AirTag: Apple finally reveals its Tile-like tracker

Apple’s Tile-like AirTag tracking device might have been the Cupertino company’s worst kept secret but they were officially unveiled last night at the Spring Loaded showcase, alongside a colourful range of iMacs, a new iPad Pro, a refreshed Apple TV 4K and improved Siri remote and a purple iPhone 12.

The AirTag is a small coin-shaped tracking device that can be attached to just about anything; keys, bags, headphones, essentially anything you can attach it to using a loop or keyring. It’s built with “precision-etched stainless steel” and features IP67 water and dust resistance as well as an in-built speaker that plays a sound when you’re trying to locate it.

The introduction of AirTags brings with it an improved Find My ecosystem. In addition to showing the item’s last known location in the Find My app and playing an audible alert if the lost item is within Bluetooth range, the AirTag’s U1 chip allows iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 owners to use Precision Finding, a technology that combines ARKit, accelerometer and gyroscope features to reveal the device’s precise location.

Every AirTag purchased through Apple can be engraved for free using text and a range of emojis. This is true of most smartphones and wearables sold through the Apple store but will be particularly useful for marking such a discrete device.

You can easily keep an AirTag in a secure pocket of your handbag or laptop bag but Apple is also selling leather and polyurethane loops, as well as a keyring attachment, for a little added security.

Apple announced local Australian pricing for the AirTags at $45 for a single AirTag and $149 for a four-pack (which saves you $47). That price is surprisingly reasonable for Apple but its biggest competitor, Tile, is still cheaper, charging roughly $100 for a four-pack of their 2020 model. Don’t get too excited though, Apple has still found a way to charge an absurd amount of dosh for something here. The AirTag Hermès range of leather loops and keyrings cost between $449 and $679 here in Australia. Even Apple’s basic silicon AirTag Loop is as expensive as the device itself at $45 a pop, while Apple’s basic AirTag leather keyring costs $55.

Thankfully, Belkin has cheaper straps available at $19.95 for both the AirTag Secure Holder with Strap and Belkin Secure Holder with Keyring.

Pre-orders for the AirTag and accessories begin at 10:00PM AEST on the 23rd of April with devices expected to ship from the 30th of April.