Could These TEMU Tech Products Really Save You Money?

Tom's Guide
Tom's Guide
  • 3 months ago
Tom's Guide previously discovered in their last video unboxing and reviewing fake Apple products from Temu, that you can find all kinds of tech knock-offs on the popular shopping app.

This time, they ordered dupes of the AirPods Max, AirPods Pro 2, Apple Watch Ultra bands and Apple MagSafe Battery Pack to see how they compare to the real things — and were surprised by what they looked like and how they performed. Are $10 fake AirPods not so bad after all?

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Transcript
00:00I'm back again with things I bought on Teemu that are heavily inspired by Apple.
00:04Dare I call them fake Apple products?
00:06Do you see this?
00:08So cute.
00:10Can you tell the difference?
00:13Can you hear that?
00:15Now I want to start by apologizing because in my last video I did not do a good job
00:19at clarifying that while these devices are bought on Teemu,
00:22they're not Teemu branded or made by Teemu.
00:25Teemu is just the marketplace and cannot be credited with making the knockoffs.
00:28But I will say that when I search for Apple products like AirPods Max and Apple Watch bands,
00:33there are some pretty blatant lookalikes populated in the results.
00:37Let's get into it.
00:41There's no smell this time.
00:42I think that's a good thing.
00:43I will say that once again, the package is a little worse for wear.
00:47Not sure when that happened, but I do know what I ordered.
00:51So hopefully everything's in here and it arrived in good condition.
00:54There already is a rip in the package.
00:56Let's just go from there.
00:59Oh boy.
01:03Do you see this?
01:04Do you see this?
01:07I'll come back to you.
01:10Okay, AirPods Pro should come in this packaging.
01:15This is so fun.
01:16I love this.
01:16Okay, wait, there's more.
01:20Oh yes, we got our Apple Watch Ultra bands.
01:25And last but not least, a battery pack.
01:29Looks pretty familiar to me.
01:30So I have the product listing up for the wireless UFP9 BT headset, Bluetooth headset,
01:38suitable for iOS or Android.
01:40It is available in five colors, which look very similar to the colors in which you can buy AirPods
01:46Max.
01:47And currently they are $9.99, though at full price, they cost about $27.
01:54So this is what you get for $10.
01:56All right.
01:58Let's see.
02:02This is going in the garbage anyway.
02:04Okay.
02:08Do you hear that?
02:09Some nice hollow plastic right there.
02:12Why would you make them look like AirPods Max that have been made out of just plastic?
02:19The best part about this though, is that the mesh is printed.
02:23That's so funny.
02:24Like why at that point would you even do printed mesh?
02:26Why wouldn't you just have like it be a uniform, you know, whatever this plasticky cover is.
02:31We got some buttons right here.
02:33Let's see what these are.
02:35Power, pause, play, and answer a call, skip, rewind.
02:39This is real fancy over here.
02:40We got micro USB charging and a headphone jack.
02:45Wait, that's something you don't get on these.
02:48There's no headphone jack.
02:49That's awesome.
02:51So right off the bat, if you need headphones with a headphone jack,
02:55you're not going to get AirPods Max.
02:56You might want to get these instead.
02:58These are giving plastic is what it's doing.
03:01Barbie said life is plastic.
03:03Well, she must have these headphones.
03:05Only thing we can do now is try them on, right?
03:09Oh, they don't really fit.
03:10I mean, maybe they do.
03:11They're not going to fit everyone though.
03:13How do I look?
03:15Power on.
03:16That's good.
03:16Bluetooth connected successfully.
03:19What should we listen to?
03:21Oh, I have to say for $10, these don't actually sound so bad.
03:25Like you get some of the stereo.
03:27There's like bass.
03:28These like aren't bad.
03:30Now they don't have active noise cancellation.
03:33That might be pretty obvious.
03:34That's more of like a premium feature.
03:36You do get that obviously on AirPods Max,
03:39along with a lot of other smart features like spatial audio, for example.
03:43And of course you can find these in Find My with your iPhone.
03:47I know for certain that if I tried to pull these far apart, they would snap.
03:52So as long as you are okay, kind of being a bit more gentle with them,
03:57you know, the plastic won't hold up too well over time.
03:59But if you just want something that like looks kind of like a very popular
04:04and very expensive Apple product, these are not the worst thing I've seen.
04:11I think it just makes sense to do another audio product.
04:14And the packaging for this is so cute.
04:17You know what these remind me of?
04:18You know, the old iPod commercials?
