Apple's AirTag should help you keep track of your keys, wallet and just about anything else
The most unique thing that Apple have ever announced and given that they have created a lot over the years, that is saying something. AirTag is not a new way to play Tag with your friends, or Jeremy Renner, but is in fact a way to keep track of your devices, using the Find My system on all iPhone, iPads and Mac computers.
The AirTag is a small circular device that can be clipped on to your bag or keys, slid into your wallet or attached in just about any other way to any device you can think of.
“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.”
Each round AirTag is small and lightweight, and is IP67 water- and dust-resistant. A built-in speaker plays sounds to help locate AirTag, while a removable cover makes it easy for users to replace the battery, which should last 12 months, before needing to be replaced.
AirTag features the same magical setup experience as AirPods — just bring AirTag close to iPhone and it will connect. Users can assign AirTag to an item and name it with a default like “Keys” or “Jacket,” or provide a custom name of their choosing.
Each AirTag is equipped with the Apple-designed U1 chip using Ultra Wideband technology, enabling Precision Finding5 for iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 users. This advanced technology can more accurately determine the distance and direction to a lost AirTag when it is in range. 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.
If AirTag is separated from its owner and out of Bluetooth range, the Find My network can help track it down. The Find My network is approaching a billion Apple devices and can detect Bluetooth signals from a lost AirTag and relay the location back to its owner, all in the background, anonymously and privately.
Apple will also sell clips or loops if you will, to allow you to hang the AirTag from your bag or anything else you can think of. For those who want to spend so much money, it becomes a joke, Hermes are selling them as well, though you can spend $60 for the Apple AirTag Leather Loop or $680 for the Hermes version.
The AirTag’s themselves, you can get them for $45 for one, or $149 for a pack of four, with orders being accepted this Friday April 23 and shipping next week for a Friday April 30 delivery.