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Manufacturers of fake AirPods have one goal – to maximise their profits for minimal costs. Because of this, the counterfeits are produced as cheaply as possible and therefore compromise on quality. You might notice these differences and become suspicious about whether your AirPods Pro are genuine.
Our comprehensive LegitCheck guide will cover some of the most common differences that you can identify. If you have doubts about whether your AirPods Pro are the real thing, read on to figure it out! You can also check out the LegitCheck app for additional help with identification.
Before we dive into the specifics, we’ll start the guide off with the easiest way to verify whether your AirPods Pro are real. You can do this by checking the serial number inside the case. We’ll guide you through this below.
It’s worth noting that fake AirPods pro can have valid codes that are taken from genuine products. Due to this, it’s worth continuing through to the next steps to confirm their authenticity. It’s also possible to have real AirPods pro without having access to the serial number, so we cover all bases in our complete list of comparisons.
While this guide applies to the AirPods Pro, we’ve also got guides for the regular AirPods, as well as for the AirPods Max. Make sure to check them out as well!
The quickest way to spot fake AirPods Pro is to scan the serial number that can be found on the inner side of the charging case. After you found your AirPods Pro’s unique code, visit checkcoverage.apple.com and check if Apple confirms it for you.
All Apple products include a serial number that can be used to verify their originality. You can enter them here to search Apple’s official records. Some AirPods have serial numbers on the individual earbuds, but it’s the serial number inside the case that you’ll need in this instance.
An added benefit to checking your serial code is that it will provide you with information on whether your AirPods Pro are still under warranty, and whether you can access additional AppleCare coverage. For this reason, it’s a good idea to check your Apple products serial codes regardless of whether you’re checking their authenticity.
That’s not all of it. Besides this, we have added full detailed steps below in order for you to be sure you are looking at a real or fake AirPods Pro pair.
This is absolutely the most reliable tell in our guide on how you can tell fake AirPods. It makes sense why real AirPods Pros will come with a serial number that can be confirmed by Apple on their official website.
Over there in the highlighted area, you will find a code that’s unique to every AirPods Pro case.
Have a look at the picture below with an authentic Apple serial number so we can make it clear how to find this code:
Once you get that code written down, you will have to go to https://checkcoverage.apple.com
Over there, simply pop in the serial number and this is how we’ll find if your AirPods Pros are fake or real.
As you can see in the image above, the AirPods Pro is totally confirmed by Apple, from their website.
This should clear out 99% of AirPods legit checks — however, it’s not impossible that someone might switch the case and put in fake AirPods. Very unlikely, but not impossible.
With all of this being said, let’s move on to the second step of this guide on ‘How can I tell fake AirPods Pro?’
For the second step of this guide on how to tell if your AirPods Pro are fake, we are going to move to the top of the real vs fake AirPods Pro, and we have to check out the pattern of the diffuser.
First of all, we are going to see the real vs fake AirPods Pro on the exterior side’s diffusers, and then we will move on to the interior side to check out the diffusers there.
You can easily notice how the replica AirPods Pro appears to have a grey metal outline near the black diffusers.
On the other hand, the authentic Apple AirPods Pro has no grey outline near the diffusers, and they are never going to have one, unlike the replica AirPods Pro which does have this extra outline.
Besides, you can also notice how the fake AirPods Pro also has the diffuser on the exterior side looking bigger than the diffuser on the authentic AirPods Pro.
That’s because the fake AirPods Pro’s diffuser is a bit out of the rest of the earbuds, while the authentic AirPods Pro has the diffuser placed in line and at the same level as the rest of the materials used for the authentic AirPods Pro.
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Now that you know how to tell fake AirPods Pro by checking the exterior side’s diffusers, let’s move on to the interior side’s diffusers as well.
In the real vs fake Apple AirPods Pro image above, we have pointed out how the fake AirPods Pro has a different colour for the round-edged rectangle which goes all around the interior side’s diffuser.
In fact, the authentic AirPod Pro’s material next to the diffuser is coloured black which is a bit shiny and reflects light, and the fake AirPod Pro’s material is coloured a dark grey, which doesn’t reflect any light.
Hey, Apple fan! Since you’re here, why not check out the guide on how to spot a fake iPhone 11 and iPhone 12?
