Apple has updated the AirTag for the first time since launching it in 2001. The popular Bluetooth tracker benefits from two main upgrades: longer range and a louder speaker.
On the range front, the new AirTag features a Bluetooth chip and a new Ultra Wideband chip. The new Bluetooth chip extends the range at which lost devices can be located by others walking past them.
Conversely, the upgraded Ultra Wideband chip increases the range for "Precision Finding" by 50%. Precision Finding is the AirTag feature that provides visual and haptic feedback on an iPhone or Apple Watch for locating objects when they've been lost nearby.
All mainline iPhones from the iPhone 11 and up support Precision Finding. iPhone SE models and the iPhone 16e don't have an Ultra Wideband chip, and can't take advantage of the feature. Only iPhone 15 models and up will benefit from the extended Precision Finding range offered by the the new AirTag.
Precision Finding can now also be initiated from an Apple Watch Series 9 or later, or Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later.
The new AirTag is also 50% louder than the initial model. Apple says this means users can hear AirTag from twice as far away as before.
The new AirTag is available to order from Apple's website now, priced at $49 for a single unit, or at $165 for a four-pack. That pricing is identical to what Apple was selling the previous generation device at.
The new AirTag will be available in physical Apple Stores and other retailers later this week. Buyers should note that retailers like Amazon and JB Hi-Fi are, at time of writing, still selling the old model.
Alex Choros
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