Despite the conservative reputation that Apple has earned, the truth is that the company is not a stranger to innovation and risk. In 2021, Apple launched one of its most controversial yet useful products, the AirTag. The success of this small tracking device has made many of us wonder if we will receive any revisions of it. For now, everything points to a “no“.
And if you were waiting for the release of the second generation AirTag, you better do it sitting down. Mark Gurman, a journalist specialized in Apple from Bloomberg, explains that the company is not in a hurry to release an AirTag 2. The reasons are quite simple: they have little competition and the current AirTags “are still working quite well“.
In addition, Apple has an additional “problem”: overproduction. Despite performing very well in terms of sales, the current stock of AirTags far exceeds its demand.
What can we expect from the next generation of AirTags? To start with, an improved chip. The iPhone 15, Apple Watch Series 9, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 feature the U2 chip with Ultra Wide Band (UWB) specifications. Essentially, this chip enhances communication between Apple devices at a greater distance. AirTags are currently equipped with the U1 chip, integrated into previous generations of iPhone and Apple Watch.
The battery section will be the one that sees the least changes, probably. Current AirTags work with a CR2032 button cell battery and there are no indications that this will change in the future. Will it be enough to power a future U2 chip? Yes, and it may even improve its duration. We know that the U2 chip is more battery efficient, so future AirTags 2 will likely surpass the current autonomy (one year).
