How to distinguish the original EarPods? How to distinguish the original EarPods from the Chinese copy.

01.09.2019 Reviews

IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) is a control identifier for mobile equipment assigned to each device by a special certified service (BABT - a British telecommunications organization) when directly authorized in the network. And although initially IMEI was used exclusively when referring to mobile telecommunications, the authority of the identifier has changed a lot.

IMEI is primarily used to authenticate smartphones and tablets (from different brands, including Apple). If you cannot visually distinguish a copy from the original, and you need to know everything about the device you are purchasing - from a guarantee to blocked services - then you can safely arm yourself with an identifier and check the originality on the official website.

The IMEI is marked, as a rule, in different places - on the packaging, in the sales receipt, in the settings, sometimes in the warranty and is shown when the * # 06 # command is entered on the keyboard (it always works on the operating system). And yet sometimes questions arise when searching. How to check the iPhone for authenticity by IMEI on the Apple website?

7 surefire ways to find out IMEI of iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch

View in settings

Statistics and information about an Apple smartphone, tablet or player is stored in the About This Device section.

There it is easy to find out how much free space is left on the internal memory, which version of the operating system is installed, and which serial numbers and other numerical parameters, such as ICCID and SEID, are assigned to the device. In case of urgent need, it is immediately easy to deal with legal documents and license agreements.

The section is interesting, and even always at hand - it is worth repeating a short algorithm of actions.

Find out IMEI through the command

View IMEI on iPhone Box

It is worth dealing with IMEI even before buying Apple technology, if a smartphone or tablet is purchased not in a certified store, where each device has necessarily received a "certificate from RosTest", but in a third-party institution where the devices are delivered from the USA or Europe.

The IMEI code found on the still packed box will allow you to find out a lot of information - for example, whether the factory warranty is available, whether the device was turned on, whether the recovery process went through and whether the SIM tray was unlocked for any operators or was assigned to a mobile provider.

If, for some reason, the information received does not suit you or is at odds with the seller's offer, then you can safely refuse the deal!

Mobile identifier on the back of the box at the bottom, there is also a barcode and information about serial numbers.

After opening the iPhone, the numbers should be compared - in case of any discrepancies, you should contact the seller.

View IMEI via iTunes

Check IMEI in iTunes without phone

View IMEI on a smartphone, tablet or player

As in the case of the box, all important information about the device is stored not on the front, but on the back, at the very bottom, where the serial numbers and identifiers are listed.

This method does not work with all devices, but only starting with the 5 series models, and increasing. Most likely, the tradition will continue for many years to come.

View IMEI on SIM tray

The latter method is relevant for all Apple technology, but, unfortunately, it does not lie on the surface. You can get the tray only using an "ice clip", and even the cover will have to be removed. But, if the other options did not fit, why refuse?

Checking through the official Apple website

If the IMEI code is found, then it's time to proceed to direct verification of the purchased or not yet purchased device for originality and other parameters that facilitate further interaction with the service center, and for full information support from Apple. How to check iPhone by IMEI? Two ways:

Through the official website

Checking through a third-party service

How to find Apple ID by IMEI?

Apple ID is the official identifier for the "person" that provides access to Apple entertainment content, as well as to specialized services and support departments (iTunes Store, App Store, iCloud - these services never work with those who have not registered an Apple ID and have not passed authorization). In fact, Apple ID is a real passport that opens any doors, provides security and at the same time keeps a lot of secrets.

The level of capabilities of Apple ID, at least in the Apple space, is much higher than the same IMEI, and therefore you should not count on access to confidential information through a mobile identifier (especially for free). The manufacturer stores all important information with seven seals and will only trust the users who directly own the device.

Even through the official website, through the password recovery menu and personal account, no one will tell who previously owned the device along with IMEI, because the "passport" has long been confiscated. The only way to find out your Apple ID is to try to contact support and persuade tech support to reveal the cards. Most likely, nothing will come of such an undertaking. Apple ID is either registered and pinned on the network, or belongs to someone else - along with a secret question, important settings and confidential data (and recently, two-factor authentication has also appeared - it's even worse there!).

How to check if the "Find iPhone" function is enabled by IMEI?

As in the case of Apple ID, the check of the “find an iPhone, iPad or iPod” function works without any connection with the IMEI - in any case, users will have to go through authorization, but not on the official website, but in the iCloud.com service. It is there that the developers suggest checking the current location of any of the devices attached to the Apple ID. If the information is not received, or for some reason the search does not work, then the "Find iPhone" function is not activated in the settings.

Previously, additional testing of the Find iPhone function by IMEI was offered by third-party resources, and completely free of charge. The identifier also displayed other information, such as the status of "stolen and blocked" and even suggested that you contact the support service directly.

Recently, such services have stopped displaying such valuable information for everyone to see. From now on, only data related to the warranty, access to technical support and other information is available, such as where the iPhone, iPad and iPod were supposed to be sold, or under which operators the device is locked.

How to find out the country of the manufacturer by IMEI

When buying smartphones, tablets and players not in certified stores, you can stumble upon devices brought from different places - the USA, Europe, some Asian countries, and intended for sale in local stores, and not in Russia. As a rule, few people are interested in information about where the Apple technology came from (what is the difference from the United States, whether a smartphone or from China, when the savings are on the face? Domestic retail offers exorbitant prices after paying VAT and RosTest services!) birth ”technology is still worth it. And there are two reasons for that.

Firstly, sometimes the package contents change a lot (no, the classic Apple stickers are always in place) - we are talking primarily about chargers. If European counterparts work with domestic "Euro" sockets, then chargers from the same Britain or the USA can be safely left until better times - for example, before a tourist trip in the indicated direction. Sometimes the instructions are available in certain languages.

Secondly, often the manufacturer blocks in advance the ability to use different cellular operators (you can check by IMEI using the methods listed above). Accordingly, it will not work to insert a SIM card of a classic Megafon or Beeline even with a strong desire (even the option using special repair services can be safely swept aside - blocking not only at the hardware level, but also at the software level).

And, since there are all chances of stumbling upon something wrong, then it's time to get tested with the help of a third-party service.

How to find out by IMEI a "refurbished" iPhone or not?

The instructions have already described a third-party service from the official, which allows you to find out if the iPhone has passed a course of technical rehabilitation or if the device is being sold directly from the factory, in its original condition. But just in case - again:

Go to a third-party service.
On the main page, enter the IMEI number. Confirm "humanity", wait for the completion of the procedure.
In the statistics that appeared, find the item "Refurbished by Apple" (whether technical support was provided, whether parts were replaced). If there is "No" - then you can safely take - everything is original, without any jambs.
If "Yes", and the user was counting on "No", then the seller is cheating and hides important information about the device.

Quite often, our customers, interested in buying AirPods headphones, ask the question: "Do you definitely have a copy?"

Of course, this question hurts us to the core, we just want to take a bundle on a stick and go into the sunset, like Tom from the cartoon, but we don't hang our nose! :)

But seriously, then we do not sell any copies... Only original Apple AirPods with an official one-year warranty.

Before purchasing your headphones, we always advise you to check the serial number on the Apple website:

If they are defined as AirPods - in front of you is the original, if the site gives an error - in front of you is something else. :)

And in order to dispel all the remaining doubts of our customers, we purchased these, God forgive me, fake AirPods and in this article we will compare the "formidable competitor" with a great headset from Apple.

Name

A copy of either iFans or Afans is called. At least these two inscriptions are present on the box. Apparently, the Chinese have not decided on the final name, so they decided to use both. :)

Box appearance

For those familiar with Apple technology, everything should become clear already at this stage. Apple never skimps on packaging its products. The box for real AirPods is made of quality cardboard in a minimalist design:

two earpieces are drawn on the front side;
shiny Apple logos on both ends;
on the third end there is a shiny inscription AirPods;
on the fourth end there is a brief description of the configuration and the serial number of the headphones, which you can always punch on the Apple website and check if these are real AirPods.

In general, the Chinese craftsmen tried to copy the design of the box, but when your goal is to make cheap squalor, and not a quality product, even then they failed.

The box is made of disgusting quality cardboard, there are no inscriptions on the ends, there is no serial number, but on the front side there is a drawing of headphones resembling Airpods. By the way, the print quality of the picture on the copy suggests that the Chinese also have trouble with the toner on the printer, the picture is so faded.

Set

Inside the box with the original AirPods there is a short instruction manual, the headphones themselves in a translucent film and a Lightning cable for charging the case.

There is no short guide book inside the box with a copy, but there are some inscriptions in Chinese glued to the bottom of the box. Perhaps these are characteristics, or perhaps thanks from the manufacturer for spending money on this horror. Well, the blue ugly film is not at all Apple-style. :)

The headphones themselves are not on a dense cardboard base, but in some kind of chemical incomprehensible contraption that can be found in a stall on the Chinese market. A charging cord is present, it even looks like a Lightning, but it's not Lightning at all, of course, but a cheap, low-quality Chinese something.

Headphones themselves

The copy is much larger than the original. The case itself is almost twice as large, and the headphones are so much larger than the original AirPods that Chinese plastics simply cannot fit into my ears.

The case for the original headphones has a nice springy opening-closing mechanism, while for the copy the case closes with a kind of latch, which looks, sounds and feels very cheap (but what did I expect for 1,500 rubles ?!).

The photographs show the original on the left and a copy on the right.

The magic of Apple is what we love this company for

Apple is not only "why is it so expensive", but also advanced technology and fantastic thoughtfulness of the user experience and ergonomics.

So, for the original AirPods, the pairing process looks like this: you turn on Bluetooth on your phone, open the case with headphones, the iPhone immediately sees AirPods nearby and prompts you to press the "connect" button. Click and that's it! They just work.

It took me almost an hour to connect the copy to the phone.

I, of course, understood that I would have to manually connect to the headphones through the Bluetooth menu on the phone. I go to the menu, open the case with Chinese airpods - and nothing happens. I waited a minute, tried again - again nothing. I put them on charge, waited, opened them again - nothing again. I almost had time to get upset, but then I looked at two small buttons on the headphones themselves, pressed them on both and now the cherished "afans" appeared in the menu, and I was able to connect to them. Here they are, cheap technology! :)

Of course, there is no Siri, no "tap to pause", no recognition of being in the ear of the copy at all. All control takes place from the phone. These are the features that make AirPods so cool to use.

Sound

Honestly, I'm not a music lover at all and I don't understand practically anything in sound quality. But I can say with firm 100% certainty that listening to music in Chinese airpods is impossible! They creak, grunt, make noise, there is no hint of low, high, and indeed any frequencies. All that you can use this, so to speak, headset is for listening to audiobooks, where the sound quality fades into the background. No music, period!

Verdict

Don't buy a Chinese copy even under threat of being shot! :)

This is a rather ridiculous attempt to "appear, not be."

For 2,000 rubles, you can buy good wired headphones, and if you want "Wireless" - save up the required amount for real AirPods. You will not regret it! :)

The purpose of this article is to help the average user figure out how to distinguish a copy from the original wireless headphones from Apple and dissuade him from buying a fake.

When buying an accessory for an iPhone, the first question that arises is whether to buy an original one or not? But if you decide to spend more money, it is not a fact that the seller will be bona fide, and you will not get a fake. Even in large stores, you can find counterfeit products. Therefore, it is better to always immediately check the authenticity of the contents of the box, and do not hesitate to ask the seller to open it and show the goods.

If it turns out to be defective, and you come to return it the next day, the store employees will be in a very uncomfortable position. To avoid conflict situations, you always need to know - where is the original, and where is a fake. Certified third party accessories have the MFi logo on the packaging (Made for iPhone). These products are not made by Apple, but their quality is influenced by the company ...

Headphones

The first thing to look at is the quality of production. Apple has taken great care in this and the products are free of visual defects. This is basically what distinguishes the original headphones from a fake, since few people will be able to determine it by ear. But in the end, the original will last you a long time.

Note, this is the headphone box. It should be made of high-quality plastic, which gives off a little bluish tint. While the fake gives off yellowness. Also, it shouldn't have any burrs, and the Apple logo must be present on it.

The headphones themselves must be made very carefully. They should not have gaps in the area where they are connected to the wire, and the “droplets” themselves are made to the touch of a single piece of plastic, with a barely noticeable seam. In fakes, this seam is often not made neatly, and is very striking.

If there is no L / R mark on the headphones, this is a fake. Although EarPods have a specific shape, some users get confused when purchasing such headphones for the first time.

Now about the lattice. In the original headphones, it is made of a metal mesh, and in the replica, it is made of fabric.

Cable

The original Lighting cable is expensive. Its price ranges from 1,500 rubles. These cables break often, and every time it is inappropriate to give such an amount for many. Therefore, there is a temptation to buy non-original cords. The main disadvantage is that the device may not accept the accessory, since it is not certified. Also, fakes can harm the device (for example, overheat the connector). But if you decide not to risk it, and give money for a real Lighting cable, then you will not hurt to find out its main differences from the copy.

The Apple Lightning to USB cable must be labeled “Designed by Apple in California”, “Assembled in China” (Made in China), “Assembed in Vietnam” (Made in Vietnam), or “Indústria Brasileira »(Made in Brazil) Approximately 18 cm from the USB terminal. Next to these labels is the 12-digit serial number.

Third-party certified Lightning to USB cables usually have a manufacturer's label next to the Lightning connector.

The original Lighting connector is made from one piece and has a gray metal surface. The dimensions of the connector are always the same - 7.7 x 12 mm.

The USB connector is made of sleek, gray metal, and has trapezoidal USB contact housing and gold colored contacts. There should be a solid and flat surface of insulation inside.

Buying copies of i-technology products, you run the risk of getting a low-quality, short-lived product. The Chinese market has long specialized in the production of replicas of a wide variety of equipment from large manufacturers. Moreover, the delivery from China is now fully established to Ukraine and takes from 3 to 5 working days. We decided to compare the original Apple product and the fake for you in order to convince you not to skimp on high-quality devices.

Our choice fell on the Apple Lightning USB cable, Apple EarPods headphones to draw your attention to the fact that it makes sense to buy even an original accessory instead of a fake one. So, by purchasing a Chinese replica, you run the risk of:

get a product that does not match your device in terms of its characteristics;
get a breakdown of the device itself;
spend more money than a replica is worth by itself, because in order to distinguish a fake, you need to know the real features of the original.

The only advantage of a copy of the product is its cheapness, which can lead to a malfunction of the device, which will ultimately deprive you of two things at once. Therefore, the iWorld online store strongly recommends that you buy only original products and learn how to distinguish them from copies. What to look for when buying an original Apple Lightning?

Price is the first feature that sets the original charging cable apart from the copy. Fakes are most often much cheaper, but there are situations when a low-quality unreliable replica comes to you for the price of a genuine product. If you are worried about this, then carefully check the cable and pay attention to the following external features.

The packaging of Apple equipment is always made at a high level. Firstly, the material used is thick cardboard, which protects the internal parts from damage during transportation. You do not have to worry that you will receive a damaged product and you will have to bother about returning it to the store if they still accept it. Counterfeit packaging is often made from lower quality materials, so you can easily distinguish it by its appearance. To the touch, usually, the box is softer, the color of the cardboard is not so snow-white. The print quality of the text on the box is less saturated, more like faded. Be sure to look for a special brand sticker on the original packaging indicating the batch number and its main characteristics. The manufacturer complements the packaging with convenient hangers that allow you to place the product on sale on the shop window. If there is no such hanger, then doubt the production of the purchased product.

After opening the package, start examining the appearance of the USB cable. He can also tell you that the product is counterfeit. Each cable is labeled and has its own personal identifier. Apple uses only light gray tones in its designation. For copies, the identifier is bolder and darker in color. Although, it is quite difficult to notice this flaw with the naked eye.

The Lightning connector can also be different. The original product has it made neatly, in one piece, the contacts do not stand out above the metal surface. Many users, using a fake, noted that the contacts not only stand out above the level of the metal surface, moreover, they represent a composite structure. The size of the connector on the replica can be anything, just not the standard sizes declared by the brand (7.7 mm x 12 mm). The outer colors of the connector may also vary. The branded product is gray, the front panel insert is metal.

Moving on to the USB plug. The plastic case of a real Lightning Apple has a light gray cable symbol. On copies, this designation is usually absent or has a significant difference in color. The metal part of the cable must be well polished, only two holes are placed on it, and not four, as can be found on many fakes. The contacts on the plug are gold-plated. The joints are trapezoidal, equidistant from each other. The insulating surface of the plug is uniform and smooth, which is not always adhered to by the partners.

If you are worried about the authenticity of your USB plug, you can always check its originality in our online store iWorld using a specialized stationary tester YG-616.

Headphones Apple Earpods have also become a frequent subject of fakes, thanks to their impeccable design, comfortable classic shape that everyone loved so much. Many who have come across a fake Apple Earpods with lightning or with a 3.5 mm jack note that the first thing that catches your eye is the lack of a company logo. If you take a closer look, you will notice that the box and the product itself differ in color. The box is often lighter than the Earpods themselves. The box in which the headphones are stored is often of poor quality in the copy, so there are difficulties with its opening and closing. Let's move on to the product itself. The original earbuds have an elastic rubberized wire, which makes the wires less tangled and protects them from kinking. The left and right wires should be the same length, even a millimeter difference should make you wary. Some copies of Apple Earpods differ even in such minor details:

elongated headphone shell instead of rounded;
fabric mesh instead of metal;
two round holes inside the shell crawl out beyond the oval instead of being clearly placed in it;
volume control panel without gaps instead of insignificant ones for a comfortable click;
loud clicks when adjusting sound instead of no sound;
Headphones with Lightning connector have rough edges instead of a smooth molded assembly;
Headphones with a 3.5mm jack fit tightly into the jack instead of a smooth, soft plug.

And of course the sound! Even an inexperienced music lover can notice the difference in sound between the copy and the original product. The real ones are filled with bass and surround sound. When recording sound with a microphone, the originals smooth out the noise.

To protect yourself from counterfeiting, we recommend that you purchase accessories for your i-equipment only in company stores and representative offices. Our online store iWorld is always ready to help you with this and provide competent advice on the correct selection of a product for your device.

Can you tell the difference between original headphonesfrom a Chinese counterfeit?

Unfortunately, we live in a world of unscrupulous sellers who are ready to "sell" anything to a naive buyer except a high-quality product. The more popular the product, the more fakes on the market.

Apple technology is wildly popular in Kazakhstan (especially in Almaty and Astana). This means that there are plenty of fake accessories.

For this article, the original Apple EarPods and a Chinese counterfeit were specially purchased to clearly point out the differences.

1. Let's start with the appearance of the boxes. The original has an embossed Apple logo, the copy doesn't.

2. The box of fake headphones is of poor quality. If you look closely, you can find stains, traces of oiled plastic. Also, these boxes are highly susceptible to scratches.

3. Without removing the headphones from the box. a fake can be immediately distinguished by sloppy seams. On the original, the seams are almost invisible.