Is Plug Tech a SCAM? I bought EVERY Mystery Box

Summary

In this entertaining and insightful video, the host dives into the world of Plug Tech, a company known for offering premium refurbished electronics and mystery boxes filled with tech surprises. The video takes viewers on a journey as the host unpacks various mystery boxes, revealing the contents and assessing the value and condition of each item. From iPads and MacBooks to iPhones, headphones, and even an Apple Watch, the host provides a detailed critique of the products, discussing their functionality, cosmetic condition, and whether the mystery boxes offer good value for money. The video is filled with humor and skepticism, especially when encountering issues like dead headphones and chargers, and the repeated appearance of Pop Sockets. The host concludes that while some items offer a fair deal, the mystery boxes are generally a hit-or-miss experience, advising viewers to慎重 (be cautious) when considering a purchase from Plug Tech.

Takeaways

• 📱 The company Plug Tech sells premium refurbished electronics and has gained attention for their cleaning process, which involves using a toothbrush to clean multiple phones at once.
• 🛍️ Plug Tech offers mystery boxes that contain a mix of products like iPads, AirPods, iPhones, and Apple Watches, with the promise of providing value exceeding the purchase price.
• 🤔 The reviewer expresses skepticism about the quality of the products and the accuracy of the company's claims, especially regarding the five-star reviews.
• 📦 The mystery boxes received varied in content and value, with some containing items like an iPad, headphones, and a USB-C charger.
• 🎧 The headphones included in the boxes were London Urbanista wireless headphones, which had a claimed value of $50 but were found to be available for $17 on Amazon.
• 📱 The reviewer unboxed a Galaxy S21 phone with scratches and a dirty screen, questioning the company's sanitation process.
• 💻 A 12-inch MacBook was received with a significant scratch on the Apple logo and only a single USB-C port, highlighting some of the laptop's design flaws.
• 🔋 The MacBook's battery was reported to have 306 cycles, indicating it was well-used, but still held a decent charge.
• 📸 The iPhone 11 Pro received in an 'Eco-friendly' condition had a pre-installed screen protector and a battery health of 93%, despite some cosmetic wear.
• 🎶 The Power Beats headphones in one of the mystery boxes were found to be functional but lacked fresh ear tips, raising hygiene concerns.
• 🤷‍♂️ The overall experience with the mystery boxes was mixed, with the reviewer suggesting that buying known items rather than mystery boxes could be a better value.

Q & A

What is the main issue raised about Plug Tech's cleaning and sanitizing process?

The main issue raised is that Plug Tech allegedly cleans and sanitizes phones by using a toothbrush to wipe off the bottom of 40 phones at once, which raises concerns about the effectiveness and hygiene of their process.

What is the concept behind Plug Tech's mystery boxes?

Plug Tech's mystery boxes are advertised as a source of surprise and value, offering certified pre-owned tech products at unbeatable discounts. Customers can purchase mystery boxes containing items like iPads, AirPods, iPhones, or Apple Watches, with the promise of receiving products worth more than the price paid.

What skepticism is expressed about the reviews for Plug Tech's products?

The skepticism is that all 1400 reviews for Plug Tech's products are five-star, which seems unrealistic and potentially indicates that the reviews may not be genuine.

What is the condition term 'Eco-friendly' used by Plug Tech to describe?

The term 'Eco-friendly' is used by Plug Tech to describe a condition of their products that have visible scratches and maybe some dents, suggesting that these are refurbished items with noticeable wear and tear.

What was the final verdict on the value received from the first mystery box purchased?

The first mystery box contained an iPad, headphones, and a fast charger. The value of the items was less than what was paid for the mystery box, indicating that it was not a good deal.

What was the issue with the London Urbanista wireless headphones included in the mystery box?

The London Urbanista wireless headphones were dead out of the box, failing to charge or function despite a 20-minute charging attempt.

What was the problem with the MacBook received from Plug Tech?

The MacBook had a scratch on the Apple logo and was running an older version of macOS. It was also noted to have a slow processor, a single USB-C port, and a butterfly keyboard known for being prone to failure.

What was the reaction to receiving multiple Pop Sockets and chargers in different mystery boxes?

The reaction was one of frustration and disappointment, as the same accessories were received repetitively, and they did not add significant value to the mystery boxes.

What was the condition of the iPhone 11 Pro received in the Eco-friendly condition mystery box?

