Apple is in tears by releasing new products this year, from iPhone 17E of MacBook Neobut it’s the Apple AirTag that can make the biggest impact, if only for the number of lost keys, bags and other items found because of it. The reduced tracker received a second generation refresh — but is it worth buying a new model when the first generation tags work well?
Despite the physical similarities, this new AirTag (which Apple isn’t officially calling “AirTag 2”) includes significant improvements in range, sound and performance that you should understand before you order another set.
How much do AirTags cost?
The retail price of the second-generation AirTag is $29 or $99 for a four-pack. That has been consistent since the first AirTags were introduced in 2021.
So far, it looks like Apple and retailers are keeping second-generation AirTags at their retail prices. However, first-generation AirTags sell for as little as $60 per pack of four, depending on the brand, bringing the cost of each tag down to $17.50.
We don’t know how much inventory of the first generation AirTag there is, so the price will continue for a while. It’s also likely that once second-generation AirTags are on the market for a while, they’ll also be discounted by third-party sellers, typically around $24 for a single AirTag and $75 for a four-pack, if the first-generation price stays the same.
Do the new (second generation) AirTags look different?
For the most part, the second-generation AirTag looks like the first-generation model, from its white plastic exterior to its shiny aluminum backplate. There is a slight difference in weight: 11 grams (1st) compared to 11.8 grams (2nd-gen).
Both are powered by a single CR2032 cell battery, which is easy to find and affordable. In my experience with the first generation AirTags, the battery lasts about a year before needing to be replaced.
How to identify generations of AirTag?
Apple’s new AirTag with letters in all caps.
Since both generations of AirTags share the same design, you need to look for some clues to tell them apart. Flip it over and look for the inscription on the edge of the metal disc: if it’s in all caps, it’s the new second generation AirTag. New models include “FIND MINE” and “NFC” and “IP67,” water and dust resistance rating.
The text on first-generation AirTags is written in a sentence (first capital letter followed by lowercase) and includes “Designed by Apple in California” and “Made in China.”
Accuracy Finding
The most important difference between AirTag generations is the presence of the second generation Ultra Wideband chip in the new AirTag models. That detector chip is what shows the location of the tag to nearby devices. That’s also what makes Precision Finding work, one of AirTag’s best features. Both generations have UWB chips — the second-generation AirTag is the only one with an improved version.
Instead of just seeing that the AirTag is somewhere in your house, Precision Finding guides you to the exact location until you’re literally on top of it. Using the Find My app on your iPhone, search for a marker to pinpoint your destination and measure its distance.
The latest Apple Watch models can use Precision Finding to find the second generation AirTag.
However, you still need to get close to any AirTag to find it, which is where the advantage of the second generation comes in: its advanced UWB chip extends its detection range by 1.5 times compared to the original AirTag. The practical advantage is that you don’t have to move around a lot trying to lock onto a tag’s signal before entering it.
Another advantage is Apple Watch compatibility with Precision Finding. The second type of UWB in the new AirTags enables the Apple Watch Series 9 and later, as well as the Ultra 2 model and later, to use the same targeting area that iPhones have been able to use since iPhone 11. Make sure you update to WatchOS 26.2.1 or later to enable this feature.
Long Bluetooth range
Second-generation AirTags have what Apple calls an “advanced Bluetooth chip” that extends the tag’s Bluetooth network range. It is not clear which version of Bluetooth is running; Apple only lists it as Bluetooth LE (low energy) behind the AirTag.
Bluetooth’s long range helps in several ways. It makes it easy for tags to securely and privately connect to nearby devices to register their location and status, then share that with Apple’s Find My network.
For example, the reason you can see that your luggage has reached your airport when you arrive is not because AirTag’s Bluetooth can reach all the way to the gate where bags are unloaded (it can’t). That the iPhone of someone on the plane or an airport worker picked up the AirTag signal and transmitted it to the Find My network (securely and anonymously).
It also means that an AirTag that doesn’t belong to you can easily be picked up by your iPhone (which is great if someone tries to track you without your knowledge).
Loudspeaker and new chime
Both AirTag generations have a speaker for those times when it’s easy to find a tag by listening to the local chime after you’ve commanded it to play. It also chirps when the battery is low and when an unknown AirTag is nearby. The speaker on the second-generation AirTag is louder than the first-generation model, which Apple says can be heard twice as far.
The new AirTag also uses a new directional chime that should be easier to hear in noisy environments.
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