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Hands-On With Apple's New AirTags

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After years of waiting for the AirTags to debut, launch day is finally upon us and AirTags are now in the hands of customers. We got our AirTags in the mail today and thought we'd share a hands-on look for those who are still waiting for their orders or debating whether AirTags might be useful.



As you probably know by now, AirTags are small, coin-shaped Bluetooth item trackers similar to Tile that you're meant to put on items that might be misplaced like keys, wallets, jackets, and more. They integrate into the Find My app under the Items tab and can be conveniently tracked right alongside your Apple devices.

AirTags come in typical Apple easy-open packaging, and once unboxed, pairing an AirTag is a matter of pulling off the plastic packaging and holding it close to the iPhone. The iPhone immediately recognizes the AirTag and you can go through the setup process, naming the AirTag and registering it to your Apple ID.

Once registered, the AirTag shows right up in the Find My app, relaying its location back to you. AirTags have many of the same Find My features as Apple devices, so you can put them into Lost Mode and play a sound to locate them.

If you have an iPhone 11 or iPhone 12 model there's a useful Precision Finding feature for locating an item that's lost nearby like keys that have fallen into a couch cushion, and if an AirTag is lost far away, it can take advantage of the Find My network, using billions of active Apple devices to help you track down its location.

Design wise, the AirTag has a white plastic front and a stainless steel backing, which will undoubtedly scratch easily depending on where the AirTag placed. The front side can be engraved by Apple with letters and emoji, but it's worth noting that there is no hole for attaching a keyring or any other built-in attachment method.

Apple instead expects people to buy add-on accessories for each AirTag, and Apple's own accessory options are priced starting at $29. Luckily third-party companies like Belkin are selling cheaper holders, but it's still an added expense.

AirTags are equipped with CR2032 batteries that will last for a good year before needing to be replaced, and you can push and twist the front of the AirTag off to get to the battery compartment. This is also the method used for resetting an AirTag or finding the serial number.

You can get AirTags from Apple for $29 or $99 for a pack of four, and they're also available from third-party retailers. Engraved AirTags only come from Apple, though there are some month-long waits right now.

Did you get an AirTag? Let us know what you think of Apple's tracker in the comments below.

Article Link: Hands-On With Apple's New AirTags
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/04/30/airtags-hands-on/
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unobtainium

macrumors 68030
Mar 27, 2011
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The use cases I can (personally) see for these things would be invalidated by the stalking countermeasures. For example I’d love to be able to track my bike if it’s stolen, but the thief would be notified by their iPhone (if they have one) that they’re being tracked, and given the option to disable it. Even if they didn’t have an iPhone, the airtag would begin beeping.

I wonder how this works with luggage too. Is your airtag going to start notifying baggage handlers that they’re being tracked?? The whole thing just seems unusable for moving objects and pointless in cases of theft. The only remaining use case I can imagine is if I lost my own stuff, which I never have. Maybe one in the car to locate it in the parking lot??
 
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ssimonvii

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Jul 29, 2012
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Right off the bat, can you add airtags to multiple phones? E.g. for a set of house keys?
 
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Fabian90

macrumors regular
Feb 19, 2013
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Bonn, Germany
unobtainium said:
The use cases I can (personally) see for these things would be invalidated by the stalking countermeasures. For example I’d love to be able to track my bike if it’s stolen, but the thief would be notified by their iPhone (if they have one) that they’re being tracked, and given the option to disable it. Even if they didn’t have an iPhone, the airtag would begin beeping.

I wonder how this works with luggage too. Is your airtag going to start notifying baggage handlers that they’re being tracked?? The whole thing just seems unusable for moving objects and pointless in cases of theft. The only remaining use case I can imagine is if I lost my own stuff, which I never have. Maybe one in the car to locate it in the parking lot??
Click to expand...
As far as I understand, the thief will only get notified if either he gets home or 3 days have passed since the AirTag last connected to your phone.
 
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ElBerserko

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Jun 30, 2007
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Fabian90 said:
As far as I understand, the thief will only get notified if either he gets home or 3 days have passed since the AirTag last connected to your phone.
Click to expand...
So if I put one in my car and valet park at the airport and go on vacation for a week, the valet is going to get beeped at when they need to move my car and have the ability to disable it? I am not stalking the valet driver, I just want to know where my car is.
 
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DotCom2

macrumors 603
Feb 22, 2009
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unobtainium said:
The use cases I can (personally) see for these things would be invalidated by the stalking countermeasures. For example I’d love to be able to track my bike if it’s stolen, but the thief would be notified by their iPhone (if they have one) that they’re being tracked, and given the option to disable it. Even if they didn’t have an iPhone, the airtag would begin beeping.

