Are my used AirPods Pro 3 genuine?
I bought a used pair of AirPods Pro 3 and I cannot determine if they are genuine or if I was scammed.
At first glance, they look authentic. I have all the ear tips and accessories, the serial number is recognized, and everything appears correctly on my iPhone. I get the normal pairing animation when opening the case, and Find My detects the AirPods and even shows the left and right earbuds separately.
However, I noticed some things that make me suspicious:
- The case is not magnetic and does not charge on an Apple Watch charger, although it does charge on normal Qi wireless chargers.
- The case feels less solid compared to an AirPods Pro 2 case I have access to.
- The sound quality seems worse than my Redmi Buds 6 Lite, which I was planning to replace.
- Find My does not seem to have the full precision finding features. When the AirPods are inside the closed case, I cannot locate the case at all.
- The Apple Support app says the AirPods have AppleCare+.
I am using a current-generation iPhone, so compatibility should not be an issue.
Could these still be genuine AirPods with a hardware defect, or are these signs that they are counterfeit?
iPhone 17 Pro Max, iOS 26