The iPhone 11 Pro in Eco-friendly condition had some scratches and scuffing but was otherwise in good working condition with a 93% battery health.

What was the general conclusion about the value and quality of Plug Tech's mystery boxes?

The general conclusion was that the mystery boxes were hit or miss in terms of value and quality, with some containing items that did not justify the price paid, and others providing a better experience.

What was the final sentiment expressed towards Plug Tech's products after opening all the mystery boxes?

The final sentiment was negative, with the video ending on a note of disappointment and frustration, particularly due to the repetitive nature of the accessories received and the perceived lack of value in the mystery boxes.

Outlines

00:00

📱 Plug Tech's Controversial Cleaning Method and Mystery Boxes

The video discusses Plug Tech, a site offering premium refurbished electronics that went viral due to their questionable cleaning method using a toothbrush on 40 phones at once. The host expresses skepticism about the company's claims and explores their mystery boxes, which promise significant discounts on pre-owned tech like iPhones, Androids, Macs, and iPads. The video also humorously questions the company's customer reviews and the value proposition of the mystery boxes, which claim to offer products worth between $100 and $150 for just $100.

05:02

🤔 Unboxing the Mystery: A Closer Look at Plug Tech's Offerings

The host unboxes a variety of mystery boxes from Plug Tech, revealing an assortment of tech products including an iPad, headphones, and a fast charger. The video details the condition and value of each item, with the host expressing disappointment at the quality of the headphones and the value for money. The unboxing reveals discrepancies between the advertised value and the actual worth of the products, leading to a critical examination of whether the mystery boxes are a good deal.

10:02

📚 MacBook and iPhone Unboxing: A Mixed Bag of Hits and Misses

The video continues with the unboxing of a 12-inch MacBook and an iPhone 11 Pro, purchased directly rather than through a mystery box. The MacBook is noted to have a scratched Apple logo but is otherwise in good condition, although outdated with an Intel Core M processor. The iPhone 11 Pro is described as being in 'Eco-friendly' condition, which the host humorously equates to 'Garbo town,' but is found to be in surprisingly good shape with a high battery health of 93%. The segment also includes a discussion on the value and condition of the products, with the host concluding that buying known items is more satisfactory than mystery boxes.

15:02

🎧 Power Beats and AirPods: Assessing the Headphone Mystery Box

The host opens a mystery box focused on headphones, finding Power Beats, multiple fast chargers, and a Pop Socket. There's a discussion about the value and condition of the items, with the Power Beats being assessed as a decent product but with missing ear tips. The AirPods second generation are found to be in excellent condition but are initially dead and require charging. The video concludes with a comparison of the cost of the mystery box items to their potential market value, suggesting that while some deals are reasonable, the mystery element doesn't always ensure the best value.

20:03

🚫 Mystery Box Mayhem: A Disappointing Conclusion

The final segment involves the host opening more mystery boxes, only to find重复的配件 like Pop Sockets and chargers, leading to frustration. An Apple Watch series five and AirPods second generation are also revealed, but the overall sentiment is negative due to the redundancy of the items and the perceived lack of value. The video ends with a clear message that the mystery boxes from Plug Tech are not recommended, and the host humorously suggests making a 'mountain pyre' of the excess chargers.

Keywords

💡Refurbished Electronics

Refurbished electronics are previously used devices that have been repaired, tested, and brought back to a like-new condition. In the video, the main theme revolves around the purchase and review of such items from Plug Tech, a company that specializes in premium refurbished electronics. The video discusses the expectations and actual experiences with these products, including their functionality and cosmetic condition.

💡Mystery Boxes

Mystery boxes are packages that contain a random assortment of items, typically sold at a discount with an element of surprise. They are a significant part of the video's narrative as the reviewer purchases multiple mystery boxes from Plug Tech to determine if they offer good value for money. The excitement and disappointment associated with these purchases contribute to the video's central theme of unpredictability and perceived risk.

💡Eco-friendly Condition

In the context of the video, 'Eco-friendly condition' is a term used by Plug Tech to describe the state of their refurbished products. It implies that the items have visible scratches or dents but are still functional. The reviewer humorously questions the term, suggesting it might be a misnomer for 'bad' condition. This keyword is pivotal as it sets the expectation for the quality of the products being reviewed.

💡Pop Sockets

Pop Sockets are phone accessories that provide a better grip and can also serve as a stand for smartphones. The video mentions Pop Sockets multiple times as they are included in various mystery boxes purchased from Plug Tech. Their frequent appearance underscores the repetitive nature of the items received and contributes to the reviewer's dissatisfaction with the lack of variety and perceived value.

