Rumor has it that the AirTag 2 is going to come sometime this year, probably around the summer. The original AirTags were released four years ago, and their successor may include one feature that should eliminate (or at least, seriously diminish) your scrutinizing suspicion about the tracker.
Alright, it’s not all bad with AirTags: these tiny item tracking devices have proven useful in many ways, including saving your lost luggage from careless airline employees or giving you superhero powers when somebody attempts to steal your car.
However, the AirTags have also been scrutinized for their ability to be used for stalking. Of course, other item trackers are also subject to this misuse, but Apple’s AirTags got popular, hence the drama.
Now, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is planning to eliminate a huge security worry with the second-generation AirTags. Although Cupertino has made many improvements with software to prevent stalking, now the company is reportedly going to hit with the hammer and make a hardware change to the AirTags as well.
Gurman claims that the speaker on the AirTag 2 will be harder to remove. Basically, stalkers remove the speaker from the OG AirTags, thus making the device hard to spot when hidden. But Apple seems to want to be one step ahead of malicious users.
The OG AirTag. | Image Credit – PhoneArena
Gurman doesn’t particularly mention how Apple would achieve this. However, if the change is successful, it will help eliminate one of the most used stalker tactics.
Of course, some genuine users may not like this change too much: the loud noise the AirTag can make may scare pets, interrupt important business meetings, and frankly startle you. Hopefully, Apple will somehow address those concerns, but even if it doesn’t, I’d bet it’s better not to be stalked.
This reported change will help clean the AirTag’s reputation. The item tracker has seen quite a lot of criticism since its launch, so maybe this change would iron out these controversies.
Meanwhile, the AirTags 2 are also rumored to come with a new ultrawide-band chip, similar to the one in the iPhone 15. This would extend the range of the AirTags Precision Finding, and may actually triple it.
Other item trackers on the market, including Samsung’s SmartTag and Tile, also sport safety features. However, the AirTag is quite good at notifying iPhone users if an unknown AirTag is moving with them, which is harder to do with the alternatives. If the new rumor about its hard-to-remove speaker turns out to be true, it would be easy for the AirTag to claim better security features to beat the competition.
