Fake $95 AirPods Pro vs. Real AirPods Pro

Apple just released the AirPods Pro in late October, but there are already a bunch of knockoffs and replicas on the market to appeal to those who might not be able to afford the $250 asking price of the AirPods Pro.

We picked up the $95 i500 Pro TWS Earbuds, a set of AirPods Pro replicas that are remarkably similar in design to Apple's real AirPods Pro and that even advertise some of the same features, like Apple's proprietary H1 chip. In the photos and videos below, the real AirPods are on the left.


Price wise, these fakes are $95, which is almost half the price of the AirPods Pro. That's super expensive for a knockoff, so before reading on, know that we do not recommend purchasing these fakes or any fake AirPods Pro models because you're never going to get the feature set, sound quality, and build quality that you get from Apple's own earbuds.

fakeairpodsdesign2
When it comes to design, the Air i500 Pro TWS look identical to the AirPods Pro. The earbuds themselves are similar to the AirPods Pro with almost no design deviations, and there's even a matching Wireless Charging Case that wirelessly charges the case itself and the fake AirPods inside.

fakeairpodscase
Just looking at the Air i500 Pro TWS next to AirPods, you're probably not going to be able to tell the difference between the two. There are some minor design discrepancies so they're not totally identical, but if you're not inspecting them up close side by side, it's tough to tell. The Air i500 Pro earbuds do feel lighter and the lid feels a bit different in use, but again, most people might not notice.

On the website, the fake earbuds claim to have a Qualcomm chip and Apple's proprietary H1 chip that allows for quick swapping between devices, simple setup, "Hey Siri" functionality, and more, and these features do appear to work. We don't know if it's a copy of the H1 chip and there are rumors floating around that the company is using spoofed MAC addresses, but functionally, these have some of the AirPods Pro tech on the surface.

Connecting is similar to AirPods Pro in that you just need to open the case and then hold down a button on the back, and when connecting, a battery level indicator pops up on the iPhone just like the real thing. Battery levels are even displayed inside of the battery widget in the Today portion of the notification interface.

fakeairpodsdesign
Wireless charging works, "Hey ‌Siri‌" is functional, music playback pauses when an earbud is taken out of the ear, and battery life seems to be similar to real AirPods Pro, but the similarities end there. The i500 Pro TWS has no force sensor and does not support squeeze gestures, and the key AirPods Pro feature - active noise cancellation - is not included.

There are zero noise cancellation features and there's no Transparency mode either, though there is a decent seal within the ear. Sound quality isn't terrible, but it doesn't measure up to the AirPods Pro or the standard AirPods. There's little bass and too much treble, and the sound is not as crisp and clear as the sound from the actual AirPods.

Superficially, the Air i500 Pro TWS look like the AirPods Pro, but functionally, these have none of the "Pro" features that make the AirPods Pro a worthwhile purchase. We don't recommend spending $95 on a knockoff version of the AirPods, but these earbuds do provide an interesting look at how far companies will go to make fake Apple products.

Related Roundup: AirPods Pro 3
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Pro (Buy Now)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iPhone 16 Pro Max 80% Charge Limit: One Year Later, Was It Worth It?

Wednesday September 24, 2025 3:58 pm PDT by
With the iPhone 15 series, I did an experiment and kept my iPhone's Charge Limit set at 80 percent for an entire year. It provided an interesting look at the impact of charge limits on battery longevity, so I decided to repeat it for the iPhone 16 line. Since September 2024, my iPhone 16 Pro Max has been limited to an 80 percent charge, with no cheating. As of today, my battery's maximum...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 1

Monday September 22, 2025 12:44 pm PDT by
Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.1 today, just a week after launching iOS 26. iOS 26.1 mainly adds new languages to Apple Intelligence, but there are a few other features that are worth knowing about. New Apple Intelligence Languages Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. AirPo...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

Skipped the iPhone 17 Pro? Here's What is Rumored for iPhone 18 Pro

Tuesday September 23, 2025 8:55 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already a few rumors about the devices that offer an early look ahead. Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. This story was published previously, and it has been updated to reflect the latest rumors. Many early rumors prove to be true, but nothing is confirmed yet, and Apple's...
apple tv 4k new orange

Next Apple TV Expected to Launch This Year With These New Features

Monday September 22, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
The next Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Likely Features N1 Chip With Wi-Fi 7 Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the next Apple TV would be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which is...
AirPods Pro 3 Newsroom

Apple's 'Back to School' Offer Ends Soon, Now Applies to AirPods Pro 3

Wednesday September 24, 2025 7:20 am PDT by
Apple's annual "Back to School" promotion for students ends soon, so act fast if you want to score free AirPods with the purchase of an eligible new Mac or iPad. Until Tuesday, September 30, college students and qualifying educational staff in the U.S. can receive free AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation when they purchase an eligible new Mac or iPad from Apple. This is a $179 value. ...
iPhone 17 Pro USB C Port

iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C Charging Speeds Tested With Apple Chargers

