it’s not impossible to find a good deal. But to be on the safe side, here’s what to look out for.
Look closely at the box
Fake packaging may be fake, so examine it carefully. This is obviously easier to do in person, but you can also ask for close-up photos. Apple, like other technology companies, is very proud of its presentation. With a legitimate box of AirPods, there will be no spelling or grammar issues, and no imperfections such as pixelated or distorted images.
Make sure the contents of the box should be there
Again, Apple’s packaging is uniform. Each product will have the same packaging from box to box, without any variation. Take a look at the AirPods you’re interested in on Apple’s website and see what should be included. For example, AirPods 3 should ship with AirPods, a MagSafe charging case, a Lighting to USB-C cable, and some documentation. If something is wrong—say, the Lightning cable is USB-A, not USB-C—you know it’s fake.
Check serial number
If you have access to the device, checking the serial number is a quick way to check if it’s fake or not. On AirPods or AirPods Pro, you’ll find the serial number under the cover of the charging case. On AirPods Max, it’s under the left ear cushion.
Of course, a scammer can get creative and print a legitimate serial number on the packaging to fool someone who tries this method. To really make sure you’re seeing the serial number tied to the AirPods themselves, you’ll need to pair them first and then go to Settings . In iOS 16, tap your AirPods, which will be listed at the top of the page. For iOS 15 and earlier, choose General > About . Select your AirPods, then check the serial number.
After receiving the serial number, enter it on the official Apple verification site . If the AirPods are genuine, you will be able to check the coverage status this way. However, if the serial number is invalid, you will not be able to continue.
Try tweaking them (especially with iOS 16)
Apple has a great system for setting up AirPods for the first time. All you need to do is open the charging case next to your iPhone and a pop-up will appear to guide you through the process.
Fake AirPods have a hard time replicating this simple setup process. If these AirPods ask you to pair through the Bluetooth settings menu, especially if they ask you to pair your AirPods one at a time, it’s fake. Apple never pairs AirPods individually.
However, some scammers have cracked the code and are now tricking iOS into offering an AirPods setup process. With iOS 16, Apple is fighting back: if you try to set up a fake pair of AirPods with an iPhone running the new OS, you’ll see a new pop-up that says “Can’t verify AirPods. These headphones cannot be verified as genuine AirPods and may not behave as expected.” You can then choose not to connect them, or set them up anyway in the Bluetooth settings.
Compare and contrast
Find the specifications of the AirPods you’ve purchased, such as the AirPods 3 , and compare them to the AirPods you own. Are the dimensions correct for Apple? Is the charging case the right size? Does it have a Lightning port and not USB-C? If applicable, does wireless charging work and, if so, does MagSafe work?
The same goes for the unique features attributed to each AirPods model. If you take your AirPod out of your ear, music should stop playing by default. A long press on the stem of AirPods Pro switches between noise canceling mode and transparency mode. Double tapping the stem will skip the track forward. All of these features can be configured after the fact, but by default they must be present and work properly.
[ MUO ]