Apple is eyeing enhanced range and privacy boost on AirTag 2

The second-gen object tracker from Apple is not too far away, and it seems the next iteration will serve improvements in a few crucial areas. In the latest edition of his PowerOn newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that the AirTag 2 has moved to the “manufacturing tests” stage. 

As far as the design goes, they will look similar to the current version, but the internals have been upgraded. The most notable change among them is making it more difficult to remove the speaker assembly within the object tracker. 

The speaker fitted inside an AirTag emits a beeping sound, which not only helps the owner locate it, but also alerts an unsuspecting person if an unidentified AirTag is moving with them. 

Bad actors leveraged this system for stalking and other unscrupulous activities. Back in 2022, “silent” AirTags that had their speaker removed popped up for sale on eBay and Etsy. 

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To counter such misuse, Apple released a “display alert with sound” feature. This was done so that when an AirTag is nearby and it can’t emit a sound because of tampering with the speaker, at least the notification up on a phone’s screen will alert a person. 

The Bloomberg report also mentions improved privacy, but doesn’t dig into any specific details. Evern since the AirTags were launched, Apple has been busy plugging privacy loopholes that have been exploited in diverse ways. 

More importantly, the second-gen AirPods will also offer enhanced tracking range. The curent version relies on Bluetooth, which mean their range is about 10 meters, or roughly 30 feet. For comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Smart Tag 2 offers a 120 meter range. 

Currently in development under the codename B589, the AirTag successor will also come armed with an upgraded wireless chip. The first-gen AirTag comes equipped with the U1 chip, which enables Ultra Wideband and Precision Finding support. There is no word regarding any improvements to battery life or pricing, but the market launch is expected for next year.