The i12 original design borrows the AirPods look: white stems, a flip-top case, taps instead of buttons. Today's i12-style pairs keep that look, add bigger batteries and sweat ratings, and leave out Apple's iPhone tricks.
Freshly checked September 2026Pick an i12-style pair if you want the AirPods look, long battery, a sweat rating and the same easy use on Android and iPhone. Pick AirPods 4 if you live on an iPhone and want one-tap setup, automatic switching between Apple devices, spatial audio and Find My.
The i12 original is an AirPods look-alike by design: white stems, a small white flip-top case, touch controls and Bluetooth 5.0. Names like i12 TWS AirPods 5.0 and i12 TWS EarPods point to that shape and that Bluetooth version, not to anything Apple makes.
Apple's AirPods 2 and AirPods 4 share the same basic idea: a bud that rests in the ear without a silicone tip, with a stem pointing down toward the jaw. Next to Apple AirPods, i12 TWS stems share the same outline: a rounded head and a straight stem. Today's i12-style pairs keep that silhouette and split into two fits.
Open fit feels airy and lets street sound in, which many people like on a walk. Tips block more noise and stay put better on a run, though some ears tire of them after a few hours. If AirPods have always fit you, an open-fit i12-style pair will most likely feel the same.
On the scale the two sides sit close too. A Jxrev J53 bud weighs 3 grams, an AirPods 4 bud 4.3 and an AirPods 2 bud 4.
| Jxrev J53 (i12-style) | AirPods 4 | AirPods 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fit | Open fit, no tips | Open fit, no tips | Open fit, no tips |
| Chip and Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.4 | Apple H2, Bluetooth 5.3 | Apple H1, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Per charge | Up to 8h | Up to 5h | Up to 5h |
| With the case | 40h | 30h | More than 24h |
| Water rating | IPX7 | IP54, buds and case | None stated |
| Battery readout | LED digits for the case and each bud | On the iPhone screen | On the iPhone screen |
| Controls | Touch taps | Press sensor on the stem | Double-tap |
| Weight per bud | 3g | 4.3g | 4g |
| iPhone extras | None; standard Bluetooth | One-tap setup, auto-switching, spatial audio, Find My | One-tap setup, auto-switching, Hey Siri |
| On Android | Full taps and voice assistant | Plain Bluetooth playback | Plain Bluetooth playback |
Jxrev figures from the maker; AirPods figures from Apple's published specifications.
The biggest gap sits inside the bud. AirPods 4 run on Apple's H2 chip and AirPods 2 on the older H1, so they pair with one tap and then show up on every Apple device signed in to the same Apple Account.
An i12-style pair uses a standard Bluetooth chip. You add it through the phone's Bluetooth menu a single time, and from then on a magnet sensor in the case (the TAGRY X08 and XIAOWTEK A40 Pro name it) reconnects the buds every time you open the lid.
| iPhone feature | AirPods 4 | i12-style pair |
|---|---|---|
| One-tap pop-up setup | Yes | No; Bluetooth menu, once |
| Switching between iPhone, iPad and Mac | Automatic | By hand |
| Spatial audio with head tracking | Yes | No |
| Finding a lost bud | Find My | No; the T20 and M28 touchscreen cases locate a bud |
| Battery readout | iPhone widget | LED digits on most cases |
| Siri | Hey Siri and head gestures | Tap to wake |
On Android the picture flips. AirPods play there as plain Bluetooth earbuds and lose most extras, while an i12-style pair works the same on every phone, with taps for Google Assistant.
Battery is where the look-alike wins outright on paper. AirPods 4 are rated at 5 hours per charge and 30 with the case; AirPods 2 at 5 hours and more than 24 with the case.
Treat every one of those figures as a ceiling. Apple states its test conditions, and budget makers quote their best case; KTGEE, for one, rates its 40 hours at 50 to 60 percent volume. Louder music and long calls shorten both sides.
