When Apple upgrades its hardware, the differences are usually big: things like better iPhone cameras, more laptop storage or higher quality screens. But Apple just introduced a new version of its popular AirTag tracker that looks and behaves exactly like the tracker you probably have in your bag right now. However, there are some key differences with this second-generation AirTag (which Apple isn’t technically calling AirTag 2) that we’ll dive into in more detail here.
How much do AirTags cost?
The retail price of an AirTag is $29 or $99 for a pack of four. That’s been consistent since the original AirTags were introduced in 2021. However, unless you buy directly from Apple, you’ll likely find them at discounted prices, often around $24 for a single AirTag and $75 for a pack of four.
So far, it appears Apple and retailers will keep the second-generation AirTags at their retail prices. However, first-generation AirTags sell for just $70 for a pack of four, bringing the cost per tag down to $17.50.
We don’t know how much existing first-generation AirTag inventory there is, so prices could continue for a while. It’s also likely that once the second-generation AirTags hit the market, they too will be discounted by third-party retailers.
Do the new AirTags (2nd generation) look different?
For the most part, a second-generation AirTag looks exactly like the first-generation model, from the white plastic exterior to the shiny aluminum backplate. There is a small weight difference: 11 grams (original) versus 11.8 grams (2nd generation).
They are both powered by a single CR2032 coin cell battery, which is easy to find and affordable. In my experience the battery lasts about a year before it needs to be replaced.
How can you identify the AirTag generations?
Our first glimpse of Apple’s new AirTag.
Since both generations of AirTags have the same design, you’ll need to look for other clues to tell them apart. Turn it over and look at the writing around the edge of the metal disk: if it’s all in capital letters, it’s a new second-generation AirTag. The new models also feature “FIND MY” and “NFC” and “IP67”, the water and dust resistance rating.
The text of the first generation of AirTags is written in capital letters (initial capital letter and then lower case) and also includes ‘Designed by Apple in California’ and ‘Assembled in China’.
Finding precision
The main difference between AirTag generations is the presence of a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip in the latest AirTag models. The locator chip transmits the location of the tag to nearby devices. It’s also what powers Precision Finding, one of the best AirTag features. Both generations have UWB chips; the second generation AirTag is the only one with the improved version.
Instead of just seeing that there is an AirTag somewhere in your home, Precision Finding guides you to the exact spot until you are literally right on top of it. Using the Find My app on your iPhone, you can point in the direction and estimate the distance when searching for the tag.
Recent Apple Watch models can use Precision Finding to locate a second-generation AirTag.
However, you still have to be quite close to an AirTag to find it, and that’s where the second-generation advantage comes in: the upgraded UWB chip increases the detection range by 1.5 times compared to the original AirTag. The practical benefit is that you don’t have to wander around as much to lock in the tag’s signal before interacting with it.
Another advantage is the Apple Watch compatibility with Precision Finding. The second-generation UWB in the new AirTags allows Apple Watch Series 9 and above, as well as the Ultra 2 model and above, to use the same pinpoint locator that iPhones have been capable of since the iPhone 11. Make sure you update to WatchOS 26.2.1 to enable this feature.
Greater Bluetooth range
The AirTags (second generation) have what Apple calls an “upgraded Bluetooth chip,” which increases the tag’s Bluetooth network range. It is not clear which Bluetooth version is in use; Apple only lists it as Bluetooth LE (low energy) on the back of the AirTag.
The longer Bluetooth range helps in a number of ways. It makes it easier for the tag to securely and privately connect to nearby devices to record their location and status and then share them with Apple’s Find My network.
For example, the reason you can tell that your luggage has reached your airport when you land is not because the AirTag’s Bluetooth can reach all the way to the gate where the luggage is unloaded (it can’t). It’s that an iPhone belonging to someone on the plane or an airport employee picked up the signal from the AirTag and passed it on to the Find My network.
It also means an AirTag can be more easily picked up by your iPhone (which is useful if someone tries to track you without your knowledge).
Louder speaker and new bell
Both AirTag generations have a speaker for those times when you can find the tag more easily by listening to the locator sound after you command it to play. It also beeps when the battery is low and when an unidentified AirTag is nearby. The speaker in the second generation AirTag is louder than the first generation one, which Apple says can be heard twice as far away.
The new AirTag also uses a new, recognizable chime that should be easier to hear in noisy environments.
#AirTag #AirTag #Comparison #Apples #improved #tracker