Apple announces new AirTag with longer range, louder speaker, ‘distinctive’ new chime
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The new Apple AirTag model uses an upgraded Bluetooth chip and can locate lost items from up to 50 per cent farther away than the previous generation.
PHOTO: APPLE
SAN FRANCISCO – Apple unveiled an upgraded AirTag accessory, with the US$29 (S$37) item finder now offering a longer range, a louder speaker, and other improvements.
The new model uses an upgraded Bluetooth chip and can locate lost items from up to 50 per cent farther away than the previous generation, the company said in a statement on Jan 26.
Its speaker is 50 per cent louder than before, according to the company, and includes what Apple calls a “distinctive new chime” that it said makes it easier to find items that have gone missing.
Owners of the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later models can also now track an AirTag’s location from their wrist for the first time.
The new device is available now for the same price as its predecessor and can still be purchased in a four-pack for US$99. Bloomberg reported last September that Apple was preparing to release an upgraded AirTag.
As with the original model, the new version is “designed exclusively for tracking objects, and not people or pets”, Apple said in the statement. The device includes a range of protections against unwanted tracking or stalking, including cross-platform alerts on both iOS and Android.
The new AirTag also continues to integrate with Apple’s Find My network, a crowd-sourced network of Apple devices that use Bluetooth to detect the location of a product and report its whereabouts back to the owner.
The new AirTag’s external design is unchanged, meaning it remains compatible with accessories designed for the original model, Apple added.
The Cupertino, California-based company has found other ways to help reunite users with their belongings. In 2024, it introduced a feature called Share Item Location that lets AirTag owners share the location of a misplaced item with trusted third parties – such as an airline’s customer service team – to improve the chances of it being recovered.
Other phone makers, including Samsung Electronics and Lenovo Group’s Motorola unit, have released their own item trackers that use similar “ultra wideband” technology for locating objects. BLOOMBERG
