Apple’s first device launch of 2026 is not the long-rumored touchscreen MacBook or foldable iPhone, but the second-generation AirTag. While it doesn’t seem like it, the device comes with a few very nice upgrades.
Five years after its launch, Apple upgrades the AirTag
Apple has improved on the key features of the AirTag with its second iteration. Most notably, the device now features the company’s second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, which is the same as the one in the iPhone 17 phones and the Apple Watch Ultra 3. That enables using Precision Finding from up to 50% further away than the original AirTag.
There’s also an upgraded Bluetooth chip, which improves the overall range beyond Precision Finding. Precision Finding will now work with Apple Watch Series 9, Ultra 2, or newer versions of either, too. It is still not clear whether that option will be exclusive to the new AirTag or if it’ll also trickle down to the original model.
The new AirTag also features an upgraded speaker, which is 50% louder than before. Apple says it has a “distinctive new chime,” which could be heard from up to twice as far as before. Just like the original, the new AirTag uses the Find My network of Apple devices that use Bluetooth to locate and report its location to its owner.
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The price and the design are the same
Precision Finding on the second generation AirTag works with some Apple Watch models. | Image Credit — Apple
What Apple hasn’t changed with the new AirTag is its design. That means you still get a pluck that doesn’t have a keyring hole and requires you to buy a case. On a brighter note, the company has also kept the $29 price.
Would you get a 2nd generation AirTag?
While there are other Bluetooth trackers on the market, the AirTag is probably the best option for Apple users. Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTag2 and the recently announced Moto Tag are among the many options for Android users, and Xiaomi is reportedly working on its own Xiaomi Tag.
The right way to do it
Nobody will switch to Apple because of the AirTag, but for anyone who’s already using it, that upgrade is improving on all the right things. I’d love to see Apple using the same approach with its other products and introducing nice features without price hikes.
Ilia, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, has been covering the mobile industry since 2011, with experience at outlets like Forbes Bulgaria. Passionate about smartphones, tablets, and consumer tech, he blends deep industry knowledge with a personal fascination that began with his first Nokia and Sony Ericsson devices. Originally from Bulgaria and now based in Lima, Peru, Ilia balances his tech obsessions with walking his dog, training at the gym, and slowly mastering Spanish.
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