Airtags


 Apple announced a number of new products this week. The most important of which seems to be the cheapest. This is the Apple Airtag.  

An Airtag is a device that is a little bigger than a coin. The idea is you attach them to your personal items. A set of keys, a bag, a rucksack, and so on. If you lose track of the item then you can find it. The “Find My” feature in the icloud website or app on your “idevice” can be used.  


This isn’t really new. Find my Iphone has been a feature for the Iphone for a long time. It used GPS or cell towers to locate your lost phone. A Mac computer and Ipad work the same way. However, this extends the scope of the feature itself, allowing you to “tag” your everyday property.  


The key features are the “Find My” network and the new ultra-wideband U1 chip. The U1 is in the iphone 11 and 12. When it is in proximity of the tag it can give you precise directions to the object. The “Find My” network gets around the limited range of bluetooth detection. With around a billion Apple devices in the world a tag is never far from an Apple device. All these tags can be mapped and discovered by Apple’s own devices. The network is secure enough to allow you to see your device and everyone else is just a passive relay.  


Apple are also keen to promote that these devices are private. You can’t just use them to spy on people or track people. Tags are clever enough to know when they are separated from their registered devices.  


All this is about leveraging the Apple ecosystem. Apple products working better together than just being alone. The Airtag is now taking advantage of the integration of Apple products making it more effective. The idea of tagging property with Bluetooth and NFC is not new. The new element is the network that makes the tags easy to find. A value-added proposition for Apple customers.  


Link: Tile - The Airtag competitor

FindMy Compatible Gadgets

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