Apple has officially announced the AirTag – the iPhone maker’s long-rumored tracking accessory that integrates with the Find My app to allow users to track items such as handbags, keys, backpacks, or other items from their iPhone.
Sold individually at $29 or in a pack of four for $99, AirTags will be available beginning Friday, April 30, using the recently launched Find My network. Apple says, “AirTag is a super-easy way to keep track of your stuff. Attach one to your keys, slip another in your backpack. And just like that, they’re on your radar in the Find My app, where you can also track down your Apple devices and keep up with friends and family.”
Each round AirTag is small and lightweight, featuring a polished stainless steel design. Each tag is IP67 water- and dust-resistant, featuring a built-in speaker that plays sounds to help users locate their AirTag. As expected, the tags use a replaceable battery.
Image: Apple
Customers can personalize their AirTag with free engraving online at Apple.com, including text and a selection of 31 emoji.
Apple says AirTag batteries are low-energy and feature more than a year of battery life.
Image: Apple
Each AirTag is equipped with the Apple-designed U1 chip using Ultra Wideband technology, enabling Precision Finding for iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 users. As a user moves, Precision Finding fuses input from the camera, ARKit, accelerometer, and gyroscope, and then will guide them to AirTag using a combination of sound, haptics, and visual feedback.
Image: Apple
Apple has also launched a range of new AirTag accessories, comprising of loops, keyrings, leather accessories, and exclusive designer loops and rings from Hermès.
These are all of Apple’s new AirTag accessories
We’re excited to bring this incredible new capability to iPhone users with the introduction of AirTag, leveraging the vast Find My network, to help them keep track of and find the important items in their lives, said Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing. With its design, unparalleled finding experience, and built-in privacy and security features, AirTag will provide customers with another way to leverage the power of the Apple ecosystem and enhance the versatility of iPhone.
AirTag send out a secure Bluetooth signal that can be detected by nearby devices in the Find My network. These devices send the location of the AirTag to iCloud — then a user can go to the Find My app and see it on a map. The whole process is anonymous and encrypted to protect user privacy.
