I purchased $9 AirPods Pro, and the outcomes were astonishing!

      Have you ever visited China? I'm currently on my eighth trip to the world's most populous country, which plays a crucial role in much of the technology we utilize today.

      Over the past 40 years, a surge in manufacturing and technological progress has established Shenzhen, previously a fishing village next to Hong Kong, as arguably the most significant city in the tech industry. Most major tech firms have a prominent presence there, and many factories producing our favorite consumer electronics are also located in this city.

      I've spent nearly two weeks in China, and yesterday I explored Huaqiangbei, the largest and most vibrant electronics market in the world. This is the place to discover top internal components — perfect for anyone looking to build their own tech products — as well as finished items that are often indistinguishable from originals.

      You can find remarkable products at surprisingly low prices, as I discovered with these AirPods Pro.

      Yes, I bought the AirPods Pro 2 for only $9.

      In Huaqiangbei, numerous markets offer a wide array of familiar products. They also have various phones and accessories that are not commonly available, but most vendors market their goods with Apple Watches, Apple cables, and Apple AirPods prominently. I purchased all three while at Huaqiangbei, with the AirPods Pro 2 being the most intriguing.

      It’s easy to assume these are counterfeit AirPods Pro — a caution you should heed no matter where you purchase them unless it's from an authorized retailer — but they turned out to be genuine. They likely originated as a lost item or were submitted to the Genius Bar for warranty service before finding their way to Shenzhen.

      They come in a case that states ‘Designed by Apple in California’ and ‘Made in China’. The case offers USB-C charging and fits just like the AirPods Pro 2. While I checked several stores and didn’t find a case with magnetic charging, these are indeed authentic AirPods Pro that I acquired at a fraction of the original price.

      This pair cost me only 70 RMB, which is about $9.59 at the time of writing. For reference, AirPods Pro 2 retail anywhere from $179 on sale to $249 at full price, so paying less than 5% of that amount is remarkable. However, do they function properly? The answer might surprise you!

      Do $9 AirPods Pro 2 work well?

      This was my primary concern when making the purchase, but honestly, even if the $9 AirPods Pro 2 only played audio, they would still be a solid investment. As it turns out, this might be the best $9 I've ever spent.

      When you buy a pair of AirPods Pro from Apple, they show up on your iPhone screen for easy connection. With these, they don't appear initially, but once connected, the familiar window pops up when you open or close the case. Furthermore, once connected, all standard features like spatial audio, head tracking, and noise cancellation function just as well as those on my original AirPods Pro 2.

      What about other Apple features? This is where things get a bit unclear. On my Mac, they sync and appear in my Bluetooth menu as AirPods Pro #8, which is the default name since I've owned seven other pairs. However, they won't connect automatically unless you disconnect them from the iPhone.

      I've noticed a few issues. First, the left earbud occasionally disconnects, while the right earbud works flawlessly. Secondly, the spatial tracking isn't quite on par with my original pair, but these are minor complaints.

      What about AppleCare? Here’s where it gets interesting.

      Are these genuine AirPods Pro 2?

      According to Apple’s coverage checker, they include AppleCare coverage until July 2026. The purchase date indicates July 2024, suggesting I have someone’s former pair that has almost certainly been refurbished and repaired. It’s not just regular AppleCare, but AppleCare+, which covers damage as well.

      This confirms whether they are real; indeed, they are. Have you ever been curious about the fate of a product after being replaced at the Genius Bar? There's a good chance it ends up in Huaqiangbei, though the process remains a mystery.

      There are countless stalls selling these, so it’s uncertain if I just got lucky or if all are of similar quality. What is undeniable is that this is an unparalleled bargain. The timing is perfect... The pair I purchased from Apple last year is currently en route on a Qatar flight, waiting to be retrieved. I had also lost the right earbud, and instead of spending $89 for a replacement or $249 for a new set, I've managed to find a substitute for merely $9.

      This will undoubtedly be the deal of the year. Excuse me while I grab a few more pairs, just in case! I wonder if they'll make it onto our top earbuds list!