iFixit Shares AirTag 2 Teardown, Here's What's New - MacRumors
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iFixit Shares AirTag 2 Teardown, Here's What's New

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We were so busy covering Apple's earnings call last Thursday that iFixit's AirTag 2 teardown video that afternoon went under our radar until now.

Second Generation AirTag Feature Purple
For those who have yet to watch the video, iFixit opens up the AirTag 2 and reveals what is new inside, including a redesigned speaker that is up to 50% louder than the one in the previous AirTag, according to Apple. The teardown also provides a look at the AirTag 2's second-generation Ultra Wideband chip and more.

The overall design of the AirTag 2 is similar to the original version of the item tracking accessory.


While a previous teardown showed that it is more difficult to remove the speaker in the AirTag 2, compared to the one in the original AirTag, iFixit was still able to disable the speaker's audible chime with the use of a soldering gun.

For those who are not familiar, the AirTag is a small accessory that you can attach to your backpack, keys, or other items. Then, you can track the location of those items in the Find My app on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and iCloud.com.

Apple released the new AirTag last month. In addition to the louder speaker, Precision Finding works up to 50% farther away from an item compared to the previous-generation model, and the overall Bluetooth tracking range is also improved.

Related Reading: AirTag 2 Hands-On: What's New and Should You Upgrade?

Related Roundup: AirTag
Tags: iFixit, Teardown
Buyer's Guide: AirTag (Buy Now)

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Top Rated Comments

jdavid_rp Avatar
jdavid_rp
14 weeks ago

I don't know how I feel about iFixit demonstrating how to disable the speaker, since that is a feature that helps protect against misuse. I think mentioning that it is still possible is ok, and responsible but maybe not giving directions.
Security by obscurity is not really a solution, they dont demonstrating it in a video won't fix how easy is to tamper with it and surely other people would post their own videos showing how to do it anyways. I would say its better to see tech sites commenting on how easy is to disable it to make more people know that a tampered AirTag 2 is real possible issue and maybe make Apple engineer it a bit better for a future generation (or hopefully a 2.1 revision)
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rychiar Avatar
Rychiar
14 weeks ago

I don't know how I feel about iFixit demonstrating how to disable the speaker, since that is a feature that helps protect against misuse. I think mentioning that it is still possible is ok, and responsible but maybe not giving directions.
Since a large portion of the practical use of these things is theft prevention I'm cool with it
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Q
q3anon
14 weeks ago

I don't know how I feel about iFixit demonstrating how to disable the speaker, since that is a feature that helps protect against misuse. I think mentioning that it is still possible is ok, and responsible but maybe not giving directions.
I completely agree with you. The speaker is a crucial feature. Imagine the disaster if it was silent: you might actually catch a partner somewhere they claimed they wouldn’t be.
That audible chime gives them the necessary heads-up to ditch the tracker and come up with a solid alibi before coming home. It saves everyone from awkward conversations. Honestly, iFixit shouldn’t be teaching people how to ruin that kind of blissful ignorance. 😂
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
F
foobarbaz
14 weeks ago

I you might actually catch a partner somewhere they claimed they wouldn’t be
Sure, you could catch a cheating partner that way. Or an abuser could catch a partner seeking help.

You might think the first case is fair game, but the second is the exact same use case, unfortunately.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
I
idahohand
14 weeks ago

I don't know how I feel about iFixit demonstrating how to disable the speaker, since that is a feature that helps protect against misuse. I think mentioning that it is still possible is ok, and responsible but maybe not giving directions.
I agree completely. As someone who works in the crisis support industry this is irresponsible at best.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
S
svish
14 weeks ago
Fun to see these teardown videos. Overall the internals look similar.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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