💡USB-C Chargers

USB-C chargers are universal charging devices that use the USB-C port to charge a variety of electronic devices. In the video, the reviewer receives multiple USB-C chargers in different mystery boxes, leading to a sense of redundancy and questioning the value of these inclusions. The chargers symbolize the reviewer's frustration with the predictability and lack of excitement in the mystery boxes' contents.

💡Headphones

Headphones are personal audio devices that allow private listening to sounds from music players, smartphones, and other electronic devices. The video discusses several types of headphones, including London Urbanista wireless headphones and Power Beats, received in the mystery boxes. The quality, value, and functionality of these headphones are evaluated as part of the reviewer's assessment of the mystery boxes' worth.

💡Apple Watch

The Apple Watch is a line of smartwatches developed by Apple Inc. with various features such as fitness tracking and health monitoring. In the video, an Apple Watch Series 5 is obtained from one of the mystery boxes. The inclusion of an Apple Watch adds to the anticipation and evaluation of the mystery boxes' contents, and its condition and authenticity are discussed as part of the overall experience with Plug Tech's products.

💡AirPods

AirPods are wireless Bluetooth earbuds developed by Apple Inc. They are highly sought-after accessories for Apple device users. The video features the reviewer's reaction to receiving second-generation AirPods in one of the mystery boxes. The excitement around AirPods highlights the potential appeal of mystery boxes when they contain desirable items.

💡Galaxy S21

The Samsung Galaxy S21 is a line of Android smartphones manufactured by Samsung Electronics. The video includes a review of a Galaxy S21 received in one of the mystery boxes. The phone's condition, value, and the reviewer's experience with it contribute to the overall narrative of whether the mystery boxes provide good value for the money spent.

💡MacBook

The MacBook is a line of笔记本电脑 (notebook computers) designed and developed by Apple Inc. In the video, a 12-inch MacBook from 2015 is purchased and reviewed. The MacBook's age, performance, and condition are critiqued, and it serves as an example of the types of products available through Plug Tech's mystery boxes and known items.

💡Value for Money

Value for money refers to the perceived worth or benefit one gets in relation to the amount of money spent. This concept is central to the video as the reviewer assesses whether the mystery boxes and individual items purchased from Plug Tech offer a good return on investment. The evaluation of each item's worth and the overall satisfaction with the purchases reflect on the company's pricing strategy and the appeal of their business model.

Highlights

Plug Tech offers premium refurbished electronics but has gone viral for controversial cleaning methods.

Phones are claimed to be fully functional and sanitized, but the cleaning process is questioned.

Plug Tech's mystery boxes promise certified pre-owned tech at unbeatable discounts.

The $100 mystery box claims to contain an iPad, AirPods, iPhone, or Apple Watch valued at $99 or more.

All 1400 reviews for Plug Tech are suspiciously five-star, raising skepticism.

An iPhone 11 is selected to evaluate the 'Eco-friendly' condition, which is questioned for its true meaning.

The unboxing reveals a variety of tech products, including an iPad, headphones, and a Plug Tech branded USB-C.

The iPad is found to be a 6th generation model from 2018, raising concerns about future software support.

The included London Urbanista wireless headphones are discovered to be non-functional out of the box.

The value and quality of the products in the mystery box are questioned, with items appearing overpriced.

A $50 mystery box is unboxed to contain items that do not match the expected contents, leading to disappointment.

A Galaxy S21 is found in another mystery box, with a dirty screen and permanent marks, despite being advertised as Eco-friendly.

The MacBook received is a 2016 model with a single USB-C port and a butterfly keyboard, indicating potential usability issues.

The iPhone 11 Pro in the Eco-friendly condition has a high battery health of 93%, which is a positive outcome.

The headphone mystery box contains Power Beats, which are assessed to be a decent value but lack accessories.

The final mystery box contains an Apple Watch Series 5 and AirPods第二代, which are in excellent condition despite being non-functional initially.

The overall experience with Plug Tech's mystery boxes is deemed negative, with many items being dead on arrival or of questionable value.

Transcripts

- There's a site called Plug Tech,

which promises premium refurbished electronics,

but they've gone viral for something

that I don't think is necessarily a good thing.

- That the phones are fully functional,

we did clean and sanitize them.