Now that you have a few ways to spot fake AirPods Pro, we are going to move on to the third step in this guide on how to spot fake AirPods Pro, and we have to check out the inscription on the AirPods Pro.
Even though it is really a minor detail on the AirPods Pro, somehow, the replica Apple tech manufacturers manage to miss the inscriptions on the AirPods Pro sometimes.
In the real vs fake AirPods Pro image above, we have pointed out the fact that on the replica AirPods Pro, the “R” inscription is missing, which stands for the right ear.
On the authentic AirPods Pro, you will never see the “L” and the “R” printings on the earbuds missing or fading out, since there is a big difference of material quality between the real vs fake AirPods Pro.
Unsure whether you have fake AirPods Pro? Let us help you decide once and for all.
The Apple AirPods Pro authentications team is always here for you, 24/7. All you have to do is just take a few pictures of the AirPods, send them to us, and we’ll take care of their authenticity!
Now we are going to move to the main speakers which basically go inside the wearer’s ears, and check out the quality of the replica AirPods Pro, and of course, we will mention the flaws of the fake AirPods Pro.
In the real vs fake AirPods Pro image above, we have pointed out the fact that the counterfeit AirPods Pro has a different colour used for the speakers.
In fact, the fake AirPods Pro is greyer than the authentic AirPods Pro on the speakers.
Besides that, you can also notice how there is less density of the material which composes the speakers on the fake AirPods Pro, and on the legit AirPods Pro, you can see how there is more material used for the speakers.
Below, we have linked the same real vs fake AirPods Pro image, but with a zoomed-in view in order for you to understand this easier.
As you can see in the fake vs real AirPods Pro image above, the flaws are more clear this time.
Besides the material-density flaw, you can also notice how the fake AirPods Pro miss the silver-coloured material next to the black speaker.
On the other hand, you will never see a fully-working AirPods Pro not having this material next to the speaker, which on the fake AirPods Pro, it is missing.
The steps we’ve written so far are the best ways to authenticate this item.
The next few steps are still reliable signs of authenticity but are for non-top-versions of replicas available for this item. We recommend sticking to the steps we’ve explained above to make sure you’re not drawing the wrong conclusions.
As for the fifth step in this guide on how to spot fake AirPods Pros, we are going to analyse the real vs fake AirPods Pro on the bottom side.
First of all, let’s have a quick look at the fake vs real AirPods Pro images in order to easily spot the flaws on the fake AirPods Pro.
In the real vs fake AirPods Pro images above, we have pointed out the fact that the fake AirPods Pro appear to have its metal on the bottom side different from the real AirPods Pro’s metal.
In fact, the authentic AirPods Pro will always have the same dimensions for the metal on the bottom side, while the fake AirPods Pro tend to have bigger dimensions for the metal, which makes it look too wide compared to the legit AirPods Pro.
The steps we’ve written so far are the best ways to authenticate this item.
The next few steps are still reliable signs of authenticity but are for non-top-versions of replicas available for this item. We recommend sticking to the steps we’ve explained above to make sure you’re not drawing the wrong conclusions.
For the sixth step of our fake vs real Apple AirPods Pro guide, we are going to analyse the Apple AirPods Pro from the side, once again.
In the AirPods Pro fake vs real image above, we have pointed out the fact that the gap on the side of the counterfeit AirPods Pro is longer in height, compared to the authentic AirPods Pro’s gap, which is shorter.
Besides the height, you can also notice how the fake AirPods Pro have its gap looking less deep than the authentic AirPods Pro’s gap, which is deeper.
Want to learn how to spot fake Apple watches? We’ve also got a guide for them as well!
Now, for the seventh step of the fake vs real AirPods Pro legit check guide, we are going to analyse the sensor on the side of the AirPods Pro.
The sensor that we are talking about is on the interior side of the Apple AirPods Pro, and it is placed more to the bottom side, and what it detects is when you take off and put your AirPods Pro back on.
As you can see in the fake vs real AirPods Pro image above, the sensor on the fake AirPods is actually missing, and this is quite a big difference between the fake vs real AirPods Pro.
On the legit AirPods Pro, you will never see the sensor missing, while on the fake AirPods Pro, it is a common factor to be missing.
As for the eighth step in our real vs fake AirPods Pro legit check guide, we are going to check the charging case on the front and the rear side.
