Counterfeit (Fake) Headsets - How to recognize and avoid them; what are the differences?

Motorola, being the largest manufacturer makes them the prime target for counterfeits. According to our research, they have the most fake models on the market – HT820, H605, H700, HS850, H3 and H500.

The fake H700 has bigger openings in the earpiece than the authentic one, and its volume keys are smoother, while those of the genuine device are more rugged. We find it weird, but the keys of the “unknown production” are pressed easier and have better tactile feedback.

Motorola H3
Motorola H3 Genuine VS Fake performance

Such abnormities are not observed with the H3 RAZR headset – the keys of the original device are better, but we can say that both units suffered from awful press response! The only difference in the design is the inner part of the earpiece, which can be seen from the holes on it.

Motorola H500
Motorola H500 Genuine VS Fake performance

The two units of Motorola H500 were almost the same, but we still managed to find some differences between the genuine and counterfeit headsets.
The one half of the plastic over the microphone of the genuine Motorola is half-transperant, while the same plastic of the fake headset is solid.
Similar to the H3, the earhook of the genuine H500 ends with half-transperant rubber, while the one of the fake H500 is not transperant.

The fake H500, just as a few other counterfeit headsets, had a round quality-control sticker on it. We haven't seen a single genuine headset (from any manufacturer) with similar sticker on it.

Motorola HT820 Stereo - Fake

On the other hand the Motorola HT820 Stereo headset is one of the worst replicas of a headset we’ve seen – we were sure this is not a Motorola genuine accessory at the moment we received it. Its neckband is awfully glued to the two earpieces and there is glue all over the plastic mold that goes over and behind your ear.

There is no information about the headset itself: all the service information that should be on the inner side of the neckband is missing. The “Motorola” logo on the opposite side unglued on the first day of our usage, clearly showing the “quality” of the device.

The ring between the leather and plastic parts of the earpiece is one of the differences that you can easily notice – the one of the genuine headset is of “plastic”, “artificial leather”-like material, while the same part of our fake headset is made of fabric.

While it is playing, the genuine headset glows in blue: both the left and right earpieces have LED in the form of the stylized Motorola logo, and the left one blinks then the right one does the same. But the cool part about this is that the light increases and decreases gradually and there is smooth transition from the left to the right light. The fake headset just flashes – first the left, then the right – there’s no transition.

Motorola HT820 Genuine VS Fake performance