AirTag 2 vs. AirTag 1: Comparing Apple’s Upgraded Tracker

Apple is about to release new products this year, from iPhone 17E to go MacBook Neobut it is Apple AirTag that can make a big impact, if only the number of lost keys, bags and other things are found because of it. A weak tracker found a second generation cool – but is it worth buying a new model when the first generation tags work so well?

Despite the physical similarities, this new AirTag (which Apple is not officially calling “AirTag 2”) includes significant improvements in form, sound and performance that you should understand before ordering another set.

How much do AirTags cost?

The retail price of the second generation AirTag is $29 or $99 for a pack of four. That has been consistent since the first AirTags were introduced in 2021.

So far, it appears that Apple and retailers are keeping the second-generation AirTag at their retail prices. However, first-generation AirTags retail for as much as $60 for a pack of four, depending on inventory, bringing the price per tag to $17.50.

We don’t know how much inventory the first generation AirTag products will cost, so prices may last a while. It’s also possible that once the second-generation AirTags are on the market for a while, they will also be discounted by third-party sellers, typically around $24 for a single AirTag and $75 for a four-pack, if the first-generation prices remain stable.

Do the new AirTags (generation 2) look different?

Overall, the second-generation AirTag looks exactly like the first-generation, from its white plastic exterior to its shiny aluminum back. There is a slight difference in weight: 11 grams (first) versus 11.8 grams (2nd-gen).

Both are powered by a single CR2032 metal battery, which is readily available and inexpensive. In my experience with the first generation AirTags, the battery lasts about a year before it needs to be replaced.

How can you identify AirTag generations?

Since both generations of AirTags share the same design, you need to look for more information to tell them apart. Turn it over and look at the inscription around the metal disc: if it’s written in capital letters, it’s a second-generation AirTag. The new models also include “FIND MY” and “NFC” as well as “IP67,” a standard for water and dust resistance.

The text of the original AirTags is written in a sentence (first capital letter followed by lowercase letters) and includes “Made by Apple in California” and “Assembled in China.”

Getting it right

The biggest difference between AirTag generations is the presence of a second generation Ultra Wideband chip in the new AirTag models. That locator chip is what pinpoints the tag’s location to nearby devices. It’s also what enables Precision Finding, 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 home, Precision Finding guides you to the exact location until you’re right on top of it. Using the Find My app on your iPhone, the search for a tag points you to its location, and you estimate its location.

However, you still need to be close to any AirTag to find it, which is where the advantage of the second generation comes in: its improved UWB chip extends its detection range by 1.5 times compared to the first AirTag. A practical advantage is that you don’t have to go around trying to lock down the tag before you get into it.

Another benefit 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 model 2 and later, to use the same area of ​​data that iPhones are capable of since the iPhone 11. Make sure you update to WatchOS 26.2.1 or later to enable this feature.

Long range Bluetooth

The second-generation AirTags have what Apple calls an “enhanced Bluetooth chip” that extends the Bluetooth wireless network. It is unclear what type of Bluetooth is being used; Apple only lists it as Bluetooth LE (low energy) on the back of the AirTag.

Bluetooth range is helpful in several ways. It makes it easy for a tag to connect securely and privately to nearby devices to register its location and position, then share that with Apple’s Find My network.

For example, the reason you can see that your luggage has arrived at your airport when you land is not because the AirTag’s Bluetooth can reach the check-in gate (it can’t). That is, someone’s iPhone on the plane or an airport employee 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 sound

Both AirTag generations have a timer that makes it easy to locate the tag by listening for its location chime after you set it to play. It also beeps 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 version, which Apple says can be heard twice as far.

The new AirTag also uses a new familiar chime that should be easier to hear in noisy environments.