I wonder how this works with luggage too. Is your airtag going to start notifying baggage handlers that they’re being tracked?? The whole thing just seems unusable for moving objects and pointless in cases of theft. The only remaining use case I can imagine is if I lost my own stuff, which I never have. Maybe one in the car to locate it in the parking lot??
Click to expand...
You need to do some more reading on these.
 
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axantas

axantas

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Jun 29, 2015
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unobtainium said:
The use cases I can (personally) see for these things would be invalidated by the stalking countermeasures. For example I’d love to be able to track my bike if it’s stolen, but the thief would be notified by their iPhone (if they have one) that they’re being tracked, and given the option to disable it. Even if they didn’t have an iPhone, the airtag would begin beeping.

I wonder how this works with luggage too. Is your airtag going to start notifying baggage handlers that they’re being tracked?? The whole thing just seems unusable for moving objects and pointless in cases of theft. The only remaining use case I can imagine is if I lost my own stuff, which I never have. Maybe one in the car to locate it in the parking lot??
Click to expand...
The main reason to get them is locating things, you have lost somewhere. It is not a locator for stolen things - there are GPS tracker for this. Things you have lost, or forgotten where you left them, usually do not move around and can be located in that "Apple Network" even - for example - your keys in the lost property office.
 
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dwsolberg

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Dec 17, 2003
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unobtainium said:
The use cases I can (personally) see for these things would be invalidated by the stalking countermeasures. For example I’d love to be able to track my bike if it’s stolen, but the thief would be notified by their iPhone (if they have one) that they’re being tracked, and given the option to disable it. Even if they didn’t have an iPhone, the airtag would begin beeping.

I wonder how this works with luggage too. Is your airtag going to start notifying baggage handlers that they’re being tracked?? The whole thing just seems unusable for moving objects and pointless in cases of theft. The only remaining use case I can imagine is if I lost my own stuff, which I never have. Maybe one in the car to locate it in the parking lot??
Click to expand...
Yes, Apple must really be worried about this aspect, and it diminishes the value for me, too. However, I can definitely understand why they did this because it's much more powerful than what Tile has simply because every iDevice out there can be used for tracking. In a busy city, it would be very, very easy to track anyone around town.
 
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dwsolberg

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Dec 17, 2003
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axantas said:
The main reason to get them is locating things, you have lost somewhere. It is not a locator for stolen things - there are GPS tracker for this. Things you have lost, or forgotten where you left them, usually do not move around and can be located in that "Apple Network" even - for example - your keys in the lost property office.
Click to expand...
You're basically saying his use is invalid because of the restrictions Apple has applied. He's saying that it would be so much more useful for him without the restrictions.
 
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ssimonvii

macrumors regular
Jul 29, 2012
175
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Apple_Robert said:
The AirTags are tied to your Apple ID.
Click to expand...
This is so dumb I can't even take it. They should have sharing options such as show location, or only use for find nearby etc. Why I can track my wife's phone, but not have an option for "her" devices is a terrible oversight. This is where privacy hinders the product.
 
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TheDailyApple

TheDailyApple

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May 30, 2019
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unobtainium said:
The use cases I can (personally) see for these things would be invalidated by the stalking countermeasures. For example I’d love to be able to track my bike if it’s stolen, but the thief would be notified by their iPhone (if they have one) that they’re being tracked, and given the option to disable it. Even if they didn’t have an iPhone, the airtag would begin beeping.

I wonder how this works with luggage too. Is your airtag going to start notifying baggage handlers that they’re being tracked?? The whole thing just seems unusable for moving objects and pointless in cases of theft. The only remaining use case I can imagine is if I lost my own stuff, which I never have. Maybe one in the car to locate it in the parking lot??
Click to expand...
This exactly. With the restrictions, AirTags only seem useful to those who are prone to misplace their possessions. I expect my possessions to be where I left them; the only reason they wouldn’t be is if they are stolen. The only use I would have for trackers is to combat theft, which AirTags are useless for.
 
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Fabian90

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Feb 19, 2013
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Bonn, Germany
ElBerserko said:
So if I put one in my car and valet park at the airport and go on vacation for a week, the valet is going to get beeped at when they need to move my car and have the ability to disable it? I am not stalking the valet driver, I just want to know where my car is.
Click to expand...
No, he will only get notified after 3 days if it’s with him. Not stationary. That’s at least what I read. Mine will arrive on Monday so I am not 100% sure.
 
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GizmoDVD

macrumors 68020
Oct 11, 2008
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ElBerserko said:
So if I put one in my car and valet park at the airport and go on vacation for a week, the valet is going to get beeped at when they need to move my car and have the ability to disable it? I am not stalking the valet driver, I just want to know where my car is.
Click to expand...

Curious as well. I plan on just keeping one in my car
 
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