Apple has long wrapped up its spring releases, including the new iPhone 16e, M4 MacBook Air, M3 iPad Air, and A16 iPad.While the iPhone 17 lineup will certainly be the star of the show for this fall’s hardware releases, there’s something a bit unique coming later this year: AirTag 2.Why AirTag 2 Despite the fact that it sounds like an uninteresting refresh, AirTag 2 will actually pack a number of relatively important upgrades for the everyday user.
A new version of a tiny little item tracker might not sound like a compelling upgrade for most people, and in some regards you’d be right in thinking that.Nonetheless, all of the AirTag 2 upgrades are pretty welcome additions, particularly for those who haven’t yet bought an AirTag.Per multiple reports from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, AirTag 2 will prioritize: Much improved range New wireless chip Deeper focus on privacy Specifically, AirTag 2 will utilize the next-generation ultra-wide band chip introduced in the iPhone 15 lineup.
This’ll reportedly triple the range for precision finding.With the current AirTag model, you can find things using Precision Finding from up to 30 meters away.With AirTag 2, it’ll be up to 90 meters away.
Other improvements AirTag, unfortunately, has become a new tool for stalkers.There have been a number of instances of nefarious actors utilizing AirTag to track people unknowingly since the product launched in 2021.Some have even modified AirTag so the speaker is no longer audible, which makes it substantially harder for a targeted user to locate where a misused AirTag is.
However, Apple is reportedly aiming to address these concerns with AirTag 2, which’ll hopefully reduce the number of AirTag stalking incidents.Wrap up While AirTag 2 was initially expected to arrive in May or June, that timeframe has now passed.The product is likely to arrive before the end of the year, likely at September’s iPhone event.
In the meanwhile, if you would like to pick up the current generation of AirTag, you can get a notable 20% off an AirTag four-pack.At $64.99, that makes it just $16 an AirTag! Thats a substantial discount from the typical $29 price point.If you already own an AirTag, it may also be worth checking out the waterproof 10-year battery case, substantially expanding how you can use an AirTag.
It’s priced at $45 for a 4 pack.My favorite Apple accessory recommendations: Anker MagSafe 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Stand with Qi2 Aulumu Vegan Leather MagSafe Case for iPhone 16 MOFT Magnetic Wallet Stand, fits up to 3 cards AirTag 4-pack (on sale for 20% off!) SanDisk Extreme 2TB USB-C SSD, up to 1050MB/s AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C) You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day.Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop.
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