04:20Yes, the iPod with like the dancing silhouettes
04:22and they had like the different pop art color block style things.
04:26It almost kind of reminds me of that.
04:28So talk about paying homage.
04:31The other thing that I would say about the packaging
04:33is that it is in much better shape than the over-ear headphones that we just unboxed.
04:39So I'm a bit more optimistic about that.
04:42Let's see the product listing though.
04:44Oh no.
04:45It says this item was discontinued.
04:48You cannot buy these anymore and I'm terribly sorry about that.
04:51But if I remember correctly, they were in like the $9 to $12 range.
04:56That's okay.
04:57We still have them here.
04:58Let's still unbox them and see what they're like.
05:01Oh, this makes me sad for the environment.
05:06First impressions, these look and feel a lot better
05:09than the AirPods dupes in the last video we did.
05:14You get the little status icon, the indent, the metal looking back here,
05:19the pairing button, and even a lightning port.
05:23Now in terms of case design,
05:25the latest gen AirPods Pro have a speaker in the case.
05:29Speakers, I should say.
05:30So you actually see speaker grills.
05:32But why don't I just show you?
05:34The case sizes are identical.
05:36From the front, truly identical.
05:38From the back, I mean, wow.
05:40You get the designed by Apple in California label there.
05:44And then of course the bottom, like I said.
05:46These feel heavier, which is kind of normal.
05:48Like these are obviously a lot more expensive.
05:50So you have more premium materials.
05:53But these don't feel as like plasticky even as the AirPods Max.
05:57Damn, these are some good looking dupes.
06:01I've seen a lot of headphones and earbuds inspired by AirPods.
06:05And I think these might be the most convincing looking just by a glance.
06:10That issue that I was having with the AirPods Max,
06:12where it was like the mesh was printed on.
06:14These actually look functional.
06:16Like these aren't just textured plastic.
06:18It actually looks like those are where the speaker grills are.
06:21So it's definitely not the AirPods experience
06:24of when you just pop open the case, it's ready to pair.
06:27Oh, oh, we love this notification.
06:32Can you see that?
06:33We got that last time.
06:34Do you remember?
06:35So if someone tried to sell these to me as real genuine AirPods,
06:40charge me a few hundred dollars,
06:42this would be my iPhone's way of telling me that I got scammed.
06:47So I'm gonna connect anyway and hope for the best.
06:56So the sound you're hearing through my mic
06:57isn't gonna be exactly what I'm hearing in my ears.
07:00But I have to say these really for the price are not bad.
07:03Like if you need a pair of budget headphones,
07:06maybe just like in a spare set to keep in your bag
07:09or even at your desk, I wouldn't be mad about these.
07:11Now a big thing that I would miss personally
07:13compared to using the real AirPods Pro 2
07:16is features like spatial audio
07:18where I'd be moving my head around
07:19and the music would be moving with me.
07:21I would say it's very just two-dimensional
07:24listening to these to that effect.
07:26I just must've gotten bad ones last time.
07:28I guess the dupes have gotten a lot better for headphones.
07:33So I asked Mark to come give a second opinion
07:36on these headphones to make sure that I'm not going crazy
07:38and that these actually aren't horrible.
07:43Not the sound was going to be worse.
07:45Right, they're not bad.
07:46I have one more pair for you to try.
07:48Sure.
07:49First of all, can you tell the difference?
07:53Can I take a look at the bottom?
07:55No.
07:57This is the real one maybe?
07:59Because it has the light but I don't know.
08:00You're fooled.
08:02Okay.
08:02Fooled.
08:03No, but the case is pretty convincing.
08:04Obviously the giveaways would be the bottom.
08:06These are the new AirPods with USB-C,
08:09but these actually did come with a lightning port.
08:11Give them a little try.
08:12Sure.
08:15I can hear music through the right side.
08:17So I found this too.
08:18On the left side, you actually have to press and hold to turn it on.
08:21Each bud goes on and off individually.
08:23Have you tried fake AirPods before this?
08:26No.
08:26No, you never have.
08:27Okay, well I have and I'll say that these sound pretty good.
08:31Cool.
08:31Thank you for your input, Mark.
08:33Sure.
08:33Eeny, meeny, miny, moe.
08:37Bands.
08:38Now for these, I looked up Apple Watch Ultra bands
08:41because the Apple Watch Ultra bands are very distinct.
08:44As you might remember, Apple came out with a line of three different bands
08:48that were made to be sold with the Apple Watch Ultra.
08:51They serve different sports.
