These $43 Fake AirPods Pro 3s Are Getting Too Close…

These fake AirPods might be the best I’ve ever seen.

At this point, fake AirPods looking good is nothing new. The case, the stems, the overall shape, we’ve seen clones nail that part over and over again. Visuals alone don’t impress me anymore.

What makes these different is that they actually sound good. Not amazing or on par with real AirPods Pro, but good enough that I immediately noticed the difference compared to most clones. That alone puts them in a different category than the usual knockoffs.

Pairing, Controls, and Daily Use Feel Shockingly Close

They connect just like real AirPods. You open the case and they pair instantly without having to mess around in Bluetooth settings or deal with random disconnects. Once connected, they behave the way you expect AirPods to do.

Touch controls actually work, including swiping on the stem to adjust volume. That’s something a lot of fake AirPods either get wrong or don’t include at all.

From a daily usability standpoint, this is where these really stand out. Nothing feels broken or unfinished during basic use, which is rare for fakes.

Noise Cancellation Exists, Even If It’s Not Perfect

The noise cancellation is decent. It’s not going to compete with Apple’s implementation, but it does reduce background noise enough that you can tell it’s doing something.

They also include head gestures for answering or declining calls, where you nod or shake your head instead of tapping the earbuds. On these fake AirPods, though, it doesn’t work very well.

For a $43 pair of fake earbuds, that’s honestly impressive.

Where the Weak Points Start Showing

There are a few things I really don’t like.

The sound profile is very bass heavy. Some people will enjoy that, but it feels overdone and not very balanced. It can overpower vocals depending on what you’re listening to.

Transparency mode is pretty bad. Voices sound artificial and muffled, and it doesn’t come close to feeling natural. This is one of those features that exists on paper but isn’t practical to use.

Then there’s the heart rate monitor. Even when someone is clearly active, it just shows “heart rate unavailable.”

Final Thoughts

For $43, it’s hard to be too harsh. You’re getting fake AirPods that connect properly, have working touch controls, usable noise cancellation, and sound quality that’s better than most clones on the market. The extra features are hit or miss, but the core experience is solid.

Just don’t go into it expecting everything advertised to work perfectly.

If fake AirPods are already this close, Apple might want to start keeping an eye on the clone market.

See you in the next article!