In spite of its little size, Apple’s long-awaited location-tracking gadget, AirTag, will certainly prove handy if you often misplace valuables such as wallets, keys, as well as other items.
If an AirTag is connected to an iPhone 11 or later, in addition to releasing an electrical beep whenever someone can’t seem to find a tagged object, you may also use the Find My app to receive precise instructions to the item. The Precision Finding function, which uses the iPhone’s accelerometer, camera, & gyroscope, shows you where you are in relation to the AirTag, how far you are away from it, & when you’re getting near to it via haptic feedback.
Set the AirTag in Lost mode, then whenever another device within the network passes by the AirTag, you’ll get an anonymized update on its whereabouts. Apple’s Find My Device network may also be used to assist you locates an AirTag that you consider lost instead of misplaced. You may also provide a phone number to a misplaced AirTag, allowing a general public member to use their iPhone or any other NFC-capable gadget to tap it to show the number & contact you.
Apple has given security a lot of consideration & has included a number of safeguards to prevent AirTags from being used improperly. This implies you are unable to engage an AirTag on another person’s behalf. Additionally, if an unfamiliar AirTag is carried by you while out & about, the iPhone, iPad, or other iOS device will detect it anyway & notify you that perhaps the owner may see the position. Additionally, if the AirTag has been isolated itself from owner for such a looooong period but is still moving, it will make a sound to bring more awareness to itself.
Whenever anyone borrows anything from you & an AirTag is connected, they may opt to suspend the alerts either temporarily or permanently if the AirTag is associated with an Apple ID which belongs to the family sharing party.
The disc-shaped tracking system can be tucked into something like a wallet as well as bag, but if you’d like to connect it to keys or even other products, you’ll need to buy a key fob or circle that it plugs into; nevertheless, these cost the exact same as, & in some situations above the, the AirTag itself, proving that such an AirTag is not the most reasonably priced location tracker available. Additionally, it is an iOS-only item, like numerous other Apple goods.
Nevertheless, if you often forget exactly where you put the wallet or keys, or if you simply require the assurance that you may easily retrieve a lost item, so an AirTag would be a wise buy.
Apple AirTag Availability & Price
Apple AirTags come in packs of 4 for $99, £99, or AU$149 or individually for $29, £29, or AU$45. Pre-orders for AirTags are being accepted now; the item will be available for purchase on April 30.
As previously indicated, an extra key fob or loop is required if you wish to connect an AirTag to your keys, bicycles, or other goods. These are available in silicon or leather and begin at $29, £29, or AU$45.
There are a few legally approved AirTag carriers made by a third-party company, Belkin, which are sold alongside Apple’s own gadgets in the Apple Store & are somewhat less expensive. We anticipate that additional third-party peripherals will soon start to emerge on Amazon as well as other websites.
Design
The AirTag is incredibly small, measuring 1.26 x 1.26 x 0.31 inches (3.19 x 3.19 x 0.8cm) & weighing only 0.4oz (11g). It is around the size of a quarter or a £2 coin. The stainless disc features a built-in loudspeaker which will play a note if indeed the Find My app on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac is utilized to locate it. It also has a detachable plastic sheet that holds the CR2032 cell that operates the AirTag.
The AirTag doesn’t come with a clip or tag by default, but it may be tucked inside a purse, wallet, or jacket pocket. You may buy additional leather & silicone key fobs & loops via Apple or other companies such as Belkin to connect it to your keys or other objects.
The AirTag is able to qualify for Apple’s free engraving offering, allowing you to add text, numbers, as well as emojis towards the smooth plastic sheet to make it easier to distinguish which AirTag would be which when you own several of them. The AirTag has an IP67 rating, so it will endure an unplanned dunk in a large puddle or the bath. Unfortunately, we discovered that after just just few days of usage, both surfaces of the AirTag had become scratched up.
Apple has not yet mentioned the AirTags’ Bluetooth range, but because Bluetooth 5.0 the newest version of the technology is already included in the iPhone 12 as well as offers a range of 800 feet/240 meters, we assume that AirTags are compatible with it.
