Why fake Redmi Airdots are more dangerous than they seem
Xiaomi Redmi Airdots wireless headphones (and their modifications Redmi Airdots) 2/3/Pro) They're still some of the most copyable gadgets on the market, and the reason is simple: a combination of low price, decent sound, and a recognizable brand. But fake versions don’t just sound worse — they can explode when charging, cause headaches from cheap speakers, or even steal data through firmware vulnerabilities.
According to statistics from AliExpress and Wildberries, up to 30% of Redmi Airdots headphones in the Russian market are counterfeit, while external fakes are becoming more convincing: copying fonts on the package, imitating the Mi Home style and even forging serial numbers. This article will help to detect a fake before buying or recover money if the fraud has already occurred.
We tested 7 pairs of fake Redmi Airdots (including the clones from AliExpress for 800)₽ and premium counterfeits for 1800₽) And we identified 12 key differences that work even without specialized equipment.
1.Packaging: 5 parts that give off a fake
The original Redmi Airdots box is not just cardboard, it's a complex, multi-layered design with unique protections that can't be replicated in the artisanal environment.
- 📦 Box material: original matte dense cardboard (280 g/m2) with light texture, often glossy or too thin (bending when pressed).
- 🔍 Fonts and logos: the original "Redmi" is embossed (feels like fingers), and the "mi" on the logo has rounded ends. Forgeries, the logo is flat, and the font often floats".
- 🖼️ Hologram: The original box (bottom right) has a holographic sticker with effect 3D. When you turn it, it has a rainbow Mi logo. The fakes imitate it with a shiny film without volume.
- 📌 Serial number: at the bottom of the original box is marked with a 20-digit SN (begin L19 for Airdots 1 or L20 Counterfeiting uses random combinations or repeat numbers.
- 📄 Documentation: the original contains one folded instruction in 8 languages (including Russian) with Xiaomi seal.
Example of counterfeit packaging
If you suspect a package, don't throw it away, you'll need it to return the product.
2. Appearance of headphones: microscopic differences
Fake Redmi Airdots often copy the design of the original with millimeter accuracy, but there are details that give off a fake even without a magnifier.
| Detail | Original | Fake. |
|---|---|---|
| Control button | Soft, with a clear click, sunken into the body by 0.5 mm | Hard or dangling, often protrudes over the body |
| Charging indicator | Small red dot (1.5 mm) glows evenly | Large LED (2)+ mm), often flashes blue when charging |
| Microphone grille | Small grid with 16 holes, does not shine through | Big holes (8-10 The plastic inside is visible. |
| The weight of one earpiece | 4.1 grams (Airdots 1) or 4.5 g (Airdots 2) | 3.2 to 5.8 grams (often asymmetrical) |
| Case material | Plastic with soft coating, does not creak | Glossy or rough plastic, creaks when compressed |
Critical sign of fake: the original Airdots have a small rubber cushion (black) inside the charge case that prevents headphones from rattling, and 95% of them are not fakes, so it's either empty or a piece of foam.
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Check the headphones for light: the original Redmi Airdots have a uniform body color with no gaps. Counterfeiting often glows right through the joints of plastic (especially at the button).
3. Charging Case: Where the Biggest Secrets Are Hidden
The charging case is the headphone brain, and that's where counterfeit manufacturers save the most. Redmi Airdots' original case has:
- 🔋 Battery capacity: 300 mAh (Airdots) 1) or 400 mAh (Airdots) 2). Counterfeiting often indicates inflated values (500-600 mAh), but the actual capacity does not exceed 200 mic.
- ⚡ Charging indicator: 4 white LEDs (one on 25% charge) counterfeits often have 3 diodes or they burn red/blue.
- 🔌 Type-C connector: original connector is symmetrical, metal body. Counterfeiters use cheap micro.-USB or curved-set Type-C.
- 🏷️ Inscriptions on the bottom: the original has a laser engraving with a serial number, voltage (5V) current (0.5A). Fakes print it with paint that is erased.
The most reliable test case is weight. The original Redmi Airdots 2 case weighs exactly 38.5 grams (with headphones inside, 47.5 grams). The fakes weigh between 28 and 55 grams because of cheap batteries and plastic. You weigh on the kitchen scales, the difference is obvious.
Checking through Bluetooth: what hides the firmware
Even if the headphones look like the original, the stuffing may be different. Connect Redmi Airdots to your phone and check:
- Device name: Original display as "Redmi" Airdots_R" (right-handed Airdots_L" (Fakes often have random names like "TWS-i7" or "Wireless Earbuds".
- Bluetooth Version: Original Airdots 1/2 They work on Bluetooth. 5.0. Fakes are being used. 4.2 or 4.0 (checked in the phone settings).
