The topic iFixit tears down fake Apple Watch Ultra 3, AirPods Max 2, and AirPods Pro 3 is currently the subject of lively discussion — readers and analysts are keeping a close eye on developments.
This is taking place in a dynamic environment: companies’ decisions and competitors’ reactions can quickly change the picture.
iFixit recently visited the Huaqiangbei district of Shenzhen, China, where they bought Apple Watch Ultra 3, AirPods Max 2, and AirPods Pro 3 knockoffs, took them back to the studio, and immediately disassembled them. Here’s what they found.
As iFixit explains in the video, Huaqiangbei is a global hub for repair parts for most electronics sold worldwide.
It is also a place where visitors can buy counterfeit products that, from the outside, may look a lot like the real thing, but do not hold up under closer inspection (or, in this case, once you look inside).
As soon as iFixit’s Shahram Mokhtari picks up the fake Apple Watch Ultra 3 and starts interacting with its operating system, he notices that tapping any app on the watch face just activates Night Mode, which tints the interface red, rather than opening the app he’s tapping.
He also notices that the Taptic Engine feels different, and that most sensors (except for the heart rate sensor) are painted on the back of the device’s plastic shell (rather than ceramic or sapphire).
Once Mokhtari opens the fake Apple Watch Ultra 3, he notes that the 260 mAh battery (less than half the capacity of the real thing) is basically loose inside the case, with its wires soldered to the main board.
As with the fake Apple Watch Ultra 3, Mokhtari notes that as soon as you pick up the fake AirPods Max 2, you notice differences in materials, textures, and build.
That includes a plastic rather than aluminum shell, as well as cushions that are more squishy than the real thing.
Mokhtari notes that the clickiness of the buttons feels wrong and that the knockoffs lack active noise canceling and transparency mode.
What the knockoffs do have that are like the original are the ear detection system, and the native pairing popups and animations that appear when setting up a real pair of AirPods Max 2.
While digging into the earcups, Mokhtari is unable to identify the battery being used and notes that, as the disassembly progresses, some poorly soldered cables come loose easily. He also points out a few silver cylinders whose only job is to give the headphones the same heavy feel as the real AirPods Max 2.
Of all three products, these knock-offs are the ones that look closest to the real thing. Mokhtari notes that they are almost impossible to tell apart, aside from a slight difference in the seams.
But that is where the similarities end. As he tries to remove the silicone tip, the entire front piece of the AirPods comes off with it, disconnecting a couple of cables and wires in the process. Later, he realizes that the tip is actually glued to the earbuds.
When inspecting the fake AirPods in the CT scan, Mokhtari notices several details that set them further apart from the real thing:
MEMS’s microphones are missing. Cheap-looking drivers and a very basic construction, using soldered copper wire instead of flex cables, are all dead giveaways.
Upon closer inspection, Mokhtari notes that the earbuds of the fake AirPods Pro 3 “are constructed like first-gen AirPods,” allowing the tiny printed circuit board to slide out of the stem. He also notes that, as expected, the device’s internals don’t include components such as the ANC mics and heart rate sensors.
Finally, disassembling the case also reveals poorly built internals, including, once again, an unmarked battery.
Although the findings may be unsurprising, given the context, iFixit’s video still makes for an interesting 15-ish minutes. You can watch it below: