Hands-on with Apple's AirTag 2. Here's what you need to know about the 'Find My' tracker
Apple's second-generation AirTag looks the same, but it has some new tricks. Here's what you need to know about it.
It’s hard to get excited by a new $29 Bluetooth tracking device. The second-generation AirTag may have increased the tracking range and made the beeping volume louder, but after you’ve connected it to your iPhone, there’s not much to do with it except toss it in a backpack or suitcase and wait for it to go missing.
The quarter-sized AirTag is a lot like buying insurance. It’s good to have, but there’s not much to do with it until something bad happens. Though you can now share AirTag tracking information with some airlines to help them track down your luggage.
I got my hands on the brand new AirTag from Apple to see whether it was worth the upgrade. Should you be buying new AirTag ‘Find My’ trackers to replace existing ones before tragedy strikes?
What’s new with Apple’s AirTag 2?
It’s nearly impossible to tell whether you have a new AirTag or an older one, just from looking at it. If you pull out a magnifying glass, you can see that the text on the back is now capitalized. But mostly, the exterior is exactly the same. That’s okay because it means that any accessories you bought previously will still work with the new version.
Along with the familiar appearance, the AirTag still has a 12-month battery life. There’s still a user-replaceable CR2032 coin cell battery. It still only comes in white.
What is new is a longer range for Ultra Wideband Precision Finding. This is where your iPhone will show you an exact distance and direction to find the AirTag once you get semi-close to it. Owners of Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 or newer can do Precision Finding now too. I tried it, and it worked as advertised. (Be sure to upgrade watchOS to the latest version!)
Apple claims the speaker is about 50% louder in this second-generation AirTag. That’s nice for a couple of reasons. It will make finding your lost item easier if it’s outside or in a busy area. But the increased volume will also be a better anti-stalking deterrent.
An AirTag will alert you with beeps and other measures if it’s been traveling with someone for too long who didn’t set it up.
In practice, I did notice the louder sound of the new one, compared to the first-generation device. It sounds slightly different too. Apparently, the beeping or chirping is in a different key. The volume upgrade is good, but not revolutionary. If it could play music and stream songs, that would be a different conversation—but it can’t.
Should you replace your old AirTag with a new one?
If you need an AirTag, then I would recommend buying the new one. It’s very similar, but just improved in a few areas. There’s no reason not to buy it if you want the Precision Finding feature UWB offers. Because there are other ‘Find My‘ trackers—some cool ones—but those won’t point you in the exact direction like an AirTag will.
On the other hand, I wouldn’t rush out to buy a new AirTag to replace an existing one. Unless you’re often in sparsely populated areas and need the absolute longest range, then keep your old AirTags for now. The new ones are better, but not significantly enough that you need to go out and replace perfectly good location trackers.