Apple just introduced its second-generation AirTag, but one rumored feature failed to arrive with the new accessory.
The second-generation AirTag features 50% farther Precision Finding, upgraded Bluetooth with increased range, a 50% louder speaker, and more.
Back in August 2023, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that the second-generation AirTag would have better integration with Apple's upcoming Vision Pro headset, as part of its spatial computing ecosystem.
He did not provide any additional details at the time, but the functionality was a key part of the rumor cycle around the accessory leading up to its launch. The final, released product has no such feature, but it is possible that Apple could still add deeper AirTag integration with the Vision Pro via visionOS 27.
It is also worth noting that Kuo said another product will have similar Vision Pro integration. Last year, he explained that the next-generation AirPods Pro will feature a "more significant" hardware upgrade in the form of infrared cameras. They are are expected to integrate with Apple's Vision Pro headset to provide enhanced enhanced spatial experiences:
The new AirPods is expected to be used with Vision Pro and future Apple headsets to enhance the user experience of spatial audio and strengthen the spatial computing ecosystem. For example, when a user is watching a video with Vision Pro and wearing this new AirPods, if users turn their heads to look in a specific direction, the sound source in that direction can be emphasized to enhance the spatial audio/computing experience.
While the rumor about infrared cameras is now widely corroborated, the Vision Pro integration is more uncertain. With the second-generation AirTag's rumored Vision Pro integration missing, the AirPods Pro's similar feature may now be in question, not least because Apple now appears to be deprioritizing the Vision Pro with no new headsets in active development.