First of all, we are going to check the real vs fake AirPods Pro cases on the front side, and then, on the rear side.
As you can see in the real vs fake AirPods Pro image above, we have pointed out the fact that the gap in the opening area of the charging case is too deep for the fake AirPods Pro’s charging case.
On the authentic AirPods Pro’s charging case, you can see how the gap in the opening area of the charging case is less deep than in the fake AirPods Pro’s case.
This flaw is usually the most visible on the fake AirPods Pro’s top left corner of the gap, just as we have pointed out in the fake vs real AirPods Pro image above.
Now that you had a look at the front side, let’s move on to the rear side of the fake vs real AirPods Pro’s charging case.
In the fake vs real AirPods Pro image above, we have pointed out how the “Designed by Apple in California” and the “Assembled in China” printing on the rear side of the fake AirPods Pro’s charging case is smaller than the text on the authentic charging case.
Not only that, but the fake AirPods Pro’s charging case also has these two lines of text coloured lighter than the text on the authentic Apple charging case.
Why not go Max? We’ve also got you covered with a tutorial teaching you how to spot fake AirPods Max. Join the fun!
As for the ninth and last step in this guide on how to spot fake AirPods Pro, we are going to flip the case of the AirPods Pro to the bottom and inspect the real vs fake AirPods Pro for the lightning port (where the charger goes into the case).
In the AirPods Pro real vs fake image above, we have pointed out the fact that the fake charging case has its metal outline thicker and bigger than the authentic case’s outline.
Apple puts extreme care into the design of their products, all the way down to the details in their packaging. This means that fake AirPods Pro can potentially be spotted from their external packaging alone, saving you from having to examine the AirPods Pro themselves.
Packaging is one of the easiest way to cut corners during the manufacturing process and thereby save money. Counterfeit manufacturers generally miss out on the finer details that Apple meticulously perfect, so spotting any inpresicion in the design of fake AirPods Pro is a telltale sign of a knockoff.
Typically, the outer packaging will be of a much lesser quality. There are aesthetic differences that show a general lack of care for the entire ‘Apple’ experience that you get with the originals.
Here we will cover the details to look out for with the packaging of AirPods Pros.
Starting from the bottom of the box,
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Moving on to the side, the AirPods Pro text is significantly different. For one, the classic San Francisco font is not used on the fake AirPods Pro box.
Besides that, the fake text has reflective properties, while the authentic box has this textbox simply printed in grey.
On another facet of the box cover, you will notice a huge giveaway for the replica. As you can see, multiple separate stickers are attached to the authentic box.
Besides that, it seems like the fake AirPods Pro come with Chinese text in the upper left corner. Whether there is or isn’t Chinese text anywhere on the box can vary based on the region where the Apple AirPods Pro were purchased from.
However, it looks like regardless of the region, the text found on the fakes is slightly thicker.
To conclude this LegitCheck guide, we will review the technical differences that seperate the original Apple AirPods Pro from their inferior counterfeits.
One of the most significant differences with real vs. fake AirPods Pro is that Apple uses exclusive technology that they have developed to enhance compatibility between their products.
It is highly unlikely that counterfeit manufacturers would plan to fully replicate AirPods Pro, and even if they attempted this, they would not be able to access Apple’s exclusive technologies.
Fake AirPods Pro will not have the refined design seen with the genuine Apple product. Though fakes can get close to the real product by being convincing visual dupes, they will always lack the technology to give that gives genuine AirPods Pro quality.
Here are some of the final details that separate the original AirPods Pro from the fakes:
If you have read this guide and are still uncertain about whether your Apple AirPods Pro are real or fake, the Legit Check App offers an authentication service to put your mind at ease.
If for any reason you aren’t confident or able to identify the authenticity of your AirPods Pro, you can use the Legit Check services for confirmation. All you have to do is send us high-quality pictures of your Apple AirPods and we will get back to you with the results in 24 to 48 hours.
The results will also come with a report on why we believe your AirPods Pro are fake or authentic.
If you’re an Apple fan, you can check out our real vs fake Apple authentication guides for a range of their products.
LegitCheck also has a variety of authentication guides, covering a vast number of products, from sneakers to electrical. With our expertise, we can help you authenticate whatever you need.
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Thank you for reading this,
Ch Daniel and Ch David
