Your AirTag's Battery Will Last for Up to 10 Years With Elevation Lab's New TimeCapsule Enclosure

[gsmornot]

I assume the tracking is more important than hearing the beep.

It's nice when you get close to the tag to set off the alarm to find it but agree, tracking is the top priority.

 

[CuperDino]

$50 Price point for an Apple Air tag with this kind of battery life, rugged magnetic case, and using the Find My Network and my company would place an order for 2,500 units with just year 1 budget money. The use would be a rural/remote stationary equipment setting(Oil/gas field tanks, electronics, etc), but hidden to the best of the our ability in the equipment. Would need to be in a commercial setting possibly with Apple where you could turn the warnings off to others. And Apple would have to focus on commercial to lift their limit on AirTags, and 16 may be the new number? At one time I think it was 12, but has been raised.

Solutions are 100x the cost now with residual billing for some kind of overpriced cellular service.

This is the use-case I'm thinking about, but the "anti-tracking" feature of the AirTags means they'll start beeping after three days if they're out of range of their associated iPhone. Even if you're putting them on stationary objects (presumably ones you're worried about being stolen), the AirTags would start beeping as soon as they are moved, alerting thieves to the location of the AirTags.

 

[CuperDino]

It only beeps when it's moved after being out of range of your phone for 3 days. So if it's just sitting at home nothing happens.

That's a good clarification, thank you! Does that mean that if I'm away and someone steals my motorcycle, the AirTag will start beeping? What I really want is a silent/concealed lo-jack but without the corresponding subscription cost.

 

[klasma]

Are there people out there who feel taking 30 seconds to change the battery once a year is too much of an inconvenience?

Depending on where you installed it, it can be more like half an hour. Also, you may need or want to procure a fresh battery first.

 

[Rigby]

That's a good clarification, thank you! Does that mean that if I'm away and someone steals my motorcycle, the AirTag will start beeping?

Yes. The thief will also get a warning on their phone since the Airtag travels with them. Apple prioritized protection against stalking over use of the Airtag as an anti-theft device. It is possible to remove the speaker, but that is obviously permanent and prevents the Airtag from beeping even if you want it to, and it doesn't prevent the warning on the phone.

 

[Sir_Macs_A_Lot]

I think this is brilliant! It wouldn't work for every use case, but in a car? a backpack? gear bag? laptop case? luggage?

Would you use it on a train? Would you use it on a plane?

 

[klasma]

I was like, eh? Apple surely owns the trademark, still. This is almost certainly never going to fly...

The present product is named “TimeCapsule”, not “Time Capsule”. Also, trademarks only apply to the specific product categories they were registered for. And Apple actually renamed “Time Capsule” to “AirPort Time Capsule”, possibly because a generic term like “time capsule” is harder to defend in trademark disputes, or can’t be trademarked in the first place in certain jurisdictions.

 

[harriska2]

This is great but it really would cost $40 because each of those lithium batteries is about $10.

 

[CarlJ]

Not so with the more expensive lithium version they offer. Btw, that would be Duracell that loves to leak.

Indeed. I've heard them called "Duraleaks".

I've switched over so that pretty much everything I use batteries for has either NiMH (Eneloop) batteries (AA or AAA) or Li-ion batteries (flashlights running Li-ion 14500 or 18650 batteries are far superior to ones running alkaline batteries). Less waste, no leakage, and the Li-ion batteries have really high energy density (FWIW, I normally carry an Emisar D3AA flashlight with a Vapcell H10 14500 battery). And Li-ion batteries that are in standard sizes (14500 = AA, 18650 is pretty common) are better than built-in rechargeables, because they can be swapped out eventually, rather than recycling the whole device).

 

[CarlJ]

Would you use it on a train? Would you use it on a plane?

Would you use it with a goat? Would you use it on a moat?

 

[CarlJ]

The enclosure is nondescript, though, so if something containing the TimeCapsule is stolen, the thief isn't likely to know what it is.

Except that Elevation Lab plasters their name on the outside, so curious people who find it have something to google, which will quickly come up with information about what it is.

Still, seems like a nice solid design.

 

[Lord Solo]

am I dense or why do these use replaceable batteries anyway? would be much more convenient to just wireless charge them for example. No need to open them up, which is getting harder and harder with how they age.

You’re not dense. But the issue is that LiIon batteries are hard to make that low voltage and they would not last as long as the coin batteries at that size. For longer-term low voltage applications, at least at this point, coin batteries make more sense.

 

[victorvictoria]

You cannot disguise it! Why do people think you can? When the thief becomes aware of an AirTag in their immediate location (which they will), they will simply locate it with their phone and dispose of it. I know, my car was stolen!

