How can I spot counterfeit Apple Airpods Pro?

Released just over a year ago, Apple's Airpods Pro are still extremely effective wireless headphones that are a pleasure to use every day. They have become very popular, and are therefore also the subject of numerous counterfeits.

Selling for €279 when new, many counterfeiters create replicas to offer them at lower prices. Unfortunately, buyers don't always want to buy copies and think they've made a good deal by finding original Airpods Pro at prices lower than those on the market. That's why we're giving you a few tips to help you spot counterfeit Airpods Pro.

Why buy Airpods Pro?

The big difference between the 1st and 2nd generation Airpods and the Airpods Pro is the active noise reduction. Airpods Pro feature noise reduction for immersive sound. At any time, you can activate Transparency mode so you can hear everything that's going on around you. Apple Airpods Pro also offer exceptional comfort because they are in-ear. They can be customised to suit your body shape. Last but not least, these wireless headphones from Apple have excellent battery life.

How to recognise counterfeit Airpods Pro?

1. The packaging box

The first thing that will tell you whether you're in possession of original wireless earphones or not is the packaging box. Firstly, there's a difference in colour: the genuine Airpods Pro box comes in pure white, while imitation Airpods Pro will be supplied in an off-white box.

Then there are the inscriptions on fake products, which have a fairly poor contrast, may contain mistakes and are often badly placed. Also, if the inscriptions are in Chinese (without any translation), you're probably in possession of a counterfeit. Look at them carefully.

Left: fake Airpods Pro, right: original Airpods Pro

2. The charging case

On really bad Airpods Pro knock-offs, the differences are easy to spot - their cases are generally much larger than the original Apple cases.

However, on the 'best' counterfeit Airpods Pro the charging cases are virtually identical but there are still details that are overlooked by the counterfeiters. On most counterfeits, the mention of the origin of the earphones on the back of the case is missing. Take a close look at the finish too - it's perfect on original Airpods Pro. For example, the hinge on a counterfeit is not of good quality and is much less solid than on real Airpods Pro.

Left: fake Airpods Pro without the original logo, right: genuine Airpods Pro

3. The serial number

All cases have a serial number inside, and a model number. If they are missing, you are in possession of fake Airpods Pro. The serial number is unique to each Airpods Pro case. It can also be found on each earphone, each Airpod Pro, under the tip that goes into the ear. Some counterfeiters go so far as to put fake serial numbers on their cases, but you can tell from the print quality of these markings that they are fake wireless earphones.

The serial number can be checked on the Apple website. This technique is therefore infallible.

The serial number on genuine Airpods Pro

4. Airpods Pro

When it comes to wireless headphones, counterfeiters are getting better every day, and the differences are becoming harder to spot. As always, however, there are a few inconsistencies. As mentioned above, the main difference will remain the serial number, in terms of print quality and whether it's a real or fake serial number.

Left: fake Airpods Pro, right: real Apple Airpods Pro

Also, the bottom of the original Airpods Pro is made of metal; on replicas, it's painted plastic. All the metal finishes on genuine Apple Airpods Pro are perfect. Finally, on some counterfeits the "L" and "R" markings are missing or disappear over time, something that can never happen on real Airpods Pro.

On the left, real Airpods Pro, on the right, fake Airpods Pro without the "R" label.

5. Connectivity

When you open an original Airpods case near your iphone, it should automatically be detected by your phone and connected to it. It connects in less than 10 seconds. If your Airpods take a long time to connect, you are in possession of fake Airpods Pro.

Also, when your wireless headphones are displayed on your phone, the Airpods Pro and the case rotate 360 degrees. Below these two, the battery status of each is displayed. If this isn't the case, you're in possession of imitations.

6. Sound quality

On counterfeit Airpods Pro, the main functionality does not work properly. Noise cancellation is not effective enough, if at all. Nothing happens when you activate this feature. The bass has no effect and the sound quality is very poor.

Secure the purchase of your second-hand Airpods Pro with Obvy

If you're looking to buy Airpods Pro at a lower price than what's available on the market, the second-hand market is indeed the best solution. However, you need to remain vigilant, because unfortunately, transactions between private individuals on classified ad sites such as Facebook Marketplace or Leboncoin also involve numerous scams.

Thanks to our advice, you can now avoid being tricked into buying fake Airpods Pro. To buy used Airpods Pro in complete security, choose Obvy. Thanks to our secure payment system, you'll have full traceability of the transaction, and you'll also be able to turn around if the seller turns out to be dishonest.