Apple AirTag 2 Review – Trusted Reviews

Introduction

The AirTag 2, like its predecessor, is arguably Apple’s most basic product. But depending on how it’s used, also one of the most important.

This tiny Bluetooth tracker, available as a single unit ($29/£29) or in a pack of four ($99/£99), can be attached to keys, left inside luggage or put in a rucksack. It can then be tracked, via Bluetooth LE or Apple’s extensive Find My network, very accurately.

If you’re prone to leaving bags in pubs or losing keys down the back of a sofa, this is an easy-to-recommend add-on to one of the best iPhones.

Design

• Simple design in a single white colour option
• Slightly bulbous, so it doesn’t fit inside a wallet
• Works for all the accessories from the first-gen product

The AirTag 2 looks exactly like the first-gen model, aside from some slight tweaks to the text on the back.

The dimensions are the same, and the overall slightly bulbous, rounded shape is retained. This does mean that, unlike some flatter trackers, you can’t really pop the AirTag into a wallet or something similar. I would like to see Apple experiment with some different form factors, possibly alongside this traditional one – just to add that extra bit of versatility.

The AirTag 2 is marginally heavier, although even holding them both together, I couldn’t tell this, as it’s very light to begin with. When the tag is tucked away in a bag or attached to a set of keys, it’s not heavy enough to be noticeable.

It’s still made of a mixture of white glossy plastic and aluminium, which gives it a very Apple look. If you remember the iconic iPod – especially the original model – the colour choices are very similar here. It would have been nice to see some other colour options, perhaps similar to the hues the iPhone 17 series is available in.

I’ve had the first-gen AirTag on my keys since launch, and it’s certainly taken a battering. The silver aluminium side gets scratched very easily, especially when it’s jangling around with keys in a pocket or bag, and I doubt it’ll be any different here. Plastic alternatives, like Samsung’s Galaxy Smart Tag, look worse, but at least they hold up better.

The AirTag 2 is IP67-rated for dust and water protection, and the bottom can be twisted and removed to get at the CR2032 coin cell battery. There’s no way to recharge the AirTag, you just swap out the battery when it’s finished.

As it’s the same design as the outgoing model, all the same accessories work. Accessories are vital for the AirTag, as if you want to attach one to your keys or luggage, you’ll need one. If you’re just slipping it inside a bag, you’ll be fine without anything additional.

Features and Performance

• Replaceable battery
• Improved range
• Loud speaker

There isn’t a whole lot new with the AirTag 2, but what is new is most welcome. The key upgrades revolve around Precision Finding and the speaker performance.

The internal speaker is much better this time around, and as a result, it can make a much louder noise. This is especially noticeable when the AirTag is lost inside a bag or in bedsheets, as it can be heard from further away. It’s a nice upgrade, although not a reason in itself to upgrade.

Inside, there’s an upgraded UWB (ultra wideband) chip that improves the Precision Finding skills of the tag and this means you can locate it from further away. To test this out, I took both an AirTag and AirTag 2, connected to an iPhone Air and then walked away. The original AirTag lost connection at about 15m, while AirTag 2 didn’t lose it until around 23m. In practice, this upgrade makes the AirTag 2 much easier to find around the house.

Setting up an AirTag is easy. Just bring it close to an iPhone, and it’ll add itself to the Find My app. This app is where all the tag’s features live, from playing a sound to tracking it down if lost. Of course, it’s iOS only – so these are of no use if you live in the Android ecosystem.

You can now locate your AirTag with Precision Finding on an Apple Watch, and this works much like it does on the phone. When you lose the AirTag further away, you’ll make use of the excellent Find My network to try and track it down. This uses Bluetooth LE, so you can track items even without data.

The AirTag 2 is powered by a CR2032 coin cell battery. These last for about a year until they need to be replaced, are cheap and readily available from Amazon and supermarkets. 

You can’t charge the AirTag – when it dies, you just twist off the base and swap out the cells. This is both good and bad. It’s good because you don’t need to worry about battery life, just have a few spare batteries around and every year, change it when you get an alert. However, I can’t help but think having a solution that allowed the battery to be wirelessly charged, ideally via MagSafe, would be sleeker.

I’d also like a way to be able to turn off the AirTag without removing the battery, as some of the ones I use – those in stored luggage, for example – don’t always need to be on.

Should you buy it?

FAQs