And after that, - Wait, wait, wait,

wait, wait, hold on, hold, pause, pause, pause, pause.

Did they just say that they clean

and sanitize by taking a toothbrush

and wiping off the bottom of 40 phones at once?

We eating good tonight (laughs).

We can see they've got iPhones, Androids, Macs, iPads.

I mean all the stuff that you would sort of expect.

"Discover the thrill of surprise

and fantastic value with Plug mystery boxes.

Your ultimate source for certified pre-owned tech

at unbeatable discounts."

My dudes, are you putting MacBooks and iPhones

in mystery boxes?

Did you just create Austin Evans bait?

So the $100 mystery box contains an iPad,

AirPods, iPhone, or Apple Watch,

all of which are $99 or more in value.

So they're saying that by spending a hundred dollars,

you're gonna get between a hundred and $150 worth of value.

Dude, there's zero shot here,

that they have 1400 reviews,

all of which are five star, like bro.

So let me see here, so let's just pick an iPhone 11, sure.

The condition is Eco-friendly.

What the (whips) is that?

That's not a condition Plug Tech.

Eco-friendly, is that mean bad?

'Cause I think what you're trying to say is bad,

but you misspelled bad as Eco-friendly.

So brand new, which I don't think they sell that,

excellent, is like new.

Makes sense.

Good, will have one to two visible scratches

and Eco-friendly.

"This condition phone will have visible scratches

and maybe some dents,

a case will cover up the imperfections".

It's like I'm dead inside,

but this shirt covers up my feelings.

So with that, my friends, let me press the order button

and we're gonna take a closer look to see,

is Plug Tech the hottest thing since sliced bread,

or am I gonna be eating nothing but toast

as they've taken all my money

and I've gotten some mediocre electronics in return?

Only one way to find out.

And so my friends, we have a surprisingly small box,

full of tech from Plug Tech.

I am low key excited for this video in a way

that I have not been in a while.

Look, since we recorded the ordering scene,

we ordered all this stuff.

Not only have they been sending me lots and lots of emails,

but I've been watching more of their shorts

and I can't quite put my finger on it,

but they're almost kind of like, charming?

All right, so we have a bunch of boxes.

Okay.

They're not labeled, they're just,

well I think this is gonna be a laptop.

But everything else, I have absolutely no idea

which one is which.

So we purchased every single mystery box from Plug Tech.

So all of these items could be quite literally anything.

Plug Tech box number one is an iPad.

Okay, well I think that that's from the iPad mystery box.

I could figured that one out on my own.

Mom, aren't you proud?

So on the back it looks pretty decent.

And on the front it also looks,

well, there's a kind of deepish scratch right here,

but relatively clean I would say.

I'm curious with, especially with the mystery boxes,

on what kind of condition we're getting.

Because my assumption is that they only build mystery boxes

of stuff that's like a little bit lower quality.

You know, there's just stuff you're trying to get rid of,

but this actually looks quite nice.

Can you tell me what the listing said

my iPad mystery box could have contained?

- [Alex] Yes.

So it could have been either a 9.7 inch,

- Which I got. - Or a 10.2 inch

iPad sixth gen.

- Oh, gotcha, okay,

so basically you could have got the,

older iPad or the newer iPad.

Okay.

So it has been actually wiped.

So we know that that's ready to go.

This screen is in good shape.

I'm not seeing any dead pixels,

but sort of a small scratch, very good condition.

So I'm gonna set that up in a minute,

but let me just see what else we've got in here

because it's, it comes with headphones?

Oh, it does come with headphones.

It did say that in the listing, didn't it?

- [Alex] Yes, it's supposed to come

with London Urbanista wireless headphones.

- So these are headphones that exist.

I'm gonna guess that these are probably like $10,

$20 headphones, but whatever.

It's nice that those are included.

- [Alex] I mean they claim $50 value.

- Well you know what?

That's fine.

We also have a actual, is this a,

oh it's a Plug, wow, wait, hold on.

This is actually a Plug Tech branded USB-C.

They clearly must be a relatively large company

to be able to actually like custom design

or at least custom like silk screen chargers and whatnot.

So we've got our iPad set up,

and if I hop into the About page, we do see

that it is a sixth generation iPad.

What's not nice is the fact that it's in great condition,

but sixth gen means it came out in 2019?

- 18. - 2018.

So the problem here is

that while this is currently fully supported on iPad OS 17,

how many more years of updates it's gonna get

with two gigs RAM in an Apple A10, eh, remains to be seen.

