They say genuine cartridges are the way to go. They lubricate printheads and extend the life of your printer. That said, printers are so cheap you could buy another. This pack is the same price as the printer. It's a scandalous scam really. And all manufacturers do it.
These Epson Apple type are the same physical size as the Epson Fox T1285 type, yet shockingly twice the ink. Fox cartridge only holds a tiny 3.5ml that constantly run out on me. This Apple pack works out cheaper. But there are even cheaper alternatives out there, albeit not genuine Epson, with massive 13ml cartridges for half the price. Personally, I'll be alternating between genuine and copies to save money.
PS: mine came in the original packaging.