When a company – it doesn’t have to be Apple – produces a popular, high-quality product like AirPods Pro, there are bound to be replicas. So much so that things go like this in every field, from the shoe industry to the technology industry. Looking at the AirPods side of the issue for now, what is the difference between fake AirPods and original ones? Here are the X-ray images and comparisons.
The inside of fake AirPods was surprising
Today, fake products have become so sophisticated that they look very similar to the devices they are based on. However, the part that is indistinguishably similar is usually the exterior. Because when we look at the interior, things change. 3D scans made by Lumafield show how complex real AirPods are compared to fake ones.
The main points of interest here are the battery, build quality and circuitry. Looking at the battery, it appears that the AirPods use a custom-made coin cell battery that fits into the device as designed. In comparison, both fakes use lithium-ion pouch batteries tucked inside the case. These less complex batteries also pose a potentially increased risk to the user.
When it comes to circuits, you’ll notice a big difference between Apple’s product and the two knockoffs. On fake versions you can see sloppy soldering where the wires are connected.
Such things do not appear in Apple’s headphones, which use flexible printed circuit boards to use limited space more efficiently. The company also states that fake products have fewer microphones, resulting in worse sound quality.
As for the build quality, one of the fakes appears to lack wireless charging, while the other is missing the magnets to hold it in the charging case. Apple’s product has both of these features. Although we all know that fake products are inferior to the products they are based on, it is interesting to see exactly why the original product is better.
The same is true when you look at TWS headphones from Apple, Samsung or Google. This also shows how high a level of thought and engineering goes into making headphones. We don’t see such high engineering in such replicas as seen in devices like fake AirPods.
So what do you think about this issue? You can share your thoughts with us in the comments section.