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While almost everyone I knew was Freezing and shoveling snowI’ve spent the last few days under sunny San Francisco skies, hiding and searching for things Apple’s new AirTag. I’m happy to report that it succeeded in its main task: it was able to locate it every time. This second generation Bluetooth tracker looks and works similar to Original AirTagwhich debuted in 2021, but internal upgrades make it easier to find.
Over the past five years, AirTag has become a popular way to track your data Travel luggagekeys, car, bike, pets (though… You really shouldn’t Cut one onto Mr. Cupcake) and almost anything else you can attach the little white and silver disk to. AirTag has also sparked a conversation about privacy, specifically about it Apple’s built-in security measures Which prevents it from being used to track someone unintentionally. Apple later Expanded those features To protect both iPhone and Android phone Owners.
Do we really need a new AirTag? No, but its new features are nice.
This isn’t a typical annual tech upgrade, like a new phone with a faster processor. The first AirTag is really cool. Yes, it has drawbacks, such as the lack of a slot for the keyring, which forces you to buy a holder to attach it to things. But its best feature is Apple’s Find My Network servicean encrypted, invisible service that connects more than a billion devices, including iPhones, Macs And tracking devices. AirTag is your key to Find My Kingdom.
While I was testing the second-generation AirTag, I discovered that the latest version is also great. It has drawbacks like a missing keyring hole, but the Find My network is still the star. Apple has improved the tracker’s ability to find it. The resonance is higher pitched and louder.
When trying to locate it in the Find My app, Precision Finding picked up the new AirTag at more than twice the distance that the old AirTag did. AirTag 2, as we called it, supports precise searching on my device Apple watchAlthough setting it up is not easy.
The second generation AirTag is on sale now: $29 each and $99 for a four-pack. And just like the OG version, if you Order online directly from Apple-You can get it engraved.
Watch this: Testing of the new AirTag, during Tim Cook’s visit to the White House, sparked calls for a boycott of Apple
AirTag 1 vs. AirTag 2
Here’s a second-generation AirTag (left) next to a 5-year-old first-generation AirTag.
When I first unboxed the second-generation AirTag, I was surprised to see that it had the same puffy Mento design as the original. This allows the new AirTag to be used with Gazillion accessories People already have it. But there are differences. The white shell resin is now made from 85% recycled plastic. I’m curious to see if the white cover scuffs as easily as the original cover.
(That fine engraved print on the back? This is how you can recognize a second-generation AirTag from the original: The new text is printed in all caps — except for “AirTag,” because Apple supposedly wanted to keep the interspersed letter.)
If you have the original AirTag, there’s no reason to throw it out and buy the new version. I can see replacing your current AirTag with a second-generation one if you frequently use Precision Finding for important items like keys and everyday bags — especially if you like access to this feature on your Apple Watch.
If you could choose between a 2nd generation AirTag and a discounted 1st generation model, I would choose the original discounted model for most items. The first AirTag model does almost everything the new model can do.
The new AirTag can be found further afield
The new AirTag has a longer range when you try to locate it in the Find My app.
The new tracker has upgraded Bluetooth connectivity, making it more discoverable on nearby iPhones, which can anonymously transmit their location information to its owner. The second generation Ultra Wideband chip gives the new AirTag a longer range for precise searching.
CNET social media producer Faith Chehill and I took a trip to Salesforce Park, a green space above a bus station in San Francisco, to test the AirTag. I gave Faith my old AirTag, called Patrick’s Luggage, and her new one, called the New AirTag. I then walked a few hundred feet and opened the Find My app on my device iPhone 17 Pro Max. I looked for the new AirTag first. I pressed the “Search” button and then started walking. My iPhone started picking it up at 110 feet away. A green “You’re going in the right direction” screen with an arrow appeared 85 feet from the new AirTag.
The second-generation AirTag’s green “approach” screen (left) appeared at 85 feet away. The AirTag’s original green screen appeared 37 feet away.
I repeated the test with Patrick’s Luggage AirTag, and my iPhone started picking it up at 42 feet away, and the green screen came out at 37 feet away. In this simple test, the second-generation AirTag was able to be found at more than twice the distance as a first-generation Apple tracker.
I should note that there are a lot of factors that come into play when trying to find your AirTag. Our range test was done around lunchtime, so there were a lot of people with iPhones walking by to pick up the initial location of the marker so my phone could use the Find My network to focus on it. Also, we were outside along a walking trail, so we had no walls, rugs, or furniture to manipulate for accurate detection.
The new AirTag supports the Precision Search feature on Apple Watch
One of my favorite additions to the new AirTag is the ability to track it using an Apple Watch.
The second-generation Ultra Wideband chip in the new AirTag also supports Precision Search for the first time in some Apple Watch models running WatchOS 26.2.1 Or later:
- Apple Watch Series 9
- Apple Watch Series 10
- Apple Watch Series 11
- Apple Watch Ultra 2
- Apple Watch Ultra 3
But setting it up is not easy.
To use Precision Search on your iPhone, go to the Items tab in the Find My app and select your AirTag. But when I went to the Find Items app on the watch, I could select the new AirTag, but there was no Precision Finding option.
You need to add a Find AirTag button to your control panel to use the precision search on your Apple Watch to locate your 2nd generation AirTag.
A quick online search later, I found it Apple support page This shows how the Apple Watch uses Control Center to do this. I had to add a new button for searching for items, called Find AirTag, to Control Center and then tap it to put my Watch into fine-grained search mode. Inside, it found my AirTag from 65 feet away. It may go further, but our office does not Which big.
My Apple Watch doesn’t have cellular data, so when I was indoors connected to Wi-Fi, it worked great. When I was outside, connected to my iPhone, it mostly worked fine, but sometimes it took longer to update my AirTag’s location.
The new AirTag is louder
The new AirTag (left) is louder and higher pitched than the original AirTag.
If you’ve used AirTag’s voice-activation feature through the Find My app on iPhone, you know that Apple chimes in with the “I’m here” phrase. The new AirTag plays the same tune but at a higher and higher pitch, making it easier to find.
I tested the ringing of the second-gen AirTag versus the first using the Sound Meter app on the iPhone (not the most scientific, but I wanted to visualize the difference). The original AirTag peaked at 67.3 dB, while the new AirTag reached 77.5 dB, more than twice as loud as the old model (remember, Logarithmic decibels).
New Final Thoughts for AirTag
The second generation AirTag has everything great about the original, but it’s just a little bit better.
When I set out to test the AirTag, I was worried there wouldn’t be much to talk about. But after spending time with him, I discovered a lot to share. And I’m a fan. I was already a fan of the first one, and that’s the key. Apple has kept all the best aspects of the original AirTag while adding minor improvements. There was no radical redesign or price increase. It’s just the familiar white and chrome dial that’s a little louder, higher pitched, and easier to spot from a little further away.
I know some people were hoping Apple would release a credit card-style AirTag or one in different colors. And Apple seems to be very happy for other companies to do this and get involved Works with Apple Find My. I agree with that too.