Charles Martin
Apple is working on a new version of the popular AirTag item tracker, said to replace the current model at some point in 2025.
Apple's popular AirTag device will get a new version, code-named B589, according to a new report. The updated device is allegedly already undergoing test runs with manufacturing partners in Asia, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
The device originally debuted in April 2021, and quickly became a hit product. Details on what will be new in the device are scant, but users can expect to see a more powerful chip with improved location tracking.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also predicted the 2025 arrival of a new AirTag back in October of 2023. He expects the new model to gain compatibility with the Apple Vision Pro.
Gurman said he would like to see a louder speaker, longer battery life, and a version optimized for wallets. Third-party companies also make trackers that are compatible with Apple's Find My network, including some that are intended for wallets.
Although Apple was among the first tracker makers to include anti-stalking features in the original AirTag, it has repeatedly updated and strengthened those features. Other makers have since adopted similar measures in an effort to cut down on the abuse of the devices to intimidate and stalk others.
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10 Comments
I'm guessing that the new ones will not cause many to want update any of their current AirTags. I do have one that I'll probably get for a keycard so that the AirTag puck doesn't bulge out of the plastic card holder, but that's about it and it's also not a pressing issue.
Anyone use one of the FindMy-compatible Chipolo, Orbit, Eufy, et al. wallet cards?
This is definitely an area where I think it'd be nice to have a thinner product as long as it doesn't compromise the usability of it. I think the current product is definitely too bulky in general but it's good for a first gen product. Everything gets better over time as the technology progresses.
I'm also hard pressed to come up with functional improvements for the AirTag, other than new form factors. The battery life is a year (more, in my experience) and is fine. I can see where a wallet version would be useful, but my wallet is RFID-blocking, so it wouldn't work anyway.
The problem I have with trackers and similar "Alert" devices, is the frequency of their chirp is outside my hearing range. Chipolo addressed that somewhat by having their devices "play" a note on an ascending scale. It's too bad there isn't a way to set the Chrip's frequency (tone, not rate of occurrence). Because of my high-frequency loss, my hearing is above average at lower tones.