AirTags Said to Be 'Completely Waterproof' and Use Magnetic Charging Like Apple Watch

In a report touching on several topics today, Japanese site Mac Otakara claims that Apple's Tile-like "AirTags" item trackers will be "completely waterproof" and use similar magnetic wireless charging to that seen on the Apple Watch.

apple item tag

AirTag image found in iOS 13 build

Evidence of ‌AirTags‌ has been found in builds of iOS 13 since last summer, and it appears the small item trackers will show up in the Find My app and enable users to locate misplaced items. With ultra wideband support found in the iPhone 11 lineup and augmented reality, it looks like ‌AirTags‌ could offer high precision and direct the user straight to an item, even pinpointing it within a room.

We're not sure when to expect ‌AirTags‌ to launch, but it looks like it may not be imminent yet, as noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said just last week that production isn't expected to ramp up until the second or third quarter, and today's report from ‌Mac Otakara‌ claims an announcement in the fall of this year, which would likely be alongside new iPhones in September.

Related Forum: AirTags

Top Rated Comments

MarkAtl Avatar
50 months ago
“Similar magnetic charging”

Ideally they should support Qi wireless charging, and hopefully not another magnetic charger.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DoctorTech Avatar
50 months ago

What's the expected range? Don't Tiles work over only a few feet? Seems like at that range locating your bike should be easy.
I don't know the expected range of the tag itself but I would guess it to be in the 30' to 100' range. The key is that it is expected to use ANY iPhone (or possibly even iPad or Apple Watch) within that range to locate your AirTag. That means if someone were to steal my bike, I could locate it anytime it was within 30-100' of anyone with an iPhone.

The existing Tile product works in a similar manner but 1) you can only locate a Tile if it is within range of someone who has the Tile app running on their portable device and 2) I do not like Tile's privacy standards - once you install the app they have the ability to track your mobile device anywhere. I trust Apple with my real time location and I know my wireless service provider has that information (nothing I can do about that) but I don't want to give access to that information to a 3rd party like Tile.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
robinp Avatar
50 months ago
I hope they use the exact same charger. It would be incredibly annoying to add yet another charger to use these.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Westside guy Avatar
50 months ago
Hopefully they’ll only need to be charged every 6-12 months, along the lines of what’s already out there, though.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alexandr Avatar
50 months ago

I honestly don't understand the hype with these trackers -- it's not something I'd ever need.
well, you should really tell apple this so that they can pull the plug on these...
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Glideslope Avatar
50 months ago
These are gonna be big if they work as designed. The margins will be huge. ;)
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 17

iOS 17.2 Will Add These 12 New Features to Your iPhone

Friday December 1, 2023 12:19 pm PST by
iOS 17.2 has been in beta testing for over a month, and it should be released to all users in a few more weeks. The software update includes many new features and changes for iPhones, including the dozen that we have highlighted below. iOS 17.2 is expected to be released to the public in mid-December. To learn about even more features coming in the update, check out our full list. Journal ...
iOS 16 4 Web Push

Apple Confirms Governments Using Push Notifications to Surveil Users

Wednesday December 6, 2023 5:06 am PST by
Unidentified governments are surveilling smartphone users by tracking push notifications that move through Google's and Apple's servers, a US senator warned on Wednesday (via Reuters). In a letter to the Department of Justice, Senator Ron Wyden said foreign officials were demanding the data from the tech giants to track smartphones. The traffic flowing from apps that send push notifications...
airpods pro 2 pink

Apple Releases New AirPods Pro 2 Firmware

Tuesday December 5, 2023 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware update for both the Lightning and USB-C versions of the AirPods Pro 2. The new firmware is version 6B34, up from the 6B32 firmware introduced in November. Apple does not provide details on what features might be included in the refreshed firmware beyond "bug fixes and other improvements," so it is unclear what's new in the update, but prior software releases ...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

'All-Screen' iPhone Under-Display Camera Enters Development

Wednesday December 6, 2023 2:03 am PST by
Apple's Korean suppliers have begun developing smartphone under-display cameras (UDC), paving the way for the first iPhone with a true "all-screen" appearance. According to The Elec, LG Innotek has entered the preliminary development of the UDC, which sits under the display and does not result in a visible hole in the panel when the camera is not in use. A UDC differs from a typical front ...
magsafe blue 2

iOS 17.2 Brings Qi2 Support to iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Models

Tuesday December 5, 2023 11:04 am PST by
The iOS 17.2 update that Apple is set to release to the public in the near future will bring support for the next-generation Qi2 wireless charging standard to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models. Qi2 was mentioned in the release notes for the RC version of the update that came out today. With the addition of support for the new standard, iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models will work with Qi2...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 May Reuse Existing iPhone 14 Battery

Wednesday December 6, 2023 1:17 pm PST by
Recently, MacRumors has received details on the battery currently being tested on the upcoming fourth-generation iPhone SE, and the information corroborates previous findings in relation to the device. The iPhone SE 4, known by its device identifier D59, is expected to use the exact same battery found in the base model iPhone 14. Partially assembled prototypes of the next iPhone SE have been ...
airpods pro bulbs

Black Friday Prices Return for AirPods Pro 2 With USB-C, iPad, and More

Tuesday December 5, 2023 7:30 am PST by
Today we're tracking a collection of deals that are matching - or nearly matching - the same all-time low discounts we saw during Black Friday. This includes the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C, 9th generation iPad, and M1 MacBook Air. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the ...
instagram messenger

Instagram and Facebook Messenger Chats to Disconnect This Month

Tuesday December 5, 2023 1:57 am PST by
Meta has revealed plans to end Instagram users' ability to chat with Facebook accounts later this month, rolling back a feature that it introduced over three years ago. In September 2020, Meta (then Facebook) announced it was merging its Facebook Messenger service with Instagram direct messaging, allowing Instagram users to chat with Facebook users and vice versa using the same platform....