Tech

Apple’s AirTag Is Finally Getting a Sequel

Tag, you’re it. Everybody’s favorite Apple-branded, white button is getting a follow-up.

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Has it really been almost four years since Apple’s AirTag was released? Folks who checked luggage onto airplanes rejoiced, people with stalkers fretted, and the rest of us fell somewhere in the middle.

On the few times I’ve checked luggage, I’ve used AirTags to keep a nervous eye on my bags as they followed me across the country. And I’ve used them when parking an ebike on the street or taking a backpack to a café, too. They worked well, but I always thought they could work better. After years of waiting, it looks like the AirTag 2 is finally almost upon us.

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On the right track

For iPhone users, I still think the AirTag is the best Bluetooth tracker on the market. Part of that is because it uses other, nearby Apple devices to provide constant updates on its location. And because the U.S., like a lot of countries, is absolutely awash in Apple devices, the network of collaborative trackers works pretty well.

The interface through Apple’s Find My app is seamless and, in my experience, has never broken down. Sometimes the AirTag will go too long without an update on its location, though. Typically, this happens in airports while the bag it’s in is shuttled through the bowels of the luggage handling devices.

Airtags showing up in apple find my app – credit apple

I’d always figured that when it wasn’t updating as quickly as I’d liked, it was because it wasn’t close enough to somebody with an iPad or an iPhone. Could working at a greater distance cure it?

The current AirTag works at a distance of 10 to 30 meters, but according to veteran Apple whisperer Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, Apple is introducing a new ultrawide-band chip in the AirTag 2 that’ll let it connect to nearby devices from up to 90 meters away. If that’s true, I’ve got hope that I’ll never spend another anxious hour in London Gatwick with no tracking update to confirm that my bag made the connection.

better privacy… somehow

Gurman also says that it’ll focus on improved privacy. Apple caught flak when it introduced the original AirTag because a decent tracker could be used for evil purposes, such as slipping one into a bag or a car.

navigation screen when using precision tracking for airtag – credit apple

They pushed through an update that would alert users through their phones if there was an unknown AirTag traveling with them, but more privacy and bulwarks to defeat creeps and snoops is a welcome thing. There aren’t any specifics yet on what these improved privacy measures will look like.

We expect to hear more details before the AirTag 2 launches sometime this summer, and we’ll chase down any rumors and leads to bring credible reports to you. Even if they’re farther away than 90 meters.