The battery readout differs as well. AirPods show the charge on the iPhone screen, while most i12-style cases show it themselves in LED digits, which is handy with an Android phone or a laptop.
Charging is close. AirPods 4 charge over USB-C, and the noise-cancelling version adds wireless charging. Three i12-style cases match that trick, the TAGRY X08, DRQQ AirBuds 2 and PR-4, and the rest charge over a cable.
The Btootos A90 Pro streams AAC, the codec iPhones prefer, over Bluetooth 5.4 with 14.2mm drivers and ENC call mics. Its IPX7 rating and LED battery case cover two things AirPods leave out.
Grab this pairAirPods 4 carry an IP54 rating for dust, sweat and splashes, on the buds and the case. AirPods 2 have no official rating. Many i12-style pairs go further on paper with IPX7, which covers a brief dunk in water.
For calls, Apple uses beamforming mics and Voice Isolation on the H2. Budget pairs answer with ENC call mics: two on the XIAOWTEK A66, four on the BESNOOW I53, zakotu I66 and Wekily S50. ENC helps the caller hear you; it does nothing for what you hear.
Active noise cancelling is a separate feature. Apple puts it on the higher AirPods 4 version, and in the i12 style the touchscreen-case pairs carry it: the Bucephalus T20, CuiSuto M28 and T21.
For the gym, a soft-tip IPX7 pair such as the Fhumsh A10 tends to stay put and shrug off sweat better than any open-fit bud, AirPods included. Its tips come in three sizes, so you can find a snug seal before the first rep.
|
Jxrev J53 in white |
TAGRY X08 |
Btootos A90 Pro |
Apple AirPods 4 |
Apple AirPods 2 (Renewed) | |
| Fit | Open fit | In-ear tips | In-ear tips | Open fit | Open fit |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.4 | Bluetooth 5.x | Bluetooth 5.4 | — | — |
| Battery with case | 40h with case | 60h with case | 36h with case | 30h with case | — |
| Case | LED display | LED display | LED display | Plain | Plain |
| Water rating | IPX7 | IPX5 | IPX7 | — | — |
| Call mics | ENC call mics | — | ENC call mics | — | — |
| Controls | Touch | Touch | Touch | Touch | Touch |
| Grab this pair | Grab this pair | Grab this pair | Grab this pair | Grab this pair |
Choosing between the i12 style and AirPods comes down to your phone and how much the Apple extras matter to you. Some things carry over, some stay with Apple, and a few favor the look-alike.
If you carry an iPhone, a Mac and an iPad, AirPods earn their place. If you use Android, a work laptop or just want a pair for the gym bag, an i12-style pair like the TAGRY X08 does the everyday job well.
Renewed AirPods 2 sit in between. They bring Apple's H1 setup and switching, but with the shortest case battery of the three and no water rating, so they suit desk and commute listening more than workouts. For costs band by band, see what an i12 TWS pair costs.
No. They copy the AirPods shape and white case but use a standard Bluetooth chip instead of Apple's H1 or H2, so iPhone extras like one-tap setup and spatial audio are missing.
No. The i12 is a generic look-alike that Apple never made, and AirPods in its nickname only describes the shape. Apple's own buds carry the H1 or H2 chip; i12-style pairs use a standard Bluetooth chip.
Sure. Pair them once in the iPhone's Bluetooth settings; after that they reconnect when you open the case, and taps reach Siri.
It points to the i12's AirPods-style shape and its Bluetooth 5.0 radio. Today's i12-style pairs mostly run Bluetooth 5.3 or 5.4.
On rated figures, the i12-style pair: 36 to 60 hours with the case against 30 for AirPods 4.
Yes. The Bucephalus T20, CuiSuto M28 and T21 touchscreen-case pairs offer ANC; most others have ENC mics that clean up calls only.
Not stem-style budget buds, but the big names they get compared with: Apple's AirPods 4 and renewed AirPods 2, Soundcore's P20i, JBL's Vibe Beam 2 and TOZO's A1.
