AirTags: Is Apple planning a second generation soon?
Apple's AirTags have been on the market unchanged for three and a half years. Now a new version is said to be in preparation.
(Image: tre / Mac&i)
Apple's Bluetooth and UWB trackers, the AirTags, are actually pretty good as they are: comparatively cheap (starting from 84 €) for an Apple product, amazingly accurate, especially in cities, durable and largely problem-free to use. Nevertheless, it is about time that Apple launched a second generation on the market. After all, the AirTags were first launched at the end of April 2021 and have not been updated for a good three and a half years.
Please report "B589"
The previous rumors about an "AirTag 2" were not very credible. Now the usually well-informed Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman is weighing in: In his latest newsletter, he even mentions a possible code name. This is "B589" within Apple and stands for an "improved AirTag accessory for locating objects". Gurman claims to have heard "the first half of 2025" as the date. This could be at a possible Apple spring event – where an iPhone SE 4 is also expected.
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The last time there was speculation about an "AirTag 2" was a year ago. At that time, well-known supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated that he did not expect new devices before the fourth quarter of 2024. A short time later, however, he corrected himself and mentioned "a date in 2025" as a possibility, without giving a reason for this postponement. New AirTags should not actually be technically complex unless Apple is working on a complete redesign of the trackers.
AirTags 2 – what they should be able to do
There is little information on the actual hardware of the AirTags 2 so far. Apple could incorporate new Bluetooth and UWB chips to make them more accurate at short and long range, although this always depends on the receiving device, usually an iPhone. Apple will not incorporate GPS tracking, as this contradicts the "Where is?" location network.
The AirTags 2 could be even more compact and possibly contain a rechargeable battery; currently, the CR2032 battery is replaced manually. Finally, some AirTag fans are hoping that the tags can be officially used for theft protection, but this would entail data protection problems. Currently, the trackers (also) report quickly to a potential thief in order to prevent stalking.
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