Apple Made a Change to the AirTag That You Probably Didn't Notice

[SanderEvers]

Sure. But what's worse? A single-use battery that only lasts a year, so you buy and throw away 15 of them over the lifetime of the product? Or one battery that lasts for 15 years?

In all likelihood an AirTag bought today will be obsolete and thrown out by the 15 year mark anyway, regardless of what battery type.

True, but it should always be removable. Preferably without tools. Because batteries need to be recycled seperate from the device.

However you can be smart about it and use a LIR2032 battery instead of a CR2032 battery. Those are recharable.

 

[svish]

Extremely minor change, probably limited to US now but with newer model coming soon, the same warning message should be present in all models worldwide.

 

[theluggage]

children who would swallow these can't read your "don't swallow warnings"

the CPSC said Apple now displays a warning about the hazards of coin-cell batteries in the Find My app each time a user is prompted to change the AirTag's battery.

...and some posters can't read articles which clearly say:

the CPSC said Apple now displays a warning about the hazards of coin-cell batteries in the Find My app each time a user is prompted to change the AirTag's battery.

It's not there for the children, its there for grown-ups who are apparently still not getting that - unlike marbles, lego bricks, dirt, keys, worms etc. - coin cell batteries react with body fluids and burn holes in your gut and are far more dangerous. It's been stated, with informative links, here time after time - but even some of the apparent parenting experts here on MR still don't seem to have got that message, so clearly the world needs all the reminders it can get.

Yup. That's how stupid we've become. Need signs on everything. People now are just coming up from the moron level. . .sad.

I don't disagree - but part of the problem is that we're bombarded with so many silly, obvious warnings that it drowns out the important, less obvious ones. The danger of coin cell batteries (basically: treat them like rat poison, not crayons) is (clearly, from some of the comments here) one of the less-obvious-to-many ones.

I was at a Lego Store today and notice a set that had a massive warning label plastered to the front that I thought was a little over the top. I read it closer and saw that the set had some light-up thing and included a coin sized battery and that's what the warning was for.

...and then we have the morons who design products. The danger of coin cell batteries wasn't discovered yesterday, and a large company ought to do basic safety research, so they really have no business being in toys. I had Lego with light bricks and electric motors when I was a kid and it managed perfectly well with a battery pack - good luck swallowing a U2 (as was) battery...

Now, AirTags aren't toys but their 1 purpose in life is to be attached to things that you might loose and, hence, that kids might find. OK, so you can't make a U2-powered airtag, so using a lithium cell is the only practical solution but at least make it impossible to remove without a tool... you know, like the old Apple remote controls where you had to poke a paper clip in a hole, or use a coin to unscrew the hatch to remove the coin cell. Should have been a design constraint from day 1 - for a company like Apple who like to brag about their design chops.

...and this is Apple of the pentalobe screws...

tide pods too.

I don't know about Tide specifically, but laundry pods in general are another "companies are morons" example.

I buy a box of laundry pods - it's smothered with warnings and the box is so child-proof as to be virtually adult proof, so the first thing I have to do is decant the pods into something easier to open, such as - I don't know, a cookie jar or ice cream tub (seriously, I bet it happens!) The companies go to enormous length to warn people not to let their kids get at them - even in their ads - and invent secure boxes, but what's the one thing that they don't do? Stop making their laundry pods look like toys or sweets with multiple compartments of brightly coloured liquid (AFAIK a completely pointless marketing gimmick). The natural colour of the detergent is most likely an unappetising grey - might not stop TikTokers actively competing for Darwin awards but at least wouldn't actively attract young kids. I'm sure with a bit of R&D they could make the pods look like broccoli or Brussels sprouts...

 

[Amazing Iceman]

A parent who "hovers" around their kids, keeping an eye on them at all times.

In 21st Century terms: a “Drone Parent”, because drones can get closer and all have cameras attached, unlike helicopters 🤣

 

[Amazing Iceman]

...and some posters can't read articles which clearly say:

It's not there for the children, its there for grown-ups who are apparently still not getting that - unlike marbles, lego bricks, dirt, keys, worms etc. - coin cell batteries react with body fluids and burn holes in your gut and are far more dangerous. It's been stated, with informative links, here time after time - but even some of the apparent parenting experts here on MR still don't seem to have got that message, so clearly the world needs all the reminders it can get.


I don't disagree - but part of the problem is that we're bombarded with so many silly, obvious warnings that it drowns out the important, less obvious ones. The danger of coin cell batteries (basically: treat them like rat poison, not crayons) is (clearly, from some of the comments here) one of the less-obvious-to-many ones.



