At the presentation, which took place on April 20, 2021, Apple introduced a new Bluetooth tracking device. The Apple AirTag Smart Key is designed to connect to keys, wallets, and other small items so you can find them right in the Find My app. Apple Air Tag
The release of AirTag took place strictly according to plan. These small Bluetooth-enabled tracking tags for mobile devices and computers running iOS 14.5 have several analogues on the market, such as Tile and Adero. AirTag is fully integrated into the Apple ecosystem.
Apple AirTag release date
The initial testing of the model was completed on November 6 last year, but the coronavirus pandemic caused significant production delays. However, the device came out on time, and the start date for its sales is April 30, 2021.
Apple AirTag prices
The cost of one such beacon from Apple will be 2 990 rubles. A set of four such devices can be purchased for 9 990 rubles. In addition, each tracker can be engraved or an emoji icon can be selected so as not to confuse them.
Also, manufacturers have provided accessories for beacons. In particular, you can separately purchase a keychain with a key ring, polyurethane and leather loops.
Specifications for Apple AirTag
AirTag has built-in chips that allow them to connect to the iPhone by relaying the location of the devices it is connected to. You can use your iPhone, iPad, Macbook, and Mac to track your AirTag in the same way you find missing Apple devices.
The AirTag is a small round disc with the Apple logo on the front. It attaches to objects with a special attachment, such as a ring or a carabiner. Separately, Apple noted that third-party manufacturers can also use the device for their products. For example, today VanMoof offers electric bikes with an integrated AirTag sensor.
Each beacon appears in a new Elements tab that’s available in the Find My app alongside your other Apple devices. With AirTags Find My becomes the one-stop app for everything you want to find. AirTags, like a lost iPhone or iPad, are displayed on the map, the mark indicates the address where they can be found.
If you lose an item that says “AirTag”, you’ll get a notification on your iPhone. You will then be able to press a button in the Find My app which will make the AirTag ring loudly so you can find it if it is nearby.
In case the item is not nearby and cannot be found, you can put it into lost mode. In this mode, another iPhone user who finds your item can view the owner’s contact information to send you a text message or call you.
Also in the application “Locator” provides the ability to create “safe places”. If an item with an Apple tag is in it (for example, in your home), you will not receive a notification when you move away from it. But if you leave the “safe place”, then a notification will come. You can also share the location of items with friends and family.
The AirTag’s high positioning accuracy is ensured by its ultra-wideband technology, which offers indoor positioning. Apple’s newest iPhones have the ultra-wideband U1 chip, so they’ll be able to track AirTag with greater accuracy than they would with Bluetooth alone. This technology is able to effectively measure the distance between two devices with an accuracy of 5-10 cm.
A spoon of tar
Users of far from all countries will be able to take advantage of the novelty. In some states, the frequencies allocated for the operation of AirTag are blocked for a number of different reasons. We are talking about the frequencies of 6,24 and 8,24 GHz. Accordingly, UWB technology does not function in Apple smartphones. Alas, Our Country is also included in the list of countries, since in our country these channels are used for military communications, according to ixbt.com.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who specializes in Apple product forecasting, believes the use of an ultra-wideband chip in AirTags will improve the user experience of iOS applications for search and augmented reality (AR) by offering short-range measurement functions.