A few months ago, I bought a fake Apple product on the Temu app and it was a big mistake. What I received was a barely functional smartwatch, an AirPods knock-off with poor sound quality, and a clear iPhone case that probably offered as much protection as wrapping your phone in cellophane. But curious as to whether all the Apple knockoffs on the Temu Marketplace are terrible or if I just ordered a bad lot, I made the controversial decision to buy more devices. I put it down.
Editor’s note
Between ordering the product on Temu and reviewing it in this YouTube video, everything was removed from the Temu app marketplace.
Temu Marketplace doesn’t explicitly allow products listed under Apple trademark names, but when I search for things like “AirPods Max” or “Apple Watch band” in the app, the product I ordered appears. it was done. The photos used to promote the product were undoubtedly similar to those Apple uses for products it manufactures and sells. Moreover, according to product listings, most of the devices I found have been purchased and reviewed thousands of times.
But how can a fake be on par with the real thing? I purchased 4 more items from Temu (all under $15). They look like they could be on the shelves of an Apple store. The results are as follows.
“AirPods Max”
AirPods Max are some of the best headphones you can buy. Not only does it have impressive sound and top-notch active noise cancellation, but it’s also packed with features like spatial audio and Find My. With fun colors and a retro look, it’s no wonder headphones have become a status item.
But understandably, the full price of $549 is out of many people’s budget. So I can see why someone would search for similar pairs in Temu. What I found by searching for “AirPods Max” in the Marketplace had all five of his actual AirPods Max colors. However, the package I received clearly did not meet Apple’s standards. The box appeared to have been hit by a truck, and the headset had essentially fallen out.
Although they certainly look like AirPods Max, the headphones I purchased from Temu are entirely plastic, right down to the “mesh” ear cups, which are plastic cushions with a printed mesh pattern. There were also a number of buttons on the side of the headset, but the actual AirPods Max are controlled by the Digital Crown.
As for the sound, I was actually surprised at how bearable it was. The bass felt a bit high and vocals sounded flat, but the overall profile wasn’t as hollow as I expected. Now, for a $10 headphone, I wasn’t expecting much. And I still believe that if you can abandon the AirPods Max look, you can find great cheap headphones that sound better.
“AirPods Pro 2”
My least favorite purchase from Temu was AirPods. I’ve seen dozens of fake AirPods and these were some of the worst. Couldn’t beat any of the best wireless earbuds out there. That said, a recent pair I ordered inspired by the AirPods Pro offered a more positive experience.
First, it had colorful packaging that reminded me of old pop art-style iPod ads. That way, the AirPods themselves look very legit. The case had a nice weight to it and the lid felt sturdy. The only way I could tell it was the real thing was that I had his new $249 AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C for comparison, but this one had a different charging port.
When I tried to pair the earbuds I purchased from Temu to my iPhone, I received a notification that the phone could not verify that they were genuine AirPods. This is a helpful message set up by Apple to discourage people from selling fake His AirPods as real.Of course I Already knew I wasn’t using real AirPods.
Similar to the fake AirPods Max, the sound quality of these earphones wasn’t terrible. Would you say it sounds good? Not really, but I think they’re better than I expected for sub-$10 earphones. Still, if it were me, I’d buy these best cheap earbuds for under $25 instead.
Apple Watch Ultra band
Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2 come with special bands designed for specific sports. There’s the Alpine Loop for mountain-style sports, the Ocean Band for water sports, and the Trail Loop for outdoor running.
I’m personally not the biggest fan of the Apple Watch Ultra band, and nothing fits my style better than the other best Apple Watch bands. So if it wasn’t for this experiment, I don’t think I’d order a band similar to the Apple Watch Ultra band online from Temu. I also tried a $13 pack of six straps, and I can’t recommend it enough.
“Ocean Band” and “Alpine Loop” are especially bad. It lacks the premium materials and feel of the real band, which costs $99 when purchased separately from the Apple Watch Ultra. I never thought it would keep me safe during sports, especially the intense sports I might face with Apple’s Titanium Sports Watch.
I just liked the faux trail loops a bit, they felt soft and stretchy. Still, that’s not the band I would choose.
“Apple MagSafe Battery Pack”
The Apple MagSafe battery pack is one of the company’s lesser-known accessories, allowing you to keep your iPhone charged even if you don’t have access to a cord. However, at $99, it’s not the most affordable charging solution.
In fact, Temu has a lot of wireless charging banks, so I bought the one most similar to Apple’s for $11. In person, it looked similar to the Apple MagSafe battery pack, except for the Apple logo on the back.
Unfortunately, it didn’t come with a charging cord, so the one I found myself to power it up didn’t work. I think it ended up being a failure. This didn’t surprise me at all, since when I shook the battery pack, it sounded like pieces were moving inside.
Should I buy fake Apple products on Temu?
Despite having more success than ever with this group of products, we don’t recommend buying anything on Temu pretending to be an Apple device. I understand that people want to have things for the branded look, but most products still don’t work. Additionally, in the case of Apple MagSafe battery packs, the product may arrive completely broken.
I’m also a little concerned about the notification that appears on my iPhone warning me that I’m pairing fake AirPods. Even if the sound in your headphones is fine, there’s no chance you’ll be putting your phone at risk. At that point, I think it’s worth buying a more affordable pair of earbuds that, again, probably don’t pass as AirPods.
I don’t think I’ll buy any more fake Apple products on Temu, but I think the app has other benefits as well. In fact, I spent $50 on Temu for some random items and I don’t regret it at all. I also recently purchased some holiday decorations through the app and they turned out really nice. Perhaps you should be careful when buying something that looks different.