Apple announces AirTag 2
This upgrade is long overdue.
Today, Apple introduced the successor to the AirTag, dubbed AirTag (2nd generation). This update was rumored and suspected for months, with information arising that the new AirTag would arrive at an early point in 2026, after we did not see it during 2025. This upgrade is interesting because it did not get announced during an Apple Event, instead through a press release. This could signal no spring Apple Event, but it may be too early to tell.
As far as the changes go for AirTag (2nd generation), not much has materialized. The design is the same as last generation, with a plastic, round, smooth outer shell, and an aluminum battery cover, still holding a CR2032 coin cell battery. The main upgrades come in the form of internal updates. AirTag (2nd generation) now has the second-generation Ultra Wideband chip found in the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air lineup, the Apple Watch Series 11, and the Apple Watch Ultra 3, which is significantly improved for range and Precision Finding. Apple boasts a 50 percent better range on the AirTag (2nd generation) for Precision Finding compared to last generation.
AirTag (2nd generation) also includes a much improved speaker. Apple says that the new AirTags have a 50 percent louder speaker, which allows users to find it from "up to 2x farther than before." This is an interesting claim, and one that will need to be tested thoroughly (stay tuned for a review coming soon).
AirTag (2nd generation) comes in at the same price as before - $29 for 1, and $99 for a 4-pack. This is a very good deal, considering the improvements over last generation, but also considering the breadth of the Apple ecosystem. AirTag, and all other Apple devices that use Find My, for that matter, piggyback off of each other in order to report their locations. When AirTag (1st generation) was released in 2021, there were 1.65 billion Apple devices (according to Tim Cook). As of early 2025, that number ballooned to roughly 2.35 billion active Apple devices. This allows for more accurate locations for Find My and a better experience, since more devices can help pinpoint each other.
The AirTag (2nd generation) looks like a great update over its predecessor, with better speakers and Precision Finding. We will have to wait and see what Apple does soon.
