Airpods pro manufacture date by serial number

We bought counterfeit AirPods to determine what differentiates them from the authentic pair. Here’s the ultimate guide on how to tell if your AirPods or AirPods Pro are fake.

Apple hates fake AirPods. Some reports estimate that fake AirPods cost the company an astounding $3.2 billion a year.

Unfortunately, Apple isn’t the only entity harmed by counterfeit AirPods and AirPods Pro. You, the customer, could also be affected, and the damages go way beyond the financial.

One style of counterfeit AirPods reportedly goes 10 dB over standard, possibly causing serious hearing damage.

But how do you know if you’re wearing counterfeit AirPods? It should be hard to tell, right? Otherwise, they wouldn’t be counterfeits, to begin with. Read on to settle the mystery as we explore the six best ways to determine if your AirPods are real or fake.

In This Article

• How to Tell if AirPods Are Fake via the Serial Number
• Price Difference Between Real vs. Fake AirPods
• How to Spot Fake AirPods via the Packaging
• Physical Checks to Help Identify Real vs. Fake AirPods
• For AirPods Pro: How to Know if Your AirPods Pro Are Fake
• Exclusive Features You Won’t Find on Fake AirPods
• Bonus: Try the Magnet Trick
• Conclusion

How to Tell if AirPods Are Fake via the Serial Number

When you go to report a missing object to the police, the first thing they’ll often ask for is a serial number. In this section, we’ll show you how to find your AirPods’ serial number and how to use this to check if the AirPods are real.

The serial number is the fingerprint of a product. It is a combination of numbers and letters assigned only to a specific unit produced.

This allows Apple to track specific units during inventory. Aside from that, Apple also uses serial numbers to identify defective batches. For users, the serial number is proof that the product actually came from Apple and not any other manufacturer.

You can also use the serial number to identify stolen or lost AirPods. Every pair of AirPods has a one-of-a-kind serial number so you can verify whether a unit is yours or not. For example, if you suspect another person is using your lost AirPods, you can check the serial number.

Here’s where to find your AirPods’ serial number:

• Bluetooth Settings: If you are using iOS or iPadOS you can tap your AirPods’ More Info button and find the serial number.
• AirPods Case: If you own AirPods or AirPods Pro and are using the original case, it will have the same serial number as your AirPods. Locate it on the underside of the flip-open lid.
• AirPods Max Ear Cushion: For AirPods Max, remove the left ear cushion. Underneath, you’ll find the serial number next to an Apple logo near the speaker holes.
• Box: If you have the authentic box for your AirPods, the serial number will be on the barcode at the back. Make sure this matches the serial number on the inside of the charging case’s lid.

Speaking from personal experience, here’s a tip we have for you: If you’re using AirPods 2nd, 3rd, or AirPods Pro, you’ll notice that each earbud also has its own serial number printed under the speaker heads. Checking these serial numbers won’t work.

How to check the serial number authenticity of AirPods

Once you have your AirPods’ or AirPods Pro’s serial number, check if it is real or fake by simply heading to the Apple Coverage Check page. If your AirPods are original, you’ll see this:

Checking the serial numbers to identify fakes used to be a foolproof method. Unfortunately, that’s not the case nowadays. Some manufacturers of fake AirPods have been taking serial numbers from real AirPods to use in batches of fakes.

Price Difference Between Real vs. Fake AirPods

The price difference between fake and real AirPods is the most significant source of temptation for counterfeit buyers. After all, why spend more than a hundred bucks on authentic AirPods if you can buy a pair that looks like them for a third of the price?

As of the time of writing, AirPods Gen 3 cost a little below $200, and AirPods Pro cost over $170. Even renewed AirPods Gen 3 and renewed AirPods Pro will cost over $100.

If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

However, this isn’t a guarantee, as some sellers may also raise the prices of their counterfeit AirPods to make it seem like they’re the real deal.

The best way to ensure that you’re buying originals is to buy from Apple Stores of Apple Authorized Resellers. You can check Apple’s ‘Locate’ page to find the nearest legit sellers near you.

If you’re buying through online platforms such as Amazon, make sure that you’re buying from their official Apple Store.

How to Spot Fake AirPods via the Packaging

Minimalist, intelligent, and clean — these are the perfect words to describe the boxes that come with Apple products. Anyone who knows a thing or two about tech brands also knows how much Apple pays attention to the details, even when it comes to the packaging.

Because of this, counterfeit manufacturers seem to have a harder time producing high-quality packaging than the earbuds themselves.

Here’s how to spot fake AirPods and AirPods Pro packaging:

Different counterfeit AirPods come from different manufacturers. This means some manufacturers could have gotten parts of packaging right that other manufacturers haven’t.

• Check for misspellings and wrong information
• Box contents and logo
• Font and color consistency
• Snug fit

Check for misspellings and wrong information

A company like Apple would not have typographical errors on the box itself or even in the manuals. These materials go through multiple rounds of proofreaders and copywriters before printing.

If you spot any errors on your AirPods’ packaging, you’re probably holding a counterfeit one.

You’ll also notice that the labels for the original boxes are separated, whereas fake ones simply have one whole strip of paper attached.

Box contents and logo

You should also know how to spot fake AirPods and AirPods Pro by checking what’s inside the box. Oftentimes, counterfeit AirPods will only have the manual. However, authentic AirPods would have two more documents, aside from the manual — the safety sheet and the warranty card.

Apart from that, the logo is also one of the first things people check out in the AirPods’ box. The original one has a sharper and more defined edge along the bite area. The counterfeit one, however, might have rounded edges.

Logo checking is a technique that is famously used in authenticating shoes. Experts can discern whether a pair of shoes is authentic just by checking the angle of a Nike or Jordan logo.

Font and color consistency

Font differences can be hard to spot, especially if you don’t have the real thing as a reference.

Apple currently uses a font called San Francisco. If you don’t have another pair of AirPods to compare, you can try downloading this online and printing some texts with it to check for consistency.

Based on our experience, common counterfeit AirPods have a thinner and taller font with lesser space in between the letters.

You could also use the colors of the text to determine authenticity. Although subtly, you would notice that the fake ones seem to use a darker shade of gray for the texts.

Snug fit

Who knew that even the suction you feel when opening an Apple product’s box was intentionally put there?

Apple boxes are composed of two parts — an inner box that houses the box contents and an outer box with the image of the product. To open the box, you need to raise the outer box and wait for the inner packaging to release itself naturally. This is something that most counterfeit products cannot fabricate.

To check this, get yourself another box from an authentic Apple product. Familiarize yourself with the drag and suction from that box and compare it to your AirPods’ box. If the sensation isn’t the same, then you probably have counterfeit AirPods.

According to Adam Lashinsky’s book, Inside Apple, one packaging designer in Apple’s team had the sole task of designing how the boxes were opened. The result of these painstaking efforts is the slow and dramatic experience you get when opening the package.

Physical Checks to Help Identify Real vs. Fake AirPods

The AirPods may simply look like a wireless version of the classic EarPods, but they are so much more than that. Apple truly showed its detail-oriented side with the AirPods, so most counterfeit manufacturers are prone to missing out on the little things.

Unlike the packaging, though, the physical differences between real and fake AirPods are a lot more subtle. To an untrained eye, high-quality counterfeits can easily pass as originals. So, below are the key areas you can use to authenticate.

Different manufacturers make counterfeit AirPods differently. Some manufacturers can get some areas of the AirPods right, so it’s essential to check out your earbuds from all angles and spot the mishaps.

• Check the diffuser
• Check the bottom of AirPods
• Check the speaker grills and IR sensors
• Check the charging case

Check the diffuser

The sound diffuser is the elongated rounded line you see on your AirPods beside the circular IR sensor. The sound diffuser has to be aligned with the black circle beside it.

For fake AirPods, the sound diffuser would have visible grills, which isn’t the case for authentic ones.

Also, the grills are likely not to be that polished, usually having random flat surfaces mixed up with the grills.

Check the bottom of the AirPods

The bottom part of the AirPods is where the charging contacts are. This part of the AirPods magnetically connects to their charging case.

For authentic AirPods, this part will have an oval shape that takes up around half of the whole space. Fake AirPods could have larger and more circular ovals. Also, the grills on the fake AirPods might not be as refined as the authentic ones.

Check the speaker grills and IR sensors

The transparency of the speaker grills is also a critical difference between authentic and fake AirPods. You’ll see the silhouette of two circular speakers with authentic ones, which might not be visible if you have fakes.

Check the charging case

Lastly, the charging case is also home to some key areas where you can determine whether the AirPods are original or not. For this, you need to basically look for any build defects that Apple probably won’t commit.

The key areas include the multifunction button, charging port, and the text below the hinge.

Other obvious signs of fake AirPods: blue light on the charging case or any light in the earbuds. AirPods status light can’t produce blue light, and the earbuds don’t have LED inside them.

Multifunction button and text

Check whether the button is secured and level with the case. Often, fake AirPods would have buttons that are either loose or raised.

The text above the button should say “Designed by Apple in California” and “Assembled in China.”

For this, watch out for spacing errors, wrong font use, and the use of a darker shade for the text.

Charging port

The charging port is lined with metal. Authentic AirPods are lined thinly while the fake ones would have slightly thicker ones.

Other examples of clear fakes are anything that doesn’t have a lightning port or AirPods Pro cases that don’t work with Apple-approved wireless chargers.

For AirPods Pro: How to Know if Your AirPods Pro Are Fake

While a lot of the factors we’ve discussed so far work with both the standard AirPods and AirPods Pro, there are some distinguishing marks that exclusively indicate if your AirPods Pro are fake.

This is because AirPods Pro have unique tech and a different design than standard AirPods. For instance, AirPods 1, 2, & 3 are earbuds, while AirPods Pro are in-ear monitors.

You can learn how to spot fake AirPods Pro by checking the force sensor and shape:

AirPods Pro force sensor

The force sensor is one of the highlights of the AirPods Pro controls and can be found along the flat part of the stem of each AirPods Pro earbud. Instead of being a proper button, the force sensor detects pressure from users squeezing the stem of their AirPods.

