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Reliable Leaker Suggests AirTags 'Coming Soon' in Two Different Sizes
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Lots of people seem to think this is just a close-range tracker. It isn't - it uses a network of every modern iOS device out there to track the tags. So if you drop your keys in the park, all you need is someone with an iPhone to walk past them and you'll get an alert to tell you where they are.
Ridiculous.
How about your baggage when travelling? Whether by train or plane. It is often-to-always impossible to keep your stuff in view at all times. If someone malevolently snaffles it, or it simply gets mis-directed to the wrong place, tracking could be very useful.
I could come up with many sensible use situations which do not imply mental health issues. But people do have all sorts of health issues which affect memory and concentration. Some, quite a number, organic disorders have this effect. Sometimes a simple treatment is all that is required.
Maybe you will find out sometime? I'd like to think no-one does, but sadly t'aint the case.
Clearly the two different sizes will be AirTag and AirTag Max. The Max will have a larger battery and sport additional features like a mini speaker whereas the smaller one will simply be able to be found thru the app. Both will be charged via Lightning cable (not included) and battery life will last anywhere from 1-2 years.
Not to those of us who do not have, don't even want, an Apple watch so would not have a charger. Whereas a MagSafe puck charger just might come into my possession in a few weeks.
Man. Hammer. Everything = nail.
The one who can check is the one who owns Apple ID associated to the Tag.
Putting aside the fact that anyone can have something drop down the sofa, fall out of their pocket, get moved by a partner/kids, have something stolen, there are also millions of people in the world with Alzheimer's and similar conditions for whom this device could really improve their independence and quality of life - or should we just go by your solution of locking them up in mental institutions?
Why are people always so self-centred and blinkered when judging devices like these?
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Really 🤔 how so?
My understanding is Apples privacy focus is protecting users data from corporations. Block 3rd parties such as apps from tracking a users exact location. Hence why the added the option to limit apps from using precise location on iOS 14.
Personal trackers allow a users to track their own items. The data isn’t shared with 3rd parties.
It’s also worth pointing out this is no different to the current find my, which these will use. So what you’re saying is the existing “find my” already violates Apple‘s privacy focus.
Considering my girlfriends most used feature seems to be pinging her iphone from her Watch so she can find it, I see a lot of potential here.
Maybe small one is dumb, larger one has a speaker to enable a ping?
As long as the price isn't silly, there are all sorts of situations these could be used for. Tile seems to have been around long enough to prove a valid use case exists.
Maybe small one is dumb, larger one has a speaker to enable a ping?
As long as the price isn't silly, there are all sorts of situations these could be used for. Tile seems to have been around long enough to prove a valid use case exists.
There’s no need to use the magnet to pair it though. You don’t have to do that with AirPods or an Apple TV or Apple Watch. you just have to hold it close.
Your use case doesn’t make sense to me.
I think the difference here from 'Find My' is it uses devices owned by third parties to track (i.e. other iPhone users), but if that's done the same way that Apple's Covid Track and Trace framework works, then I don't see that there's any privacy issue.
I may go against the grain here, but I would prefer to see them use watch batteries rather than rechargeable batteries. It’s easier and quicker to replace a watch battery if it dies rather than detaching the air tags from whatever they are attached to, finding your MagSafe, putting them on the MagSafe, waiting for it to charge, then reattaching.
Ok so you don’t realise that the current find my uses other people‘s iPhones and MacBooks to locate your apples device right now when it’s set to lost mode. They literally already do this.
And you've never misplaced anything in your life?
If you say no, I don't believe you and no one else does either.
Correct me if I’m wrong but I believe those iPhone have no way to know they’re interacting with the Tag. It just happen in background and the owners have no way to know or check. The only one who can see the Tag location is the owner of the Tag.
That's an absolutely ridiculous thought. They'll be $599, tops.
I'd go further. If done well, Find my for everything enhances your privacy. Less likely for someone to find (or successfully steal) your things which might include much private information.
Yeah, that's my understanding, that it's totally passive in terms of third-party users. Though I guess some of those may feel that they're not comfortable with their phone doing this without their knowledge and will turn it off (I don't see how Apple can not give that option)
I don't understand the marketing/use case for this. Why would Apple venture into this space? It seems to be a little smaller than the Tile, but I know *ONE* person who uses a Tile on his keyring. I can't see people lining up outside stores for AirTags.
I suspect the reason why AirPower was discontinued was because the bottom fell out of the wireless charging price structure: I picked up a wireless charging stand for $13 the other day. I can't imagine AirTags will command a premium.
With Apple's push into home automation, I am surprised they aren't developing a more complete ecosystem of lights, sensors, cameras, and switches. That would make more sense than trackers.
I suspect the reason why AirPower was discontinued was because the bottom fell out of the wireless charging price structure: I picked up a wireless charging stand for $13 the other day. I can't imagine AirTags will command a premium.
With Apple's push into home automation, I am surprised they aren't developing a more complete ecosystem of lights, sensors, cameras, and switches. That would make more sense than trackers.
I think Tile and other systems never really took off because for it to work effectively (beyond just local tracking), it needed a large enough network of Tiles out there to make the peer-tracking function viable, but it never hit that critical point. If I lost something around where I live, I'd guess the odds of another Tile owner walking near it would be virtually zero. Apple on the other hand has got the massive advantage that the infrastructure's already in place with 700 million+ iPhones out there so it's a system that's going to work effectively from Day 1 and isn't dependent on the number of people who will buy the trackers.
I would never have bought into Tile for anything more than finding stuff around my house, but I'll buy Apple's solution as I believe it really will help me recover anything that I get separated from in the big wide world.