Apple AirTag (pack of four)
Buy now £99, Johnlewis.com
- Size: H 31.9mm x W 31.9mm x D8mm
- Weight: 11g
- Water resistance: IP67 (maximum depth of one metre up to 30 minutes)
- Battery: Replaceable CR2032 coin cell battery (one year)
- System requirements: iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch running iOS/iPad OS 14.5 or later
- Range: Unknown
- Features: Bluetooth for proximity finding, Apple U1 chip for ultra-wideband precision finding, accelerometer, NFC tap for lost mode, in-built speaker
When it comes to design, the AirTag is a quintessentially Apple product. It’s a tiny 32mm badge-sized stainless steel disc that sits inside a white cover. There’s an Apple logo embossed on top of the disc, and you can personalise the white cover with an emoji or your initials.
Inside the AirTag is an un-Apple-like removable battery. Rotating the disc will allow you to take out and replace the CR2032 battery inside, estimated to last a year before needing a replacement. You’ll get a notification on your iPhone when the battery is about to die, but you can always check in on the battery life by navigating to the Find My app.
While it looks nice, there’s a big design flaw here, as it doesn’t have a hole for you to easily attach it to your keys. You have to shell out more on accessories – like a key ring or a loop – which can bring the price up considerably. All of Tile’s trackers have a keyhole, however, so you don’t need to fuss about with extra accessories.
That said, when it comes to actually doing its job, it does it extremely well. If you’re in Bluetooth range, you can make the AirTag chirp by tapping the button in the Find My app. This can also be achieved by asking Siri. It’s not the loudest of speakers, registering roughly 65 decibels in our tests, and only makes three chirps before going silent.
The AirTag really shines when it comes to relocating your stuff, even though it might not be anywhere near you, and that’s really thanks to the millions and millions of Apple devices currently connected to the Find My network.
Because there’s no GPS in the AirTag, it relies on other Apple devices pinging it when it’s lost, enabling you to keep track of its location whenever it comes into contact with an iPhone. If you place the AirTag into lost mode, you can add your contact details onto it. If a good Samaritan taps their phone against the AirTag, they’ll be able to see how to get your item back to you.
There’s also another neat feature made possible thanks to ultra-wideband and U1 chip, and it’s called precision finding. If you’re close enough to the AirTag, you can go into the Find My app and get precise left and right directions to the tracker. It’s something that Tile told us it wants to add but can’t – more on that below.
As for security, well, if an AirTag is ever placed on you surreptitiously, you’ll get a notification on your iPhone. After some time, the AirTag will start to chirp, alerting you to the fact that there’s an unknown AirTag placed on you.
For an Apple product, the AirTag is extremely affordable. A single AirTag costs just £29 (Johnlewis.com), while a pack of four costs £99 (Johnlewis.com). Although it’s wise to remember that you need to add on the accessories which inevitably bumps up the price.