So before we go too in depth on that,

let me actually try our London headphones

and we can give the iPad a proper go.

London noise canceling, our Urbanistas,

which actually I'll say the case feels nice,

it's gonna get scuffed up really fast,

but it's kinda like that soft touch material.

It is USB-C, and we got some,

wait, is that the Squarespace logo?

That's the Squarespace logo.

Oh god, are the headphones dead outta the box?

The headphones are dead outta the box.

My dudes.

So update it has been almost 20 minutes of waiting

for these headphones to charge

and they still do not do anything besides blink at me.

I've tried restarting the iPad,

I've tried to check on other devices,

they just aren't showing up.

- [Alex] If you look on Amazon,

you can get the exact ones

that you're holding right now for $17 on Amazon.

- So lemme get this straight.

We spent $200 on this mystery box.

We got an iPad, which according to Plug Tech is worth 180,

but realistically is worth more like 130.

We got a pair of $50 headphones according to Plug Tech,

which are really worth $17 on amazon.com,

and a fast charger, which is worth another

like 10 bucks or something.

I would still save like 50 bucks

by not buying the mystery box.

This is not a super promising start,

but we have lots of other mystery boxes,

which I'm sure will be much, much better.

In box number two, we have,

a, oh god, no, no, not...

(Alex laughing)

What is this box?

Okay, so lemme try to figure this out.

So I've got another pair

of the exact same $17 London headphones.

I've got a USB-C to Lighting fast charger,

which is exactly what came with the iPad,

and I've got a Pop Socket.

What? Is this the $50 mystery box?

Oh god, this is the $50 mystery box, isn't it?

I am part of the hashtag plugfam.

Yes, that's all I got in this box,

'cause I'll tell you, I'm looking at 17,

27, $30 worth of value, tops,

if I actually wanted this stuff, which I don't.

- [Alex] It does not explicitly match up

with any of the mystery boxes that we got.

For reference, the $50 mystery box

- Yeah. - Includes at least

a Beats, AirPods, Apple Pencil, Magic Mouse or head-

- Oh. - Wait, it says headphones.

Is that? - This is headphones.

- That's so - This is a $50 mystery box.

Oh god.

You know all that stuff I said about,

oh, I'm feeling good about Plug Tech?

Yeah (censored) that.

That's not, oh god.

Go to box number three (sniggers).

A phone, okay, well hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on.

We got a phone.

Now what other boxes could have given me a phone?

Let's see.

- [Alex] Multiple boxes can give you a phone.

- Well that's great.

I have yet another Pop Socket,

they're a really big fan of these Pop Sockets.

Let's see, it is a Galaxy S20.

That's the worst one that could have come

in the Samsung box I think, right?

'Cause I think it could have been a Z Flip

or an S21 or the S20.

Quality wise, it's actually kind of (censored) up, wow.

So at first glance it looks fine,

but if you look here in the center,

there's a bunch of little like marks.

Now at first it looks like dirt or something,

but I don't think it is.

I think there's a bunch of little scratches.

What looks to me, is that this is a phone

that got like some dirt in the case.

I dunno if you've ever done this before,

but if you had like a little dirt in your case,

kinda like rubs it in like some sand or whatever.

So I can feel that all those little marks are permanent.

That being said, it's fine.

And if I can give them any props here,

this is the best colorway of a Samsung phone

that they may have ever done.

The S20 and the violet or lilac or whatever

and the gold camera, like screen looks to be very dirty.

So clearly not sanitized and cleaned well

'cause it is absolutely filthy,

but I'm not seeing any real scratches on it.

So I've just finished setting up the device

and I was actually wrong.

This is not a Galaxy S20, it's an S21.

Even though they look almost the same,

I should remember that because I used to use that

and then I forgot, huh.

Anyway, okay, so apologies Plug Tech.

This is not the worst phone I could have got.

It's the second worst, but hey, that's something.

It is a 128 gig phone.

The only other thing is it's got a lot

of AT&T bloatware on it.

And it also has asked me on several occasions

to insert my AT&T SIM card.

I unfortunately don't have a SIM card

'cause mine's on eSIM, so I can't actually test

to see if it's unlocked right now.

I would hope that it is.

You probably could find a way of doing it.

That would be the only concern I've got.

Let's actually make sure everything works fine.

- [Voice From Phone] Also, like how they advertise free

- That speaker sounds a little weird to me.

Like it almost seems like it's been like a little

like clapped out.

