In brief: Apple has introduced an updated version of its AirTag tracking device with an expanded finding range boasting the company's second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, the same one used in the iPhone 17 and select Apple Watch models.
The new Apple AirTag features haptic, visual, and audio feedback, and uses a louder speaker to make it easier to track down misplaced items. Thanks to the new speaker and a revised internal design, the new AirTag is 50 percent louder than before and can be heard from twice as far away.
An upgraded Bluetooth chip is said to expand the range at which items can be located. All told, Apple said its new Precision Finding helps locate items up to 50 percent farther away compared to previous generation AirTags.
The new AirTag works with Find My, a network of crowdsourced Apple devices that use Bluetooth to help locate accessories and devices, making it easier for owners to track them down.
It also integrates with Share Item Location, a feature in iOS designed to help recover misplaced items by sharing their location with trusted third parties like airlines. Apple said it has partnered with more than 50 airlines to accept Share Item Location links. SITA, a top IT provider for airlines, said the use of Share Item Location has reduced baggage delays by 26 percent and cut down on truly lost luggage by 90 percent.
Privacy-conscious users should know that the new AirTag doesn't physically store location data or history on device, and that communication with the Find My network is protected by end-to-end encryption. Apple says that nobody, not even itself, knows the identity or location of a device that helped find another.
An average AirTag should last more than a year and when the time comes, the battery can easily be replaced.
Apple's new AirTag is available in single and four packs from today priced at $29 and $99, respectively – the same as its predecessor. Free personalized engraving is also available on Apple's website and through the Apple Store upon purchase.
Apple launches new AirTag with longer range and improved "Find My"
