AirTag is one of the world’s most popular Bluetooth trackers that people use to locate their lost or stolen belongings. Now, Apple is working on a second-generation AirTag which would bring more functionality and reliability. In the past, AirTag has been utilized to catch thieves, and even stolen potted plants. All these cases point towards Apple’s first Bluetooth tracker being a success, and this has encouraged the Cupertino-based tech giant to develop a second-generation Bluetooth tracker.
Second generation AirTag
According to an X post by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via MacRumors), Apple has already started the development of the second-generation AirTag. However, it will not release at least until next year. As per the report, the mass production of the second-generation AirTag could begin in the fourth quarter of 2024.
The new AirTag could also get new upgrades as part of Apple’s plans to create a spatial computing ecosystem, and it could have improved integration with the company’s first AR/VR headset, the Apple Vision Pro. While Kuo did not go into any specifics, it is possible that the second generation AirTag could get an improved U2 Ultra Wideband chip, similar to the iPhone 15 series.
Past uses of AirTag
Just days ago, WMBF News reported that police tracked a burglar who stole a restaurant’s decoy safe thanks to an AirTag that was inside it. The incident occurred at Sneaky Beagle restaurant in South Carolina, US, where an AirTag was stuffed inside a teddy bear that was kept in the decoy safe.
The Bluetooth tracker pinged the safe’s location at the culprit’s home 30 minutes after the burglary, and the authorities later connected this to nine other burglaries in the neighborhood.
Misuse of Bluetooth trackers
Apple and Google recently joined forces to combat the misuse of Bluetooth tracking devices which have been previously used for tracking people unethically. A proposed industry specification to help combat the misuse of Bluetooth location-tracking devices for unwanted tracking was jointly submitted by both companies in May.
This will be the first-of-its-kind specification that will not only detect if people are being tracked without their consent but also issue alerts to iOS and Android users.
