Apple’s new AirTag is louder and can be found across longer distances

2 months ago 32

6:46 AM PST · January 26, 2026

Apple connected Monday introduced the adjacent mentation of its AirTag, which volition present diagnostic a longer Bluetooth range, a louder speaker, and improved precision uncovering capabilities. The second is powered by Apple’s second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, which is besides recovered successful the iPhone 17 devices, iPhone Air, Apple Watch Series 11, and Apple Watch Ultra 3.

With Precision Finding, the caller AirTag tin connection haptic, visual, and audio feedback to usher users to their mislaid items. Now, those uncovering capabilities widen up to 50% farther distant with the anterior generation, Apple claims. The upgraded Bluetooth chip, meanwhile, besides helps widen the scope astatine which items tin beryllium located.

Notably, with this update, Precision Finding volition beryllium accessible from the Apple Watch Series 9 oregon aboriginal and Apple Watch Ultra 2 oregon later.

The device’s talker is besides 50% louder than the anterior generation, which means you tin perceive the AirTag’s beep from up to 2 times farther distant than before.

The AirTag devices volition besides integrate with Share Item Location, an iOS diagnostic that allows users to temporarily stock the AirTag’s determination with 3rd parties. Today, 50 airlines are partnered with Apple for luggage tracking.

One happening that hasn’t changed is the AirTag’s price: it’s inactive $29 for a azygous AirTag and $99 for a four-pack, including escaped personalized engraving.

First launched successful 2021, AirTag rapidly came to predominate the marketplace for Bluetooth-connected mislaid point finders, fundamentally forcing erstwhile marketplace leaders like Tile to rapidly find an exit. The institution alleged that Apple was unfairly competing arsenic its uncovering web was instantly arsenic large arsenic the iPhone instal base, and Apple was pushing AirTag rivals to integrate with its ain Find My app. Other companies, similar Chipolo, took Apple up its connection to enactment with Find My and competed against AirTag with products that enactment crossed iOS and Android, oregon that person antithetic features, similar rechargeable batteries.

Still, Apple’s AirTag remains the 1 to beat, with third-party estimates suggesting that astir 70% of trackers sold successful the second portion of 2024 were AirTag devices. Apple does not disclose its AirTag sales.

Sarah has worked arsenic a newsman for TechCrunch since August 2011. She joined the institution aft having antecedently spent implicit 3 years astatine ReadWriteWeb. Prior to her enactment arsenic a reporter, Sarah worked successful I.T. crossed a fig of industries, including banking, retail and software.

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