Fake AirPods (3rd Generation)?

I bought them online from a well-known retailer. It was listed as being shipped and sold by the retailer on the product page. It was priced at $169.99, the same price other retailers were selling 3rd Generation AirPods for.


While I tracked my order on the website, it was separated from the tracking information of the rest of my order. It was placed under its own category but it still held the same tracking information. It arrived with the rest of my order though. I know it's not that strange for items in an order to be separated in the delivery process but it definitely worried me.


As I mentioned, it arrived with the rest of my order. A few items were bagged individually and then contained in one larger bag. The AirPods were bagged individually. The AirPods box itself did not come shrink-wrapped. I'm afraid to open it, but it does have the two lining tabs at the top and bottom to prevent it from being opened.



I do notice a difference in the UPC sticker between my older AirPods. Most notably, after "Designed by Apple in California" there’s a space and "apple.com" is on the same line. Below that, "Assembled in Vietnam", followed by a space before "Model A2565 A2564 A2897" in the same line. I checked that these model numbers were correct for the AirPods Right, Left and the Lightning Charging case. The font looks slightly bolder as well.



The compatibility sticker is also different. It lists "Compatible with iOS device, iPadOS device, Apple Watch, or Mac with the latest software." That sentence is repeated in French, Japanese and Spanish, in that descending order. I also notice that the font seems slightly bigger and takes up more space. My older AirPods don't have the Spanish writing either.


I entered the serial number for the 3rd Generation AirPods and it gave me an error, stating that it could not find any information on the device. That's what started me on this journey.


More photos:


3rd Gen AirPods with a 2022 trademark? They were released 2021 so I'm not sure if that’s concerning.


Without Flash


With Flash


Slight Edge Gap


These AirPods are also a gift, so I'd be very grateful for any input that could dismiss my worries or confirm my fears. I don't normally make these kinds of purchases so it's a lesson learned to stick to buying in-person, regardless of how this turns out. Thank you for your help :).

Posted on Jun 19, 2024 4:32 PM

Reply

There are no replies.

Fake AirPods (3rd Generation)?

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.