...and then we have the morons who design products. The danger of coin cell batteries wasn't discovered yesterday, and a large company ought to do basic safety research, so they really have no business being in toys. I had Lego with light bricks and electric motors when I was a kid and it managed perfectly well with a battery pack - good luck swallowing a U2 (as was) battery...

Now, AirTags aren't toys but their 1 purpose in life is to be attached to things that you might loose and, hence, that kids might find. OK, so you can't make a U2-powered airtag, so using a lithium cell is the only practical solution but at least make it impossible to remove without a tool... you know, like the old Apple remote controls where you had to poke a paper clip in a hole, or use a coin to unscrew the hatch to remove the coin cell. Should have been a design constraint from day 1 - for a company like Apple who like to brag about their design chops.

...and this is Apple of the pentalobe screws...



I don't know about Tide specifically, but laundry pods in general are another "companies are morons" example.

I buy a box of laundry pods - it's smothered with warnings and the box is so child-proof as to be virtually adult proof, so the first thing I have to do is decant the pods into something easier to open, such as - I don't know, a cookie jar or ice cream tub (seriously, I bet it happens!) The companies go to enormous length to warn people not to let their kids get at them - even in their ads - and invent secure boxes, but what's the one thing that they don't do? Stop making their laundry pods look like toys or sweets with multiple compartments of brightly coloured liquid (AFAIK a completely pointless marketing gimmick). The natural colour of the detergent is most likely an unappetising grey - might not stop TikTokers actively competing for Darwin awards but at least wouldn't actively attract young kids. I'm sure with a bit of R&D they could make the pods look like broccoli or Brussels sprouts...

So the solution is to make the next AirTags to use 2 D size batteries. That would make them hard to swallow; still I wouldn’t be surprised if someone does.

 

[Alameda]

children who would swallow these can't read your "don't swallow warnings"

parents who don't have the sense to keep small electronics out of the mouths of children shouldn't be parents

Children who can figure out how to open up an AirTag can probably read the warning label. Heaven knows, plenty of adults can’t figure it out.

 

[WestonHarvey1]

children who would swallow these can't read your "don't swallow warnings"

parents who don't have the sense to keep small electronics out of the mouths of children shouldn't be parents

This is an incredibly rare event. And no, parents can't 100% prevent every possible thing. You lash out at parents because you're angry about a silly warning label.

 

[jonnysods]

It’s a term used in the US to describe parents who take far too much interest in their children’s activities (e.g. Beverly Goldberg). Not used widely outside of the US (Canada, perhaps?).

Yeah Canada and Oz too!

 

[CPx]

Duracell redesigned their 2032 batteries with the bitter coating. The new ones now explicitly say on the package that they are Airtag compatible. In fact, the Airtag I just bought came with one of these new Duracells installed.

Energizer has now actually introduced a new bitter-coated battery, so now the question is do they work? I have no idea.

 

[CarlJ]

It's vitally important parents understand what impact form factor can have on the batteries they feed their children.

From an environmental perspective, rechargeables are best and metal hydride chemistry is safer than lithium ion.

More specifically, children should only be fed free-rang organic batteries.

 

[stevefeinstein]

Single-use coin cells are a danger to kids and pets, it’s a pain to have to change them, and they’re not great for the environment.

Would be great to see Apple release a wirelessly rechargeable AirTag in the future, perhaps using the Apple Watch charger.

They would be just as dangerous and last a fraction of the time. Not a product update I’m looking for.

 

[Reason077]

They would be just as dangerous and last a fraction of the time. Not a product update I’m looking for.

No, rechargeable li-ion cells actually have higher specific energy density than single-use lithium coin cells. So with the same size/dimensions of battery, they would last longer between charges than the current ones last between battery changes.

Why would they be "just as dangerous"? It's much harder for a kid to swallow a Li-ion cell which is permanently built into a device than a removable cell which can be carelessly left lying around.

 

[Tomasulu]

They would be just as dangerous and last a fraction of the time. Not a product update I’m looking for.

It’s so crazy to think removable batteries will last longer. The enclosure and connectors take up unnecessary space. No other Apple product uses the coin battery. Imagine Apple were to use it to power the Apple Watch…

 

[Bogstandard]

Parent: “these (batteries) are bad for you” “Do not eat them”
Inserts cell in Air Tag.

Child: “ May I eat the Mentos now?”