The AirTag is for lost items, not stolen items. Get a tracker if you want to track your item if stolen.

Out of curiosity, how did a car thief locate your AirTag with the speaker alert disabled?

 

[ThailandToo]

That's cool, but lets just charge the next AirTag on an Apple Watch charger

I thought about this let us charge with MagSafe or whatever. But then those are Lithium Ion batteries which couldn’t be in luggage and do in certain circumstances catch fire. So for safety purposes I believe Apple has to use standard batteries that can last in those environments without being a fire risk. I mean the whole point is to leave them in airline cargo or in a hot car without risk. Would be nice though.

 

[jmpage2]

I thought about this let us charge with MagSafe or whatever. But then those are Lithium Ion batteries which couldn’t be in luggage and do in certain circumstances catch fire. So for safety purposes I believe Apple has to use standard batteries that can last in those environments without being a fire risk. I mean the whole point is to leave them in airline cargo or in a hot car without risk. Would be nice though.

It's not just the risk of rechargeable lithium batteries in luggage, the "charger" is actually in the device itself, so the device would get larger and more expensive if it was rechargeable.

 

[triptolemus]

Why would you need to add an enormous case like that? I can only see a few uses where it would be perhaps a good idea. One would be for vehicle tracking.

So you answered your own question, then?

 

[Shin-Ra]

Even with IP69(!) rated ingress protection, a couple of little pockets for desiccant bags might be helpful to attract any moisture trapped inside when installing the AirTag and batteries and any vapour that likely still gets through the seal.

Over 10-14+ years, battery contact corrosion seems like one of the more likely points of failure.


FYI, up to 32 AirTags, AirPods and Find My items can be added to a single Apple Account.

• If you receive an error stating that new items cannot be added, manage the items you have in Find My. Items include everything in the Items tab and AirPods in the Devices tab. You can add up to 32 items.

Add an AirTag to Find My to keep track of personal items - Apple Support

Keep track of personal items by attaching an AirTag. You can add an AirTag, or other compatible Find My network accessory, in the Items tab in Find My.

support.apple.com

 

[rworne]

Actually the price of this isn't that bad:
$19 for one, $29 for two, and $39 for four (on Amazon).

If you need a bunch of them, it's quite reasonable at $10 apiece. I've seen plastic keychain airtag holders priced higher than that.

Since I keep them in our luggage and in the cars, this will be quite handy for us. As we tend to get low battery alerts when we travel.

 

[Alan-in-CO]

I've been using this company's products since AirTags came out. They are very innovative and their cases hold up to some extreme environments. They have a variety of different cases for AirTags, depending on your use. I keep one of their magnetic holders discreetly attached to my truck frame, works great! Except every year I have to crawl underneath it and change the battery, so this looks promising.

 

[JapanApple]

I wonder how much of the signal strength is impeded because of the six ternal case surrounds the AirTag. There’s got to be better solutions than this.

 

[Stiksi]

am I dense or why do these use replaceable batteries anyway? would be much more convenient to just wireless charge them for example. No need to open them up, which is getting harder and harder with how they age.

Wireless charging requires a coil, controller circuitry, alignment magnets, etc. Probably double the price and definitely the thickness.

 

[SDJim]

I love this. At a fairly responsible price, too!

 

[Stiksi]

Indeed. I've heard them called "Duraleaks".

I've switched over so that pretty much everything I use batteries for has either NiMH (Eneloop) batteries (AA or AAA) or Li-ion batteries (flashlights running Li-ion 14500 or 18650 batteries are far superior to ones running alkaline batteries). Less waste, no leakage, and the Li-ion batteries have really high energy density (FWIW, I normally carry an Emisar D3AA flashlight with a Vapcell H10 14500 battery). And Li-ion batteries that are in standard sizes (14500 = AA, 18650 is pretty common) are better than built-in rechargeables, because they can be swapped out eventually, rather than recycling the whole device).

Alkaline batteries deal with low temperatures way better than li-ion batteries. I switch to alkaline in bike lights for the winter because li-ion depletes in 15-30 minutes when alkaline lasts a couple weeks or more.

 

[mrbkk]

am I dense or why do these use replaceable batteries anyway? would be much more convenient to just wireless charge them for example. No need to open them up, which is getting harder and harder with how they age.

How they age, or how you age? 😂

 

[isomorphic]

All I know is, between the human-proof plastic packaging the Duracell CR2032s come in, and the AirTag-proof bitterant all of them are coated with, I'd definitely be willing to try something new like this. (Also I switched to cheap no-name brand CR2032 batteries from Amazon. Duracell is terrible.)