Apple's "Awe Dropping" launch event is only a day away now, and although the iPhone 17 and Apple Watch 11 announcements will steal the show, there may be some time left for Apple to finally give us the AirTag 2.
It's been four years since Apple first revealed what has become one of the best key finders you can buy, and rumors are rife about an update. Back in the spring, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman hinted the AirTag 2 was "prepared for launch," but it made no sense to launch at WWDC. Now it's September, and I'd argue revealing the device at the iPhone 17 event is much more fitting.
Why? Because one of the biggest claims about the AirTag 2 is that there will be upgrades to the tracker's ultra-wideband chip for longer-range precision finding support. What better way to introduce that than with a brand-new iPhone to take advantage of it? Since AirTags rely heavily on the iPhone to work, bundling it into tomorrow's announcement would seem like a smart move.
The current AirTag allows precision finding from between 10 and 30 meters away, but that's expected to get a boost to between 30 and 90 meters with the AirTag 2.
In addition, Apple is expected to add key privacy upgrades that address stalking concerns. Specifically, making the built-in speaker louder and much harder to remove without disabling the AirTag. And, frankly, the sooner this is introduced, the better.
Finally, there's also a suggestion Apple could include support for the tracker within visionOS for Apple's Vision Pro headset.
New AirTag, same design
It's widely expected that the AirTag 2 will keep the same design as the current model. This means that all the accessories people have accumulated — from lanyards and loops to keychains and luggage labels — will continue to work.
If you take a look at Amazon right now, you'll see that both single AirTags and the four-pack bundle are reduced right now. I'd love to say this is further proof tomorrow will bring us a refresh, but AirTags go on sale a lot. So this may just be a happy coincidence.
Whether or not Apple decides to reveal the AirTag 2 alongside the iPhone 17, at least we don't have long to wait. The event starts tomorrow at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. BST / 3 a.m. AEST and you can follow all the build-up and announcements as they happen over on our Tom's Guide iPhone 17 live blog.
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