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Apple introduces new AirTag with expanded connectivity range and improved findability

Apple has unveiled the new AirTag, an update of the accessory that helps users keep track of and find items with Apple’s Find My app.

The new version has an expanded finding range and a louder speaker. Powered by the strength of the Find My network, AirTag allows users to keep tabs on their belongings every single day. 

Apple says the AirTag is designed exclusively for tracking objects and offers industry-leading protections against unwanted tracking. It’s available today for the same price as its predecessor: US$29 for a single AirTag and $99 for a four-pack, with free personalized engraving available on apple.com and the Apple Store app.

Enhanced Range and Findability

Apple’s second-generation Ultra Wideband chip — the same chip found in the iPhone 17 lineup, iPhone Air, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch Series 11 — powers the new AirTag, making it easier to locate than ever before. Using haptic, visual, and audio feedback, Precision Finding purportedlyguides users to their lost items from up to 50% farther away than the previous generation.

An upgraded Bluetooth chip expands the range at which items can be located. For the first time, users can use Precision Finding on Apple Watch Series 9 or later, or Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later, to find their AirTag.

With its updated internal design, the new AirTag is described as being 50% louder than the previous generation, enabling users to hear their AirTag from up to 2x farther than before. Paired with its enhanced Precision Finding capabilities and distinctive new chime, AirTag now makes it easier for users to find their important items, such as keys hidden deep in between couch cushions or a wallet as they head out the door.

The Find My Network and Share Item Location

Find My makes it easy to locate AirTag, Apple devices, and compatible third-party devices, as well as keep up with friends and family. If an AirTag is out of range of its paired iPhone, the Find My network can help track it down. The Find My network is a crowdsourced network of Apple devices that use Bluetooth technology to detect the location of an accessory or device, and report their approximate location back to the owner.

The new AirTag integrates with Share Item Location, an iOS feature designed to help users recover a misplaced item by temporarily and securely sharing its location with trusted third parties, such as airlines, so they can assist in recovering delayed luggage or other lost items. Apple has partnered directly with more than 50 airlines to privately and securely accept Share Item Location links.

With Share Item Location, users can share the location of a misplaced item with a participating airline’s customer service team. According to SITA, an IT provider for airlines, carriers report that using Share Item Location has reduced baggage delays by 26% and reduced incidences of “truly lost” or unrecoverable luggage by 90%. Access is granted only to authorized personnel via secure Apple Account or partner authentication. The shared location will be disabled as soon as a user is reunited with their item, can be stopped by the owner at any time, and will automatically expire after seven days.

Security Features

Apple says the new AirTag is designed from the ground up to keep location data private and secure. It doesn’t physically store location data or history on device, and end-to-end encryption protects all communication with the Find My network, ensuring that only the owner of a device can access its location data. 

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Article provided with permission from AppleWorld.Today
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