All right, I'm gonna take a 64 megapixel selfie.

Is everyone ready?

Ah, ah!

No, no, no!

There we go, that's better, I like that one much more.

All right, let's see here.

Cameras seem to be fine.

How much did I pay for the Samsung mystery box?

We'll start there.

- [Alex] So this is actually

the most expensive mystery box they sell, for $300.

- This was 300?

I forgot that this was $300. - Yeah.

- Okay. - This was $300

- And I could have got Z Flip out of it,

which would've made me feel much better, but I didn't.

- [Alex] Yeah, you could have gotten up to

an S22, which would've been actually quite a good deal

for that. - An S22 is worth more

than 300 bucks, yeah,

the fact that you could buy this exact same phone

with a warranty from eBay for almost two thirds the price

that we paid and we could have gotten a worse phone,

I mean I like my little Pop Socket, don't get me wrong.

And I love this colorway, but big yikes.

Let me take a break from mystery boxes.

Let me go for an item that I do know what it is,

which is this large box right here.

Inside we have, our 12 inch.

Okay, it's scratched right on the freaking Apple logo.

(Alex laughing)

This is our 12 inch MacBook.

It's not terrible. So if you look at the Apple logo,

the first thing I immediately see is just this,

scratch right across the middle.

The rest of it's actually not too bad on the outside.

On the bottom it does have some scratches,

but that's kind of normal for the bottom of a laptop.

Now I will say I am a little partial to this 12 inch.

This is, to this day, one of the thinnest and nicest looking

and feeling laptops ever made.

They brought out the 12 inch MacBook in 2015,

9 years ago, they brought a laptop this thin

and have not made something smaller since.

But it's a little guy with a couple,

I'd say three major flaws.

First of which is the keyboard.

Let me demonstrate for you the butterfly keyboard in action.

(keyboard clicking)

I actually didn't hate the butterfly keyboard,

but it was prone to failure.

And there's very little key travel.

Flaw number two, this has a single USB-C port.

That's it.

There's a single USB-C port and technically

on the other side you have a headphone jack.

That is all.

The biggest flaw with this MacBook,

and the one that really keeps it from being useful today,

is the processor.

These used Intel Core M CPUs.

Now Intel had a long history of working together

really well with Apple, before Apple Silicon and stuff.

And they actually designed this custom for the MacBook.

Now I'm actually curious to see when I fired it up, I...

(MacBook startup tone)

There we go, it's coming up.

I'm curious to see what the spec of this one is.

We got ourselves a USB-C to C cable.

And a very chunky power brick,

which is always, you know what?

It's mostly hollow though, which doesn't make me feel great.

So they gave us a sleeve.

Lovely, Plug Tech, cool, 14 inch.

(Austin laughs)

Wait, wait, wait.

Lemme put this in here.

This is, okay, first of all,

it's like a cheapy kind of like basic neoprene sleeve.

But like you put your 12 inch MacBook in here,

you zip it up, (laughs)

it, yeah, you know what?

The MacBook smelled delightful.

This smells like the inside of a Nike factory.

(MacBook rattling)

So let's see what we're working with.

So it is currently running Mac OS Monterey.

So that's Mac OS 12, so that's two generations behind.

Oh boy, yeah, okay, so it's a 2016 model, which is fine.

306 cycles.

So that is a pretty well used battery,

but that should still hold a decent charge.

It's just slow.

Like here, I'm gonna load up the channel.

I'm gonna show you how slow this can be.

We're gonna keep loading YouTube.

There we go.

Okay, it's coming.

Not terrible.

- [Austin On Video] This video is sponsored by Acronis.

- And the speakers are actually not bad.

This one's tough.

How much did I pay for my gold 2016 MacBook?

- [Alex] Well, we did pay for the highest quality.

So this is the best case scenario, excellent condition,

for $310.

- Okay, excellent condition,

ah, I think I can give it to them.

Once you lose the capacity for charge

with this particular battery, it is,

I'm not gonna say impossible,

but real difficult to replace. Let me actually open this up.

It's actually a really cool design on the inside.

There you go, all right.

So this is what's inside our MacBook.

I'm gonna very carefully do this

'cause I don't wanna yank out our cables.

You see 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 batteries.

Not only are these very, very difficult to take out

because they're glued, but they're also terraced,

which is a technology that Apple gave up

because it was so expensive,

basically there's like different little layers to each cell.

It is incredibly complicated.