Monday September 22, 2025 7:29 am PDT by
The website ChargerLAB has tested the iPhone 17 Pro Max's USB-C charging speeds with a variety of Apple's chargers, from 18W to 140W. The device reached a peak charging speed of around 36W with the following Apple chargers:40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max 61W USB-C Power Adapter 67W USB-C Power Adapter 70W USB-C Power Adapter 96W USB-C Power Adapter 140W USB-C Power AdapterFor...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

Apple Blames In-Store MagSafe Chargers for iPhone 17 Pro Display Model Scratches

Wednesday September 24, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
The marks on the iPhone 17 Pro models that people have noticed at Apple retail stores are caused by the chargers that Apple uses, Apple confirmed today. Apple told 9to5Mac that worn MagSafe charging stands in stores are causing marks on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Apple says that the marks are not scratches, and are instead material transfer from the stand to the phone. The...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Confirms iOS 26 Wallet Passport Feature is Coming in 2025

Tuesday September 23, 2025 1:06 pm PDT by
Digital ID, the iOS 26 feature that lets U.S. passport holders add their passports to the Wallet app, is coming later in 2025, Apple confirmed today. Apple updated the release timing wording of Digital ID on its iOS 26 features page. "Digital ID will be coming later this year with US passports only," it reads. Prior to today, the footnote for the feature said "Digital ID will be available ...
Apple Intelligence General Feature 2

iOS 26.1 Adds New Apple Intelligence Languages and Expands AirPods Live Translation

Monday September 22, 2025 11:15 am PDT by
With iOS 26.1, Apple Intelligence is gaining support for additional languages, including Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. Apple announced plans to expand the languages that can be used with Apple Intelligence last year, and now the added language support is here. Apple Intelligence is now available in the following...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro is Vulnerable to Scratching, But Not Where You Might Think

Tuesday September 23, 2025 2:18 pm PDT by
Early reports have suggested that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air are more vulnerable to scratches and scuffs, primarily due to damage spotted at Apple Stores. Apple customers have discovered that the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models Apple has out for display at its retail locations have scratching in the area of the MagSafe charger. Those devices are handled by hundreds to thousands of...

Top Rated Comments

alexandr Avatar
76 months ago
these will go along quite nicely with your rolox.
Score: 48 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
76 months ago

If it connects like the real thing and Hey Siri works, I think that mean they've successfully reverse-engineered or cloned the H1 chip.
They first managed to a while ago with knockoff AirPods.

I had a pair for a while until I got curious, and, well…

Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
The Game 161 Avatar
76 months ago

Apple should reduce the price to $180 or 200.
why? wouldn't make sense for them to do that when it will sell like crazy at the current prices
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
oneMadRssn Avatar
76 months ago
If it connects like the real thing and Hey Siri works, I think that mean they've successfully reverse-engineered or cloned the H1 chip.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coolfactor Avatar
76 months ago
Mind blowing how they are able to replicate these so quickly. Or there's a compromise in the manufacturing chain that's allowing Chinese companies to begin work on their knockoffs much sooner.

I still think it's shameful how they carbon-copy the real deal and still sleep soundly at night.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ouimetnick Avatar
76 months ago
I bought some fake AirPods back in February of this year from Wish. Paid like $40 shipped. A month later they showed up. The charging case doesn’t charge them with out being on a wireless charger on plugged in, and the cover on the case was super flimsy (since snapped off) and the battery life isn’t as good as real AirPods. BUT THEY WERE $40.

The case supports wireless charging (works well actually) and the sound is better than the AirPods. They fall out of my ears (just like the real deal) and they are quicker when you tap to pause/play. I think they are called the TWS i10. I’d recommend these over the $199 wireless charging AirPods unless you like the tighter integration of the real product. Also real AirPods come with a 1 year warranty and use genuine batteries.. Can't really speak for safety with these.

I can’t speak for these new knock offs though. I don’t understand why greedy Tim Apple couldn’t have replaced the $159 AirPods with the new AirPods with wireless charging case. $40 for wireless charging? Steve Jobs didn’t increase the price of the iPod nano when Apple added video play back to the 3rd gen in 2007. He didn’t increase the price when they added video recording in 2009. iPhone pricing stayed the same until recently. Jobs would never have offered good, better, best. He just offered the best he could at the affordable well known and liked price points.

$149 should get you AirPods with wireless charging and the non wireless charging should be discontinued. AirPods Pro should be $199. Period.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)