The bitten apple brand owns the majority of the TWS headphone market. In 2019, over 60 million Apple Wireless Headphones were sold worldwide. And this is the merit of only two models, while competitors have dozens of them.

The more popular the product, the more fakes it has. Unfortunately, this practice has become widespread in modern realities. It can sometimes be very difficult to distinguish a genuine copy of Apple AirPods from a fake one. But the signs of a fake still make themselves felt, no matter how they are hidden.

Exposure of fakes

1) Low cost. The price tag is several times lower than the market one - a reason to doubt the authenticity of the headphones. The original Apple headset starts at $150 for the regular version and $300 for the Pro version.

2) Sound quality. To be frank, AirPods are by no means the standard of clean and voluminous sound (the Pro version sounds better than the classics). Headphones take their rather ease of use. However, the Chinese replicas of the Apple headset sound very flat, they often have no bass and there are wheezing at maximum volume.

3) Serial numbers. It is important that the serial numbers on the box and devices of the set match. And you can check them for authenticity on the official Apple website checkcoverage.apple.com.

Important point! Unscrupulous sellers can copy serial numbers from original AirPods by duplicating them on the sticker from the box. Carefully check the serial numbers on the devices and the box before buying. Moreover, a fake is easily given out by the same serial numbers on the right and left headphones (they must be different).

4) Materials and assembly. Apple always uses high quality plastic with a glossy finish. Moreover, neither the headphones nor the case slip in the hands. Also, the original is easily recognizable by the warm shade of milky-white color of the case.

Cheap plastic fakes feel to the touch and flex under pressure. In addition, fakes often have problems with fitting parts and the symmetry of the location of the cutouts. If you have the slightest doubt about the quality of materials and workmanship, look for a more reliable seller.

5) Delivery set. Inside the box with the original "Apple" TWS headphones, there is a quick start guide, the headphones themselves in a case that is wrapped in a film, and a Lightning cable for charging the case.

This is what the original Apple AirPods 2 box should look like.

The color of all elements of the set should be milky white without the slightest sign of yellowness. If you are offered black, gray or colorful AirPods, be sure that this is a fake.

6) Synchronization. Real AirPods automatically hook up your iPhone in the blink of an eye. During the binding, a menu pops up in front of the user with the name of each link of the device and data on the residual energy reserve in the tanks of each element of the set.

Genuine AirPods bond to your smartphone in the blink of an eye, as soon as you open the charging case cover.

Fakes of the third echelon do not bother with this and are recognized in the role of a conventional wireless headset. Replicas with a higher status use analogues of Apple's W1 and H1 chips for pairing.

7) Landing headphones in a case. True headphones enter the case seats like clockwork, tightly “sit” in them and do not rumble if you shake the case in your hands.

8) Charging case. The original case is slightly rounded on the sides and has smooth transitions from the front to the back. Its lid opens easily and fits snugly against the bottom of the case, leaving no gaps. Finally, the pair break button on the side of the case is always flush with the "body".

The original charging case for Apple TWS headphones measures 44.3 x 21.3 x 53.5mm.

9) Tap management. Many copies of AirPods support touch control, but only the most advanced of them (with an analogue of the W1 and H1 chips in service) allow you to remap pressing from standard to other functions in the settings.

10) Speaker grids and chrome elements. The original headphones have a metal mesh on the speakers with weaving at an angle of about 45 °. Through them you can see two round speakers. And fakes, for the sake of economy, most often use a fabric “cover” for emitters. Also, fakes have a very dubious appearance of chrome elements (dull and nondescript).

A visual difference between the clone speaker grille and the original AirPods.

11) Inscriptions and symbols. Read the labels on the box carefully. In the name of headphones or a brand, letters can be swapped (an old Chinese “chip”) or there will be a lot of spelling errors. There should be a minimum of hieroglyphs on the box.

In the originals, each earpiece is marked with the symbols L (left) and R (right). Fake these designations can be neglected. Also, most often, counterfeit Apple AirPods packages do not have stickers confirming the authenticity of the headphones (3 stickers with data on the place of production, support for operating systems and the serial number of the device).

Apple Headphones

Generation difference

First swallow

The debut version of AirPods was armed with the Apple W1 chip for wirelessly connecting headphones via Bluetooth to devices from the outside and optimizing the consumption of accumulated energy reserves. With the weight of each earpiece about 4 g, the “carrier” was entitled to count on 4-5 hours of autonomy when listening to music. The first generation of the "house" for the headset was charged by wire through the Lighthing cord and extended the "survivability" of the headphones up to 24 hours.

Neat wireless headphones with a portable charging case have made a splash with the public since the announcement.

The on-board equipment of the pilot model included a proximity sensor (playback is paused if one earpiece is taken out of the ear), built-in accelerometers and a tandem of microphones.

The first generation headset is marked as follows:

Second generation

The second iteration of Apple's TWS headphones is essentially indistinguishable from the debut release in appearance. Key innovations have affected the interior equipment Apple AirPods 2 with Wireless Charging Case Price from 6 376 up to 14 054 ₴. So, they got a more productive Apple H1 processor, which accelerated the connection time of the headphones “over the air” and learned how to work with Bluetooth 5 networks.

Siri assistant can now be called by voice, without being distracted by tapping on the headphone case. Just tell him "Hey Siri!" and he will gladly answer all your questions.

The second iteration of AirPods added to the Apple ecosystem in 2019.

The autonomy of the second generation AirPods remained at the same level (4-5 hours of music playback). However, the case for the headphones has acquired the Qi wireless charging function. Also, a battery status indicator was placed on its front side. The case is suitable for charging headphones of both generations.

The second tribe of AirPods is recognizable by the following serial numbers:

AirPods Pro

Purely vacuum headphones with silicone tips stand apart in Apple's portfolio Apple AirPods Pro Price from 8 142 up to 13 721 ₴. They are recognizable against the background of the classics of the genre by shortened legs. These "babies" are protected from dust and moisture in accordance with the requirements of the IPX4 standard, making them suitable for sports activities and produce a richer sound. The overall quality of sound and noise reduction is affected by the calibration function, during which the headphones evaluate the fit of the nozzle to the ear.

The task of controlling the headset is shouldered by panels with pressure sensors that allow you to pause playback, switch tracks and turn on the "transparency" mode (transmitting sound through microphones so that the user hears what is happening around).

The Pro version of AirPods sounds at a completely different quality level.

The headphones come with a custom-designed case that supports wireless charging. Despite the similarity with cases for classic AirPods, it has different headphone jacks and there is no compatibility between generations. But 5 min. stay headset in the case gives the user plus one hour to autonomy.

Devices of the AirPods Pro series are marked as follows: