Are my AirPods real or fake?

Click on this link to learn how to find the serial number of your AirPods --> Find the serial number of your AirPods - Apple Support

Enter the serial number in this link --> Check Your Service and Support Coverage - Apple Support - Check Your Service and Support Coverage - Apple Support

Does it find them? If yes then at least the serial number is real, but fake copies can have real serial numbers that might well, of course, be reported as valid. If you take them to Apple they may be able to tell the difference. The bottom line is the only real way to be sure Airpods are not fake is to only buy them from Apple or an Apple Authorized retailer. --> Find Locations

If it says the serial number was replaced* that likely means they were reported as defective and Apple replaced them but they were not returned to Apple as required, or they were reported lost or stolen from stock or during shipping. No support or service is available for them.

" The product has been replaced by our record, Please provide the serial number for your replacement product to find the support and warranty coverage information"

vini49 wrote:

are these real or fake

Nobody here can remotely identify fake AirPods.

If we were able to give you some means of identification, the counterfeiters would then implement that, too.

If you bought from an Apple reseller or from Apple, they almost certainly are real. If you bought elsewhere, particularly if sold as “new”, then what you bought might or might be counterfeit. The better the deal you got, the more likely they’re counterfeit, too.

If the AirPods ear fit test and the noise cancellation and transparency modes all work, the AirPods are probably real.

If the particular AirPods-related model you have acquired should support MagSafe charging (check the part numbers), then if that MagSafe charging does work can point to a legitimate device. (Various and older AirPods models don’t and shouldn’t support MagSafe, so you’ll have to first identify which you have.)

For some background on the difficulties identifying some of the better counterfeit devices, this from Adam Savage of Tested:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db99cXMD780

The only thing a serial number check proves is that there’s probably one legitimate device with that serial number, somewhere, and that there can be zero or more counterfeits using that same serial number. Creating a counterfeit device requires some effort, but copying legitimate serial numbers off legitimate boxes and from “helpful” internet postings is easy. Particularly if you plan to make a few thousand counterfeit copies of each serial number, or more.