On the other hand, fake AirPods Pros will likely have a standard button or tap controls along the side, if they have any.

The most recent AirPods, the AirPods Gen 3, also have force sensors.

Design differences of fake vs. authentic AirPods Pro

Apple highly protects the design and shape of its AirPods and AirPods Pro products, effectively claiming trademark infringement on products with a similar shape. This protective stance is so strong that similar-looking earbuds have even been seized by US Customs.

As a result, looking at them is a great way to tell if the AirPods you have are real or fake.

According to the team at Verified, a publication dedicated to uncovering scams, frauds, and fake products, counterfeit AirPods are often different at the ear pieces, which go in your ears.

Real AirPods Pro have ear pieces that are oval-shaped. In contrast, it is common to see fakes with circular ear pieces.

Exclusive Features You Won’t Find on Fake AirPods

If the physical part of your AirPods appears real, but you’re still wondering, “Are my AirPods real?” you should also consider checking the software.

AirPods are packed with game-changing features that only Apple’s software could do. These exclusive Apple-only features can be a great way to tell whether your AirPods are fake or not.

Here’s how to check if your AirPods are original or fake via the software:

Easy pairing

Easy pairing allows users to connect their AirPods to their Apple devices instantly. All you have to do is open up the charging case with the AirPods inside and hold it near the device you want to pair it with.

If you’re pairing for the first time, you would need to press the Connect button on your device. On the other hand, if you’ve paired the AirPods with the same device before, you shouldn’t have to do anything else.

If the AirPods are suddenly not connecting, ensure you’ve gone through our troubleshooting guide first before calling the earbuds a counterfeit.

For lookalike fakes (be it a single replacement AirPod or case), the syncing/pairing will likely not be as smooth. Sadly, you will not be able to seek Apple’s replacement services for the same.

Try the ‘Find My’ app

Find My is a platform created by Apple that allows users to track the location of their lost or misplaced devices. This platform can be accessed through its mobile app or the iCloud website.

You can’t avoid feeling awful about losing a pair of AirPods — authentic or not. The difference is that you actually have the chance to find your AirPods again through the Find My app while your counterfeit AirPods are probably lost forever.

Original AirPods will automatically be added to your Find My account the moment you pair your devices together. Original AirPods can also utilize all functions of the Find My platform, including Play Sound and Directions.

In fact, if you’ve lost your charging case but have one AirPod inside the lost case, you can still hope to get the case back using Find My. Provided your AirPods or AirPods Pro are authentic.

Now, to ensure the authenticity of your AirPods, you can follow our guide, use the Find My app on your device and see whether all the features are working properly. If they’re not, then you might have counterfeit AirPods with you.

The ‘i’ icon check

The More Info, or ‘i’, button next to your devices can tell you whether they are legitimate Apple products or third-party Bluetooth devices.

To access the More Info screen on your iOS device:

1. Go to Settings.
   
   Click settings.
2. Tap Bluetooth.
   
   Going to Bluetooth
3. Tap the blue circle with an ‘i’ in it next to your AirPods or AirPods Pro.
   
   Select “i” next to your AirPods or AirPods Pro.

Real AirPods’ More Info button will have the model number, serial number, firmware version, and ‘More’ displayed on the screen.

Fake AirPods’ More Info screen will appear like other Bluetooth products: displaying the name, limited device info, and ‘Forget this Device.’

Battery drainage

While it’s possible for AirPods’ battery health to decline over the years, there are a few mishaps that could happen if you have a fake pair on. It’s the same if you have a phony charging case too.

These include excessive battery drainage (even with limited use), incorrect battery levels being displayed, and the battery percentage of the case or the earbuds not showing up at all in the battery widget.

If you encounter any of the above situations, know that you will not able to place a request for replacement AirPods or AirPods Pro batteries from Apple. Should you see any other defects in your fakes, you will also not be able to use any of the third-party replacement options available to owners of genuine AirPods.

Bonus: Try the Magnet Trick

There’s one more nifty trick to check whether your AirPods are fake. Though very subtle, trying out this hack can easily confirm whether you have authentic AirPods or not.

Original AirPods contain magnetized parts. If you bring the two earbuds together, they should repel each other if they are authentic. Fake AirPods wouldn’t attract or repel each other when brought closer to each other.

AirPods are premium products and require a consistent and high degree of maintenance. Here’s our checklist on the top AirPods tips and tricks to make using them a hassle-free experience!

Conclusion

Authenticating a pair of AirPods is as tricky as ever. Even with the most stringest checks in place, you might find yourself saddled with a fake pair of AirPods. With the things we discussed above, though, you should be properly armed to take on the challenge.

Now, hopefully, you won’t be easily fooled by those who want to take advantage of your desire to possess these high-end products at enviably “discounted prices.”

The only thing left for you to do is to go get those AirPods now!

What inspections worked for you? Do you have any other tricks under your sleeve? Tell us about it through the comments below!

What year were my AirPods made?

How can I find out when my AirPods was purchased?

How do you tell the generations of AirPods?

Can you check AirPods authenticity by serial number?