But you can see the entire motherboard is incredibly small.

And keep in mind, this is a computer

that originally came out in 2015.

So there's a lot of stuff here that's very exciting.

Excellent condition, I agree, and it's a pretty fair price.

It's not really much more expensive

than getting another one of these on eBay.

So out the items so far, mystery box

is a little hit or miss,

actually buying the item that you want, thumbs up.

Let's take a trip back to the mystery zone,

with this very well packaged item,

inside we've got, oh my god, it's a Pop Socket,

and a charger, and a case, and I assume an iPhone.

Okay, well they are nothing if not consistent.

So this is our iPhone 11 Pro.

- [Alex] We got this in Eco-friendly condition,

what they call Eco-friendly.

- What most people call Garbo town, this is Eco-friendly.

Okay.

Doesn't look terrible.

Some scratches around the side but not, not nothing crazy.

It also has a screen protector on it,

which I do think they mentioned

that they were gonna pre-apply

one of the screen protectors.

- [Alex] That is correct.

Pre-installed screen protector.

- This is not bad.

The probably the worst scuffing is right here

where the charge port is.

But again, that is all very cosmetic.

Nothing that would actually cause a problem.

And we do have a Plug branded case, which is lovely.

Boy, they just, they really want you to live that Plug life.

Alright, so let's see what we're working with here.

So this is an iPhone 11 Pro.

It is on iOS 17.

So this is still fully supported.

It's a 64 gigabyte phone, which is fine.

That was the base model.

Let's check the battery,

'cause the battery would be the thing

that I'm a little concerned about.

93%, that's actually pretty good.

'Cause the iPhone 11 Pro came out in,

2019?

No, 2018, 2020?

2019. 2019.

What's up?

Totally fine, totally fine.

Let's try the cameras.

I am seeing no reason why this is Eco-friendly.

Really, it is not a problem at all.

All right Ken, we're now recording in 4K

on the iPhone 11 Pro.

Where are your glasses, my dude?

- Well, in order to try Apple Vision Pro,

I got contacts because we were too late

in ordering our lenses.

- How much was our iPhone 11 Pro starter pack?

- [Alex] $380 for the Eco-friendly condition.

- What would an iPhone 11 Pro in like decent

or fair condition run for a 64 gig phone

if I was not buying it from Plug Tech?

- [Alex] It's like around $280.

- So I'm paying a hundred dollars more for the accessory.

Ah, I don't know if I can trust the fact

that this was really worth what we paid for it though.

I think it's a little hard to justify,

but at least it wasn't a mystery box (laughs).

Time for another mystery box.

I got a bunch more of these things.

I'm sure they're gonna be filled with nothing

but happy, joyous things,

like the feeling you get when you hit

the subscribe button on the Austin Evans channel.

Not quite as good as the feeling you get

when you hit the ring-a-ling of the ding-a-ling.

But you know, you can only ring-a-ling

the ding-a-ling so many times

before it loses all meaning

and no longer fills that hole in your heart.

Anyway, (clears throat) inside we have,

I have my 75th fast charge kit,

and another damn Pop Socket.

Oh they're Beats with another, okay my dudes.

How many of these, these are all the same.

I have so many Lightning to USB-C cables

and 20 watt fast chargers.

Okay, so I've got two 20 watt chargers,

two USB-C to Lightning cables,

another Pop Socket, and a pair of Beats.

What are even Beats are these?

They're the USB-Cs.

Are these Power Beats?

Yes, these are Power Beats.

- [Alex] Okay, then that makes us,

that's the headphones mystery box.

Woo. - Yay.

I'll tell you, there's no accessories

and importantly no fresh tips.

- Oh. - So I don't know

if these are used tips or not. - Oh gross.

- But I don't have another option for them.

They look clean.

(Austin sniffs)

Smells clean.

Oh my god, are these dead too?

Bro, how does everything that they sell me

end up deader than the feelings I had in 1997?

I think these Power Beats are outfitted

with some one of the Apple, was it H1 or whatever?

W1, like it's one of the like chips

that should help me pair it.

Okay, transparency?

They sound decent.

And noise cancellation.

The noise cancellation is not very strong.

How much are these, if I buy them new right now?

- If you buy them brand new, - Yeah.

- [Alex] It's 200 bucks.

(Austin laughs)

- No.

- Okay, so this is a hundred dollar box

of headphone stuff, right? - That is correct.

It was basically Beats headphones.

