this is the best (and easiest) way
AirPods are offered for bargain prices on many (second-hand) sites such as Marktplaats. But be careful! These Apple earbuds look deceptively real, but sometimes you find out later that they’re fake. But don’t worry. iPhoned show you how to spot these fake AirPods quickly!
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Recognizing Fake AirPods
If you are going to buy AirPods, you naturally want to have the real earbuds from Apple. We’ll show you the easiest way to spot fake AirPods! Spoiler: The AirPods Pro below are fake by the way.
3uTools: handy program for iPhone, iPad and AirPods
We use the 3uTools program to recognize fake AirPods. Do you want to know how to spot fake AirPods by looking at them? We’ll tell you that soon too!
The 3uTools program is free to use. You have to grab a PC with Windows, because there is no Mac version of the software. Download the software from the above website and install the program.
Recognizing Fake AirPods with 3uTools
- Launch 3uTools and connect your AirPods to PC via Apple cable;
- In 3uTools click on ‘Tools’ and ‘Testing original…’;
- Click on ‘detection AirPods’;
- With original AirPods you will see ‘Test complete’. With fake AirPods, an error message appears (“high imitation product”).
Note: 3uTools contains many useful functions that help you when your iPhone or iPad has problems. You must know what you are doing when using the program. So don’t just try out the other functions. You can of course use recognizing fake AirPods without any problems. Also nice: 3uTools can also be used to check whether you have real Apple cables.
Disadvantages of buying fake AirPods
Often fake AirPods don’t even sound that bad. Some specific functions also work flawlessly, such as the noise canceling on fake AirPods Pro. You do miss the option that you can easily switch between all your devices with the fake AirPods. A common complaint is that you cannot install new updates.
In addition, the quality of the fake AirPods is often just not good enough. The color is sometimes slightly different, the storage box is less beautifully finished or the earplugs feel cheaper. Of course, you do not have a warranty with Apple with the fake AirPods.
Appearance Features: Recognizing Fake AirPods
In addition to the 3uTools program, you can sometimes recognize with the naked eye that you are dealing with fake AirPods. However, it is still difficult to recognize the fake AirPods.
Sometimes even the serial number that is on the box (and the AirPods) is valid. When you check the serial number on Apple’s support site, you will see that it is an official product. Want to learn more about recognizing fake Apple products? Then read the article below.
Read more: How to spot fake AirPods, iPhones and other Apple products
Buy AirPods
Want to make sure you’re getting real AirPods? Buy them from Apple itself or an official supplier. In any case, try to stay away from websites such as Marktplaats or Facebook.
Then you have to choose which AirPods you want exactly. In the article ‘All AirPods in a row’ we tell you exactly which AirPods you should buy. Then also check our AirPods price comparison, then you immediately know where the (real!) earplugs are the cheapest.
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