7 expectations for Apple’s first new product in years

The AirTag promises to be the first truly new Apple device in years, but for now it will remain with promises. The compact tracker has not yet been announced. In this article, we therefore look ahead. These are our expectations of the AirTag.

Our expectations of the AirTag

We hardly dare to write about it anymore: the AirTag. Whenever it looks like Apple is going to release the bluetooth trackers, nothing happens. However, the device has been leaked so often that sooner or later it will have to happen. We are therefore taking the plunge and (hopefully) looking ahead for the last time at the first truly new Apple device in years.

What is the AirTag?

Before that, a brief explanation, if you are not familiar with the much-discussed product. The AirTag is a bluetooth tracker; a device that emits a signal that can be received by your iPhone. For example, by putting the tracker in your backpack, you can see exactly where it is located on your iPhone. A lot of information has already been leaked, and we are bundling this in our AirTag expectations.

1. Central location in the Search My app

Leaked icons and images from iOS 13 have shown that the AirTag is given a central place in the Find My app, which is standard on your iPhone.

Just like your other Apple devices, you will soon see the exact location of the AirTag appear on a map. By tapping it, you can get directions, be notified if the Tag is found, or report the device as lost.

2. Completely waterproof with simple design

Because you want to be able to find the AirTag anytime, anywhere, Apple has opted for a simple design. The AirTag looks like a small white disk with the Apple logo in the center. There are no connections or other inputs on the tracker. This also ensures that the device is resistant to the elements.

According to rumors, the AirTag is completely waterproof. The tracker would also be able to withstand large amounts of dust. That’s nice, because in theory the device survives even the most dusty backpack.

3. Wireless charging, just like the Apple Watch

Because as said there will be no connections on the Tag, there is also no place for a Lightning cable. Instead, the accessory will soon be easy to charge as you do with an Apple Watch. You simply place the device on a wireless charger.

If we look at the presumed shape, it could well be that you just put the Tag on the same charger as the Apple Watch, which keeps it magnetic and secure.

4. Special AR function to find the Tag quickly

Have you lost the Tag? Then the map in the Find My app is enough to know roughly where it is. However, such a map becomes a lot less useful if you are in the same building where the Tag is located.

As soon as you get close to the Tag, you can also use a special AR function, according to rumors. With the push of a button, the camera of the iPhone opens, with which you can see where the Tag is located thanks to augmented reality. For example, an icon will appear above the sofa, or in front of the door of the cupboard where you accidentally left it in.

5. Extra precise thanks to Ultra-Wideband technology

The success of the AirTag obviously depends on how accurately you can find out the location of the device. Fortunately, Apple is also aware of this, because several rumors show that the company wants to use the Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology.

This technology is present in all new Apple devices, such as the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 family. The Apple Watch Series 6 and HomePod mini also have UWB. Ultra Wideband is a precise technique that transmits radio signals in a small area, so that it consumes little power.

Thanks to UWB, an iPhone can better determine its place indoors, so that the technology works more accurately than Bluetooth or WiFi. By also equipping the AirTag with this technique, its location can be determined very precisely. A lot better than how similar trackers (such as those from Tile) do that with bluetooth.

An iPhone with UWB and the Apple Tag can map the distance to each other in detail. This is done by calculating the time it takes for a radio wave to travel from one device to another. This allows an iPhone to bring you up to 5 centimeters from the Tag. To give you an idea: that accuracy is about 100 times better than Bluetooth and WiFi, which are already difficult at a distance of 5 meters.

6. AirTag gets ‘anti-stalk’ function

The AirTag is a location tracker and therefore the danger of stalking is lurking. It is not inconceivable that people will spy on each other with the device. To prevent this, Apple has come up with an anti-stalking function, according to reports from Apple journalist Benjamin Mayo.

The writer of 9to5Mac discovered multiple references to this feature in the source code of iOS 14.5, the operating system of the iPhone. When you walk around with an AirTag that is not yours, you will see a notification on your phone. It states that you may be tracked. If not, you can also wipe the notification away.

7. AirTag expectations: unveiling in March?

It has long been speculated that the AirTag would be announced during the iPhone 12 event, which took place in October 2020. This turned out to be incorrect, because during this presentation ‘only’ the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 mini were unveiled.

The next opportunity is therefore March 2021. Traditionally, Apple will hold an event to announce new products, but that is unlikely to happen this year. Since the Apple engine has to roll anyway, the revelations are likely to be through press releases.

Read more: Apple in March 2021: 7 announcements to look forward to

Stay informed

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