08:53But if you've been on this channel and you've heard me talk about the Apple Watch Ultra before,
08:57you know I'm not really a fan of any of the bands.
09:00So I will say I probably won't like these if they're similar,
09:04but I am curious to see just how much they compare to the real things.
09:10So this pack comes with...
09:14That's pretty good.
09:15Six Apple Watch bands.
09:17So this is a six-pack trail loop plus alpine loop plus ocean bands for Apple Watch.
09:23And we got these for $12.58, $2 each.
09:29That's a pretty good bargain.
09:31I know on Amazon you can get Apple Watch bands at a pretty big discount.
09:35Oftentimes they come in packs like this too.
09:38So I can't say I'm so surprised to have seen these on T-Mute.
09:42Let's start with the alpine loop then.
09:47Well, one thing off the bat is that this has a bit of stretch to it.
09:51The actual alpine loop does not do that.
09:54You see how there's that spring?
09:55So that is a difference.
09:57This metal also looks pretty cheap.
09:59I'm not going to lie.
10:01But let's see how it looks on my actual Apple Watch Ultra.
10:06There we go.
10:09So that alpine loop is supposed to have ultra durable double stitching.
10:14The idea is that if I were hanging off the side of a clip,
10:17just scratching against a rock probably wouldn't rip it.
10:20Whereas this feels a lot thinner.
10:22I feel like I probably could, if I wanted to, pull that off.
10:26I don't really like the real alpine loop and I don't really like the fake one either.
10:30Let's try the ocean band.
10:32The ocean band is intended for scuba diving.
10:36The idea is that it has these double loops that would keep the watch secure on your hand.
10:42Because if you drop it down in the ocean,
10:44the chances of you getting it back are pretty low.
10:47Let's see how it feels.
10:50So again, like the trail rope, it's a lot stretchier,
10:53which gives me the indication that maybe the quality isn't as good.
10:59It's not as sturdy.
11:00It's more likely to perhaps stretch out, slide off.
11:04But the fit there actually isn't bad.
11:06I don't hate that.
11:07Oh, and it even does have the mechanism that opens up so that, you know, you can put it through.
11:13If you're going to bring a $800 smartwatch scuba diving,
11:17I would spend the money to get a real scuba dive certified band.
11:22This one is far more rigid.
11:25There's these titanium buckles.
11:27You have the very clear to use extension enclosure to make sure that it's actually staying on there.
11:32This probably won't cut it.
11:35I don't like that.
11:36Okay, now I said the other two bands are stretchy.
11:39This one is also stretchy, but the real one is stretchy too.
11:43So if you're doing a comparison, you actually want this one to be stretchy
11:47because it's the one that is designed for the maximum comfort.
11:51Say you're running out in trails and things like that,
11:54and you just need something that has the little pull tab to get a bit more comfort.
11:58You want that.
11:59So this so far is the most promising one.
12:02My biggest complaint with this band and why I don't actually use this one all that often
12:06is you can probably see it is filthy.
12:09It gets dirty so quickly.
12:10I have put it through the wash.
12:12I don't know if you're supposed to do that.
12:13But it still just gets super dirty every time you wear it out.
12:17Even has like the four velcro, the pull tab.
12:20This is the best one.
12:22The what is supposed to be the trail loop.
12:24I don't hate this one.
12:26Again, I would use caution if you're actually using these bands
12:30for some of the outdoor sports that the Apple Watch Ultra is marketed for.
12:34You're going to want to make sure that your bands are not going to be a detriment
12:37to your watch experience in those moments.
12:40I would say the one that's least likely to cause that would probably be this one.
12:45I like the velcro.
12:46It feels pretty secure.
12:47I feel good about that.
12:49If I were going out and I needed something a bit more rugged,
12:51say I didn't want to use like my normal Apple Watch band,
12:54these would not be the last bands I reach for.
12:58So to recap, Apple Watch Ultra bands that came in a six-pack listed on Timu.
13:04Not really a fan.
13:05Definitely not a fan.
13:07And kind of a fan.
13:09Finally, let's go to the battery pack.
13:12Magnetic.
13:13This is a 3000 milliampere magnetic wireless charger power bank.
13:18External battery portable.
13:19It was sold for $12.98.
13:24Now the actual MagSafe battery pack is notoriously expensive.
13:28It costs $99.
13:30So if this works the same way, it would be a bargain, I suppose.
13:35First impressions is they have the general same like feel and look to them,
13:41especially on the inside.
13:43The thickness is pretty similar.
