Apple launched the AirTag in 2021. It is a device that you can attach to any item and track it using your Apple device. It has been three years since the item tracker that integrates with Apple devices has seen an upgrade, and very little is known about the second-generation product.
Now, we have some fresh information about the second-generation Apple AirTag, thanks to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg. According to Gurman"s Power On newsletter (via Bloomberg), the second-generation Apple AirTag "is scheduled to arrive around the middle of the year."
Notably, the first-gen Apple AirTag was announced in April 2021, so we may expect Apple to take the wraps off the new AirTag at the same time next year. Mark Gurman also noted that Apple is reportedly doing manufacturing tests with its Asian partners for a product, codenamed B589, to ship in 2025.
The main question is, what features can we expect the second-generation AirTag or the AirTag 2 to come with? According to Gurman, the second-generation AirTag will include "a better chip with improved location tracking." It is speculated that the alleged AirTag 2 could come with the same second-generation Ultra-Wideband chip found on the Apple iPhone 15, Apple Watch Series 9, and the Watch Ultra 2 models.
The use of the second-generation Ultra-Wideband chip will help the AirTag 2 track devices over long distances of up to 60 meters. For comparison, the U1 chip only works over a distance of 10 meters, and to expand the coverage, Apple had to launch Precision Finding, which lets users find their friends up to 60 meters.
Apple may also add some security features, as the original AirTag picked up bad press where some criminals reportedly used AirTags with malicious intent. With the iOS 17.5 update, Apple added a Cross-Platform Tracking Detection feature that alerts an iPhone user if an unknown Bluetooth tracker not registered to the owner"s iPhone is tagged with him, regardless of which mobile OS the tracker is paired with.