AirTag 2 will have a new and improved UWB chip

There have been multiple reports that Apple is working on a successor to the AirTag which was first announced in 2023. The original AirTag, when attached to personal belongings or even pets, can help owners locate where their belonging is using Bluetooth and ultra-wideband technology. Now, a new report has revealed that the next AirTag will get improved tracking thanks to a new ultra-wideband (UWB) chip.

The info comes from Mark Gurman who revealed in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter that the new AirTag will have a new UWB chip. This UWB chip is said to be on par with the one inside the iPhone 15, and it will increase the range of precision finding.

Ultra-wideband, like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, uses radio waves to communicate over short distances. The U1 UWB chip in the current AirTag reportedly has a precision finding range of between 10 to 30 meters. However, Mark Gurman said in his newsletter that he has been informed that the new chip should triple that range.

In addition to a new UWB chip, the AirTag 2 is also expected to come with improved security features when it arrives in 2025. There is no timeframe for its release, but if we go by the launch of the first AirTag, a successor should arrive before the second half of the year.

While Apple has taken its time before announcing a successor, rivals have announced their own trackers. Motorola launched its Moto Tag (available on Amazon for $29.99) this year which works with Google's Find My Device Network. Its design, while not actually a copy of the AirTag's, allows it to work with several of the AirTag's accessories.

Pebblebee also announced a range of new trackers in October that work with Apple's Find My and Google's Find My Device networks. You can't use both simultaneously, but you can choose which network you want at setup. If you want to use the trackers with another network, you'll have to reset them.