Nearly five years after the initial product launch, Apple finally unveiled the new AirTag today (January 26th). While maintaining the same appearance and name, it features significant upgrades to its core search range and speaker volume, and for the first time, it supports precise location tracking directly through the Apple Watch. Importantly, the price remains the same, with a suggested retail price of $29 per unit and a suggested retail price of NT$990 in Taiwan.
Equipped with the same UWB chip as the iPhone 17, it can find things further and more accurately.
The biggest upgrade to the new AirTag is its built-in second-generation Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip. This chip is the same one used in the latest iPhone 17 series, iPhone Air, and Apple Watch Series 11.
Thanks to the new chip, the new AirTag's Precision Finding range is 50% greater than the previous generation, meaning that even if your keys are dropped further into a sofa crevices or deeper into a bag, your iPhone can pinpoint their location and distance much sooner. Furthermore, the upgraded Bluetooth chip also expands the object detection radius.
Another noticeable upgrade is the speaker volume. Apple redesigned the internal structure of the new AirTag, making its sound volume 50% higher than its predecessor. Apple claims that users can now hear the AirTag's alert sound from twice the distance, addressing the previous issue of not being able to hear it when it was under a pillow.
Apple Watch can also be used to find
Previously, the "Precise Find" feature was only available on the iPhone, but now it has finally been extended to the Apple Watch on your wrist.
The new AirTag supports Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, or later models, displaying direction and distance guidance directly on the watch screen. When your hands are full or your phone isn't nearby, simply raise your wrist to quickly find your backpack or car keys with the AirTag attached.
Lost luggage savior: "Share the location of your belongings"
Along with the iOS update, the new AirTag emphasizes its "Share Item Location" feature. This feature allows users to temporarily and securely share their AirTag's location with third parties (such as airlines).
Apple says it has partnered with more than 50 airlines and integrated its system with aviation IT provider SITA. Data shows that this feature can reduce baggage delays by 26% and decrease the chance of baggage being permanently lost by 90%. The links are time-sensitive (automatically expiring after 7 days), and sharing will stop immediately once the item is recovered, thus ensuring user privacy.
Listing Information: Price remains unchanged; existing parts are compatible.
The new AirTag will be available for order starting today on the Apple website and Apple Store App, with physical stores expected to receive it later this week.
Price: US$29 per piece, US$99 for a pack of four. Suggested retail prices in Taiwan: NT$990 and NT$3390 respectively.
Compatibility: It maintains the same round design as the first generation, so all older AirTag accessories (such as keychains and loops) are compatible.
System Requirements: Requires a device with iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 installed; Apple Watch's Find My Apple Watch feature requires watchOS 26.2.1 or later.
