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While almost everyone I know already freezing and snow shovelingI spent the last few days under the sunny skies of San Francisco, hiding and searching Apple’s new AirTag. I’m happy to report that it succeeds in its main job: I’ve found it every time. The second generation Bluetooth tracker looks and works the same as the original AirTagwhich debuts in 2021, but internal upgrades are easier to find.
Over the past five years, AirTag has become a popular way to track your baggagekeys, cars, bikes, pets (whatever you really shouldn’t clip one of Mr. Cupcakes) and almost anything you can attach a little white and silver disc to. AirTag is also sparking a conversation about privacy, especially in the environment Apple’s built-in protections which prevents it from being used to track someone against their will. Apple later parts are extended to protect both iPhone and Android phone owners.
Do we really need a new AirTag? No. But its new feature is great.
This isn’t your average annual technology upgrade, like a new phone with a faster processor. The first AirTag was great. Yes, it has drawbacks, such as no hole for a key ring, which forces you to buy a holder to attach it to things. But the best part of it Find My Apple networkan encrypted, invisible service that connects more than 1 billion devices, including iPhones, Macs and trackers. AirTag is your key to Find My kingdom.
During my time testing the second-gen AirTag, I discovered that the latest iteration is just as good. It has its drawbacks like the missing key ring hole, but the Find My network is still the star. Apple has improved the tracker’s ability to be found. The hum is louder and louder.
When trying to find it in the Find My app, Precision Finding took the new AirTag twice as far as the previous AirTag. AirTag 2, as we nicknamed it, also supports Precision Finding on my Apple Watchalthough setting it up is not straightforward.
The second-gen AirTag is on sale now: $29 for one and $99 for a four-pack. And like the OG version, if you order online directly from Appleyou can carve it.
Check it out: New AirTag Tested, As Tim Cook’s White House Visit Sparks Calls for Apple Boycott
AirTag 1 vs. AirTag 2
Here’s the second-gen AirTag (left) next to my 5-year-old first-gen AirTag.
When I first unboxed the second-gen AirTag, I was surprised that it had the same bulbous Mento design as the original. This allows the new AirTag to be used on gazillion accessories the people are already there. But there are differences. The resin in the white shell is now made of 85% recycled plastic. I’m curious to see if the white casing scuffs as easily as the original.
(That fine print emblazoned on the back? That’s how you can tell a second-gen AirTag from an original: The new one has the text printed in ALL CAPS — except for “AirTag,” because Apple probably wanted to hide the intercap.)
If you have the original AirTag, there is no reason to remove it and buy the new version. I can see swapping out an existing AirTag for a second-gen one if you regularly use Precision Finding for important items like keys and everyday bags — and especially if you want to access the feature on your Apple Watch.
If you can choose between the second generation AirTag and the first generation model at a discount, I’d go with the original discount for most items. The first AirTag model does almost everything the new one can do.
The new AirTag can be detected from a distance
The new AirTag has a longer range when you try to find it in the Find My app.
The new tracker has upgraded Bluetooth connectivity, making it more discoverable to nearby iPhones, which can piggyback its location information anonymously back to its owner. The second generation Ultra Wideband chip gives the new AirTag a longer range for Precision Finding.
CNET Social Media Producer Faith Chihil and I traveled to Salesforce Park, a green space above a bus station in San Francisco, to run an AirTag test. I gave Faith my old AirTag that I used to travel with, aptly named Patrick’s Luggage, and the new one, named New AirTag. I walked a few hundred feet away and opened the Find My app on my iPhone 17 Pro Max. I looked for the New AirTag first. I hit the Find button and then walked away. My iPhone started picking it up 110 feet away. The green “you’re going the right way” screen with an arrow shows 85 feet away from the new AirTag.
The second-generation AirTag’s green “approach” screen (left) shows 85 feet away. The original AirTag green screen appeared 37 feet away.
I repeated the test with Patrick’s Luggage AirTag, and my iPhone started picking it up 42 feet away, and the green screen showed 37 feet away. In this simple test, the second-generation AirTag can be detected at more than twice the distance as my first-generation Apple tracker.
I should note that there are many factors at play when trying to find your AirTag. Our range testing was done at lunchtime, so there were a lot of people with iPhones walking up to get the first tag location so my phone could use the Find My network to zero it. Also, we’re outside along the walkway, so we don’t have walls, rugs or furniture to contend with for Precision Finding.
The new AirTag supports Precision Finding on the Apple Watch
One of my favorite additions to the new AirTag is tracking it with the Apple Watch.
The second-gen Ultra Wideband chip in the new AirTag also supports Precision Finding for the first time in some Apple Watch models running. WatchOS 26.2.1 or then:
- Apple Watch Series 9
- Apple Watch Series 10
- Apple Watch Series 11
- Apple Watch Ultra 2
- Apple Watch Ultra 3
But doing so is not straightforward.
To use Precision Finding on 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 must add the Find AirTag button to the Control Panel to use Precision Finding on an Apple Watch to find a second-gen AirTag.
A quick online search later, I found a Apple Support page which explains how the Apple Watch uses Control Center to do this. I had to add a new Find Items button, called Find AirTag, to the Control Center and then tap it to put my watch in Precision Finding mode. Indoors, it detected my AirTag from 65 feet away. It may be further away, but our office is not that big.
My Apple Watch doesn’t have cellular data, so when I’m on Wi-Fi, it works great. When I’m outside, connected to my iPhone, it works fine, but sometimes it takes longer to update the location of my AirTag.
The new AirTag is more powerful
The new AirTag (left) has a louder, higher-pitched chime than the original AirTag.
If you’ve ever used AirTag’s Play Sound feature through the iPhone’s Find My app, you know Apple’s “I’m here” chime. The new AirTag plays the same tune but louder and louder, making it easier to spot.
I tested the hum of the second-gen AirTag against the first using the iPhone audio meter app (not the most scientific, but I wanted to visualize the difference). The original AirTag’s chime peaked at 67.3 dBA, while the new AirTag hits 77.5 dBA, more than twice as loud as the old model (remember, decibels are logarithmic).
The new AirTag final thoughts
The second generation AirTag has everything great about the original, but better.
When I tried the AirTag, I was worried that there wasn’t much to talk about. But after my time with it, I discovered a lot to share. That is, I am a fan. I’m already a fan first, and that’s the key. Apple has kept all the best aspects of the original AirTag while adding a few improvements. No dramatic redesigns or price increases. It’s just the familiar white and chrome disc that’s a little louder, louder and easier to spot from a distance.
I know some people are hoping that Apple will launch a credit card-style AirTag or one in different colors. Apple seems to be happy to have other companies do that and get involved Works with Apple Find My program. And I’m ok with that too.
