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Apple launches new AirTag with longer range and louder speaker

Samira Vishwas | January 27, 2026 1:25 PM CST

Apple on Tuesday introduced the second-generation AirTag, the successor to the accessory it debuted in 2021. The tiny metal tracker lets users keep track of physical items such as bags, wallets, and keys. The new AirTag costs Rs 3790 for one and Rs 12900 for a four-pack, and it’s available to buy later this week.

Instead of calling it the AirTag 2, Apple is simply branding the new version as AirTag. The previous generation has been discontinued with immediate effect.

The new AirTag works much like its predecessor. It remains a compact metal tracker that can be attached to a keychain, slipped into a bag, or snapped onto luggage to help users keep track of their belongings. The design also remains unchanged. However, the new AirTag offers a longer range, increased power, and an upgraded Bluetooth chip, allowing users to locate lost items from up to 50 per cent farther away.

This improvement is powered by a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, the same one found in the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and Apple Watch Series 11.

The updated AirTag also gets a louder speaker that can be heard from up to twice the distance compared to the previous version. Another way Apple is making the AirTag useful is allowing users to locate AirTags using an Apple Watch for the first time, although this requires an Apple Watch Series 9, Ultra 2, or later.

Like the previous version, the new AirTag is tied to Apple’s Find My app, the app you already use to locate other Apple products such as the iPhone and iPad. AirTag uses Bluetooth to tap into Apple’s vast Find My network of iPhones and Macs. When a lost item comes within Bluetooth range of another Apple device, its location is updated and sent to the owner, while the finder can see a custom message and contact number provided by the user.

Apple To use the second-gen AirTag, you must have an iPhone or iPad running the latest iOS 26 version (you also need an Apple Account and have to be signed into iCloud). (Image credit: Apple)

Since its debut, the tracker market has seen many new competitors from both smaller and big brands. The AirTag is a popular accessory and is often used by Apple users, especially travellers. Over the years, the tiny accessory has been on a journey. A few years back, Apple partnered with airlines including Air India to let passengers share AirTag locations for lost luggage, a move that helped reduce the number of permanently lost bags.

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However, Apple’s AirTag has also seen its fair share of controversy. As the use of tracking devices has grown, there has been a rise in stalking cases involving Bluetooth tags, even though brands behind these devices have repeatedly said they were never designed to track people.