Performance
Similar to other iPhone accessories, setting up the AirTag was quite straightforward. The AirTag let out a little beep after we opened the container, & our iPhone recognised it right away. The AirTag could be given a name, & after it was associated with our Apple ID, it appeared on the Devices tab. We could easily connect the AirTag to the keys as well as a purse strap by slipping it through the leather key fob & loop attachments.
Inside the Find My app, clicking the AirTag from list of objects displays numerous choices, one of which is Play Sound. We discovered that this really took a brief while for Find My to establish a connection with the AirTag & begin emitting 3 steps of 5 electrical beeps, that measured 64db on the sound metre & were loud enough for us listen from behind the mound of pillows where we had hidden it on the couch.
The brief 7 second cycle of electrical beeps is sufficient to find anything within the same room or the space adjacent to it, however it was insufficient while we were upstairs & our ‘lost’ item was below. In this case, it took us 4 taps of the Play Sound button before we could get near sufficient to the AirTag to notice it.
The Accuracy Finding tool might be useful in this situation. To assist you find the AirTag, this employs Ultra Wideband radio communication to determine how far & in which directions the iPhone is from it. It then displays this data on-screen & via haptic feedback.
Overall, we discovered that the instructions plus the represented distance, that is shown in feet or metres, did make it simpler to locate our (intentionally concealed) AirTag. Nevertheless, given that our testing were carried out in a house with hollow walls, which frequently has an impact on the dependability of Bluetooth communication among gadgets like headphones & smartphones, we discovered that this also applied to the Precision Finding function.
For instance, our iPhone 12 originally struggled to establish a link with AirTag & prompted us to transfer to a new place after we left our AirTag with in garden & walked inside. It was capable of connecting to the AirTag when we got closer, however the signal was poor. Once it was 21 feet (6 metres) away from the AirTag, it finally made a connection.
Our iPhone connected to the AirTag fairly immediately & was capable of directing us towards it without losing service while we set the AirTag in the front yard & strolled all across street until we reached 30 feet (9 metres) away.
Since we’ve previously noted, Apple’s Find My device network may assist locate the Key Finder whether you’re outside of the AirTag’s Range of the network. We discovered that it took only 30 mins for a nearby iPhone to inform us regarding the position of the AirTag after we left it in a crowded town centre & went back home, creating it seem to be lost.
The loop of brief electrical beeps began when we asked Siri to locate an AirTag, but in order to utilise Precision Finding, Siri instructed us to launch the Find My app.
Battery Life
Apple claims that now the CR2032 battery that powers the AirTag would last well over a year before should be replaced, assuming that perhaps the tracker is used for Precision Finding once daily & is set to ring 4 times each day.
Since there is no battery status indication & we are unable to verify these claims quite yet, we were not able to determine the amount that the battery was drained throughout our rigorous testing.
Simply carry the AirTag well with colourful side facing down, put 2 fingers just on metal side, as well as twist towards the right to release the metallic coating & reveal the battery. Replacing the battery is simple.
Purchase It If
You want straightforward guidance to lost stuff.
Due to the on-screen instructions & distance count, the Precision Finding function enables it much simpler to find lost objects than it would be to just wait for AirTag’s sound. At the moment, this feature is currently available from one location tracker mostly on market.
Privacy concerns are on the mind.
In order to prevent abuse, Apple has included many privacy measures into AirTags. These features range from alerting you on the iPhone or iPad if an unfamiliar AirTag is following you along to preventing you from setting up an AirTag on someone else’s behalf.
You would like to add your own style to it.
You can simply alter the appearance of an AirTag to match any outfit or accessories by using appropriate loops & key fobs that come in a variety of colours & materials, such as silicone & leather.
Don’t Purchase It If
You have a tight budget.
The AirTag costs $29, £29, or AU$45 that is comparable to numerous different location trackers mostly on market. However, if you’d like to connect them to keys, bags, or something else, you’ll really have to buy an additional strap as well as keyfob, that also costs similar to or more than Apple’s own extras, causing these a costly way to find lost items.
You use an Android gadget.
If you do not even own an iOS device, AirTags are not just for you since there is no way to configure & use one with just an Android smartphone or tablet.
You wish to distribute your GPS tracking tool.
Giving a family member entry to a GPS tracker might expedite the process of finding a lost item, particularly if you believe that it is still home & somebody else can look for it. Contrary to competitor Tile, AirTags does not provide that.