These three upgrades will make Apple’s next product launch a meaningful one – 9to5Mac

Apple has just wrapped up a number of its spring releases, including MacBook Air, iPad Air, Mac Studio, and iPhone 16e. For the most part, that’s probably the end of what the company plans to announce for a little while. However, there’s more in the pipeline for the middle of this year, including the long-rumored AirTag 2.

Here’s what we’re expecting with the next generation of Apple’s popular and affordable item tracker, AirTag, later this year. It may sound boring, but it’s meaningful.

According to leaker Kosutami, Apple will debut the new AirTag 2 upgrade in May or June, likely meaning we’ll see the upgrade unveiled before WWDC. Mark Gurman from Bloomberg has also stated that release is slated for ‘around the middle of [this] year.’

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has repeatedly reported that AirTag 2 will focus on three key user experience upgrades:

• Better range
• Improved wireless chip
• Higher focus on privacy

Apple will reportedly introduce a new ultrawide band chip in the next generation AirTag, allowing for up to triple the range with precision finding. This means you’ll be able to track your AirTags from 30-90 meters away, vs just 10-30 meters away with the current generation version. A newer wireless chip could also improve location accuracy in less densely populated areas.

In the past, people have used AirTags for stalking, and some have even modified AirTags to completely disable the built in speaker, making it harder for Apple to make targeted users aware of a nearby AirTag. Apple wants to mitigate these issues with the next AirTag.

Wrap up

These upgrades will undoubtedly make AirTag 2 far more useful, though you’ll have to wait a few months before experiencing it. Hopefully, AirTag 2 retains the same $29 starting price.

In the meanwhile, if you’re okay with buying the current generation of AirTag, they’re currently on sale, with a single AirTag available for $23, and a 4-pack for $69.99. With the 4 pack, thats around $18 per AirTag!

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