If you've been thinking about picking up an Apple AirTag but are worried that a new version could arrive immediately after you hit the “buy” button, fear not: the latest rumors suggest that a sequel won't arrive until at least mid-2025.
The current AirTag is more than three years old, but Bloomberg reports that an AirTag 2, with improved location tracking and a new chip, isn't expected to arrive until “about the middle of next year.”
Apple is apparently already testing its new tracker (reportedly codenamed B589) with manufacturing partners in Asia. But if you've been thinking about purchasing one of the little tracking discs, it looks like you'll be able to safely do so without a successor making it immediately obsolete.
It's been an interesting year for trackers like AirTag and third-party trackers like those from Chipolo and Pebblebee. Google began rolling out a new Find My Device network in April, giving Android phones an equivalent to Apple's Find My network for tracking lost devices.
More recently, iOS 17.5 offered built-in detection for 'unwanted location trackers', allowing iPhone owners to detect and locate third-party object trackers (along with AirTags). This followed Google and Apple's agreement in May 2023 to draw up a joint specification to “combat the misuse of Bluetooth location tracking devices.”
This means tracking devices are making a comeback this year, following understandable fears about their misuse a few years ago, but it looks like we'll have to wait until 2025 before we see a next-generation AirTag.
What could an AirTag 2 provide?
Given that Apple's current AirTag already has a useful Precision Find feature (based on ultra-wideband technology) for precise object tracking, is there anything left that a successor can improve on?
We have some ideas. As our Apple AirTag review points out, the design could be better. We found that the small disc can be scratched easily and it's also annoying to have to buy accessories to attach AirTags to keys and bags. It would be nice to see a sturdier design and a built-in keychain hole.
AirTag rivals, like the new Find My Device-compatible options from Chipolo and Pebblebee, are also available in several different form factors, including flat versions that are suitable for wallets. We'd like to see an AirTag equivalent of the latter; After all, it would fit nicely next to the Apple Card.
We'd also like to see an improvement in battery life (the current AirTag's CR2032 battery lasts about a year before needing to be replaced) and a louder speaker for that audible beep you hear when you're tracking it. Another useful feature would be the option to use an AirTag to find your iPhone or watch; There is currently no option to do this.
Still, this doesn't mean the current Apple AirTag isn't a decent buy at its $29 / £29 / AU$45 price. And since the AirTag 2 still seems a ways off, we'll be looking to buy one or two more for traveling this anus.