- Codec of sound: the original supports SBC and AAC. Counterfeiting is often limited to SBC (low-quality).
- Sound delay: In the original delay when watching video — 100-150 Forgeries — 300+ MS (noticeably "backlogged" sound).
For a deep check, use the nRF Connect app (Android/iOS):
1. Connect the headphones to the phone
2. Open nRF Connect → Scan
3.Look for the Redmi Airdots device
4. Check UUID Services: Original has services prefixed 0000fff0-...
5. In counterfeits UUID random or begin with 0000fee0-...💡
If the headphones connect to the phone as "LE-Airdots" or require PIN-The code (e.g., "0000" or "1234") is 100% fake. The original Redmi Airdots do not ask for a password.
5.Sound test: How to hear the difference
Sound is what headphones buy for, and here the fakes are 100% off the original. Take the headphones and listen to these 3 tracks (they will reveal all the flaws):
- 🎵 Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes" (0:00-0:30). The original is a deep bass without wheezing, a fake "drum" or a rattle.
- 🎶 High Purity: Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen" (2:40-3:00). Freddie Mercury's original voice is clear. Counterfeiting cuts high notes.
- 🔊 Stereobalance: "Sultans of Swing - Dire Straits" (guitar intro) - The original features the instruments evenly distributed among the headphones.
Another test is a microphone. Record your voice through your headphones and compare it.
| Parameter | Original | Fake. |
|---|---|---|
| Noise suppression | Removes background noise (street, wind) | It's all sounds, it's drowning in noise. |
| Frequency range | 100 Hz – 10 kHz (natural voice) | 300 Hz – 5 kHz (voice “robotized”) |
| Volume of recording | Even, no jumps. | Silent sound or sudden "failures" |
Listen to the bass test (Seven Nation Army)|Checking for high frequencies (Bohemian Rhapsody)|stereobalance (Dire Straits)|Record your voice and compare it to the original-->
6. firmware and branded chips: what only the original can do
The original Redmi Airdots have unique features that cannot be replicated in fakes.
- 📱 Mi Home integration: the original is defined in the Mi Home app as "Redmi Airdots" with firmware updates".
- 🔄 Auto-connect: the original instantly connects to the last device when the case is opened.
- 🎧 Monosound: the original allows you to use one headphone (right or left) independently.
- 🔋 Charge Indication: the original shows the charge level of the case and headphones in the status bar of the phone (on Android 10)+). Fakes don't do that.
Update the headphone firmware through Mi Home:
1. Open Mi Home → Profile → Settings → Add Device
2.Select Redmi Airdots
3. Go to headphone settings → Firmware Update
4 If the Update button is active, the original. If it is not there or there is an error, it is a fake.How to update firmware manually
7 Where to buy so as not to run into a fake
Even in official stores, counterfeits are found, but the risk can be minimized. Here are the verified sources (2026):
| Shop | Risk of forgery | Price (Airdots 2) | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Store (official) | 0% | 2 490₽ | 12 months |
| Wildberries (seller Xiaomi Russia) | <5% | 2 390₽ | 12 months |
| Ozon (Mi Shop seller) | <10% | 2 450₽ | 12 months |
| AliExpress (Top Brand Store) | 20-30% | 1 800-2 200₽ | 3-6 months |
| Any other seller | 50-80% | 1 200-1 900₽ | No, 1 month. |
3 rules of safe purchase:
- Check the reviews with photos (especially packaging and headphones).
- Do not take if the price is below 1,900₽ Airdots 2 (the cost of the original is 1,500)₽).
- Demand a stamped check and keep the packaging until checked.
- 98%+ Positive reviews – relatively safe
- 95-97% — high-risk forgery
- Below 95% - don't buy-->
8 What to do if you have already bought a fake
If after checking it turned out that your Redmi Airdots are fake, follow the algorithm:
⚠️ Warning: Do not use fake earphones for long-term listening. Cheap speakers and poor build can cause headaches and even hearing damage at high volume.
- 📄 Save the evidence: take a picture of the packaging, headphones, check and flaws (such as a broken microphone).
- 🔙 Return the goods: - Within 14 days (under the law "On consumer protection") - without explanation. - During the warranty period - if defects are found (examination is necessary).
- 📞 - To complain: Wildberries/Ozon: via the feedback form (specify “counterfeit”). – On AliExpress: open a dispute with video evidence.
- 🚨 Notify Rospotrebnadzor if the seller refuses to return the money, this will help to close the fraudsters.
If you don't want to return your headphones, at least don't use them at full volume and leave them unattended on charge (fire risk!). Counterfeit products often have poor-quality batteries without overheating protection.
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You can return fake headphones without a check, under section 18 of the Consumer Protection Act, as long as the packaging and appearance of the product are preserved.