13:46But the weight is much different.
13:47This is much heavier.
13:49This is light.
13:50And can you hear that?
13:52It sounds like whatever's inside of here is moving.
13:57Oh, that sucks.
13:59So we got chargers with all the other, you know, devices that need to be charged.
14:02But this one doesn't actually come with a charger.
14:05I'm gonna guess.
14:08Yeah, so it is a lightning port.
14:09I guess the assumption is that if you have an iPhone, you probably have a lightning port.
14:14Except if you got the brand new iPhone 15.
14:16Hey, USB-C.
14:18The big missing item, of course, is the Apple logo on the back of this one.
14:24You don't get that here.
14:25I could see why that would be an issue.
14:27And maybe why we wouldn't have been able to buy this in the first place.
14:31So the Apple MagSafe battery pack actually has a lower battery capacity
14:35than the one I bought on Timu.
14:38And in my experience, it doesn't so much charge your phone as keep your phone charged.
14:43So if your phone's already pretty close to dead, it'll just make sure it doesn't die.
14:46But it's not really gonna like juice your phone back up.
14:49Especially not if you're rocking with a Pro Max model like I am.
14:53But let's see if it works.
14:56So it is magnetically attached.
14:58So I'm just gonna plug it into my laptop.
15:00See if it even turns on.
15:02And there is like no status light coming from this.
15:06Even when it's plugged in.
15:08So I think it's possible that this is a dud.
15:11I mean, just hearing it, I don't think that anything that has a battery
15:15or is supposed to charge your phone should sound like there's pieces moving inside.
15:19I obviously don't, I just don't like the way it feels like
15:23something's being ripped apart inside when I pull it off my phone.
15:26Versus just like, see how satisfying that is.
15:30But I have a consolation prize for those who have made it this far in the video.
15:34I too do not usually endorse spending $99 on this when there are these MagSafe battery packs.
15:43This one's from Anker.
15:44I think it's about $50.
15:46So split the difference.
15:47This one even comes with a little stand.
15:50So I would say that this one from Temu sold on Temu is definitely not worth it.
15:56And if you need a MagSafe battery pack, but you don't want to spend the money for this,
16:02that something like this Anker MagGo battery pack would be a better choice.
16:07There were highs and there were lows.
16:09Let's start with the audio products.
16:11These were both honestly highs.
16:13They performed better than I was expecting.
16:16Now I won't say they're $100, $200, in this case $500 headphone level performance.
16:24But if you just need something to listen to some music,
16:26maybe you even have like kids who are begging you for the look of AirPods,
16:31but you know that they don't really care about the audio quality as much.
16:34And you won't even mind if these kind of get like tossed around a bit
16:37because of how affordable they are.
16:39They're really not bad.
16:41Apple, if you're watching this, I really like this case idea.
16:44Again, kind of throwback to the old iPod commercials.
16:47I would totally reach for this if I was at the store.
16:51The weird thing about the AirPods Pro, let's say,
16:54is that the buds each have their own power controls.
16:57So I got really confused.
16:59It kind of just lacked that natural intuition that you get with Apple products
17:03where you just open them and they work.
17:04That certainly wasn't the case.
17:06Moving on to the lower end of things,
17:08the Apple Watch Ultra compatible bands that look very similar
17:12to the ones that are actually sold with the Apple Watch Ultra were good and bad.
17:16My favorite of them was the trail loop.
17:19Again, it's actually marketed as a trail loop on the Timu listing.
17:23It has that stretch.
17:24It has the Velcro.
17:26It still will get dirty, of course,
17:27but if you're looking for something that's comfortable, I would go for that.
17:31These, I don't feel as secure with knowing that they're intended for sports
17:36where you are not going to want to lose your watch,
17:38such as on the side of a mountain or down in the middle of the ocean.
17:43This was such a fail.
17:44It didn't work.
17:45I suppose it could have gotten damaged in shipping,
17:48but the fact that it didn't even come with a charging cord of any kind
17:52was kind of a red flag, if you ask me.
17:55I do think it looks like the actual Apple MagSafe battery pack,
18:00but considering it doesn't work, this was a total fail.
18:04Were you surprised by these products from Timu as much as I was?
18:07Be sure to let me know, and let me know if we should do a part three.
18:11We're always doing cool stuff like this on this channel,
18:13so be sure that you're subscribed.
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18:18at Tom's Guide.
18:19And as always, I'm at Kate Kozich.
18:21Thanks for watching.
18:22I'll catch you next time.
18:24I'm gonna take these.