They don't specify what kind. - Yeah, yup.

- [Alex] So maybe it could have been different Beats.

Who knows? - Yup.

- [Alex] Or AirPods.

- Okay, I would definitely have prefered AirPods.

I'll be honest with you.

How much could I buy Beats Fit Pro for?

'Cause I'm gonna guess, less than a hundred bucks.

- Actually - No, really?

- Surprisingly - What?

- If you get it refurbished from Best Buy,

which is excellent condition, whatever,

- Yeah. - It's like 110 bucks, so.

- So I actually got an okay deal.

- Yeah. - And I also got

another Pop Socket.

- [Alex] I mean it depends on like, would you call

that excellent condition or-

- I would say it's, I wish I had the ear tips.

But here's the thing, technically yes,

if you want these specific headphones, sure.

But you could spend 30 bucks

and get headphones that are pretty much as good.

So I have two boxes here.

Now we started looking through the listings

of what we purchased.

The problem is is that if we got

the lowest end items on both of these boxes,

they might be the same.

So let's just open them up

and see if we can figure out what's what.

And if I get one more Pop Socket, fast charger,

or London headphones, I'm gonna be real grumpy.

- [Ken] Okay, but I need a Pop Socket.

- [Alex] Boy do we have

- These are not even real.

- [Austin] And there's another one on the S21.

- Oh my god. - I bet I'm about to hear,

I'll open this box and I'll give you another one.

3, 2, 1...

- [Ken] Wait, what?

What's that look?

Are they, are you, are you okay?

(all laughing)

- [Alex] Oh my god.

Oh my god.

(all laughing)

That's not a damn mystery box,

it just has chargers (laughs).

Are these all the same?

Are these all Lightning?

Lightning one, Lightning two, Lightning three.

They're all the exact same (laughs).

Is this our a hundred dollar mystery box?

It's gotta be, right? - No, no.

- I don't - So here's the thing,

if this is a $50 box

and the other one was a hundred,

then that's even worse 'cause that other box was awful.

But like-

- [Ken] Dude you, even Gotcha Games give you something

for free after you - Something different.

Alright, this is our last box.

Plug Tech you got one shot to redeem yourself.

Oh my god, I don't even.

- [Alex] I'm honestly kind of speechless.

- Well, okay, hold on, wait, wait, wait.

We have another Pop Socket,

but we have an Apple Watch charger and two mysterious boxes.

Now hold on, we might actually have something here.

(boxes rattling)

- Okay. - Okay.

One of these has gotta be an Apple Watch, right?

Oh, it's an Apple Watch.

Well, no, no, no, it's good though, it's good.

- Yeah. - An Apple Watch.

Yeah, we did it.

Wait, which one?

Apple Watch series five.

- Oh, that's not bad. - 44 mil.

- The other thing I will mention is

that this watch band is fake.

Not that I really should be surprised,

but it is thin - Ooh!

- Compare it to your, - Yeah, yeah.

And also has no text on it.

So they bought, yeah, you're a fake band,

which to be fair looks almost exact same,

but it is, feels a little different.

That's a good point.

So they have a watch,

and I'll say that the watch is in okay shape,

but it's got a fair few scratches.

Like especially right here.

A lot of like sort of hairline scratches.

Oh my god, we finally got AirPods.

- Yeah, boy. - Hey, yo, what the

- So assembled in Vietnam.

So these are gonna be newer.

They've got Lightning on them.

Oh, they're the older school AirPods.

AirPods second gen.

It actually the only box that says anything.

- Oh, oh it is second gen. - Excellent condition,

AirPods second gen, and they're dead as well.

How is every item I got from a company

who sells nothing but chargers, dead?

Why would you not have some charge on your own stuff?

So I'm gonna charge the AirPods, which is, angry as I am,

are in excellent condition.

Like these are essentially new looking.

(Austin sniffs)

It smells new, no concerns there.

Apple Watch functions, AirPods are fine.

But look, do you even care?

I think if you've watched this video at this point,

you know one thing, these mystery boxes are terrible.

Thank you very much for watching.

Make sure to subscribe to the channel,

and ring-a-ling that ding-a-ling button.

And I'm going to go make a mountain pyre

of sacrificial chargers to make me feel better

about the, oh, I gotta remember the Pop Sockets

to make me feel better about the decisions

that I have made today.

(boxes clattering)

♪ Into the sea ♪

♪ Fly like an eagle to the sea. ♪