Apple could bring out second-gen AirTag by May or June

The second-generation AirTag refresh could be arriving within months, with a leaker claiming that the tracking tag may land by May at the earliest.

An update to the AirTag is expected to arrive at some point in 2025. If a leaker is to be believed, it could be arriving within a couple of months.

According to a Monday posting to X by a leaker named Kosutami, Apple's "Next Generation of AirTag" will be arriving in May or June. The account doesn't offer any other AirTag-specific details other than the May or June timeframe.

Kosutami is known as a collector of Apple prototypes, but has served as a leaker from time to time. However, while the leaks have ranged from AirPods Pro 3 rumors to FineWoven cases, the unverifiable and unknown sourcing of the rumor makes it somewhat questionable.

That said, rumors about an update for the compact device have circulated for a while, with a 2025 release predicted back in January 2024 and reiterated in May 2024.

Range, speaker, Apple Vision Pro support

The next version of AirTag could provide consumers with quite a few benefits. For a start, there is the belief that it could have a much longer range than the original, with UltraWide Band support increasing from about 100 foot to 295 feet.

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There is also the expectation of a louder speaker to help track it down when it's lost. Better battery life has also been claimed for the accessory, so it will last for far longer between battery changes.

The most out-there rumor is Apple Vision Pro support. By using multiple AirTags placed on a body and employing UWB's accurate positioning and distance detection, it could enable a rudimentary motion capture system for the headset.

7 Comments

apple4thewin 4 Years · 408 comments

About 1 month ago

I do like that last theory for VP use. Sony has made something similar for so much more (The Mocopi) this should give body tracking slightly more mainstream. Then again it may be locked to Apple products so maybe not.

1 Like · 0 Dislikes

maltz 14 Years · 530 comments

About 1 month ago

Louder speaker, longer range, better battery life would all be welcome, but not things I'm really longing for. The main thing I'd like to see are other form factors for things like wallets, and larger versions with decade-long life where size isn't an issue.

I also wish they could figure out a way to have better anti-theft functionality. I get that it conflicts with anti-stalking features, though. One way I've thought of is an "Anti-Theft" mode that you could put an AirTag into when it's being used for that purpose. When in this mode, the AirTag "hides" - no phone alert, no beeping etc. But it also removes your ability to track it when it's out of range of your device, so that only Apple and/or law enforcement can track it at that point. Police can track your stolen item, given the AirTag serial number from your Find My list, but you can't use it for stalking. Maybe have a 24 hour period when you try to put the AirTag back into normal mode, during which time you still cannot track it, but it does start alerting anyone it's tracking to its presence.

2 Likes · 0 Dislikes

rselover 11 Years · 12 comments

About 1 month ago

Wild speculation- since apple C modems don’t (yet) have UWB, there will be some kind of alternative tech to allow for “Find My” beyond just directions

1 Like · 0 Dislikes

oscarg 12 Years · 27 comments

About 1 month ago

This omits the primary speculation about next-gen AirTags: Apple may make it harder to rip out the speaker. If they do, forget it. When someone steals my stuff, I don't want them finding and ditching the AirTag, or be warned that I'm coming to beat their ass.

0 Likes · 2 Dislikes

schlack 12 Years · 738 comments

About 1 month ago

maltz said:

Louder speaker, longer range, better battery life would all be welcome, but not things I'm really longing for. The main thing I'd like to see are other form factors for things like wallets, and larger versions with decade-long life where size isn't an issue.

I also wish they could figure out a way to have better anti-theft functionality. I get that it conflicts with anti-stalking features, though. One way I've thought of is an "Anti-Theft" mode that you could put an AirTag into when it's being used for that purpose. When in this mode, the AirTag "hides" - no phone alert, no beeping etc. But it also removes your ability to track it when it's out of range of your device, so that only Apple and/or law enforcement can track it at that point. Police can track your stolen item, given the AirTag serial number from your Find My list, but you can't use it for stalking. Maybe have a 24 hour period when you try to put the AirTag back into normal mode, during which time you still cannot track it, but it does start alerting anyone it's tracking to its presence.

Some affordable, well-designed 3rd party mods already allow for a 10-year AirTag battery life. https://a.co/d/iKAl0je

Now, if they would create a self-powered version, like an automatic watch (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_watch), that would be killer. Endless battery life for non-stationary objects.