Rumors are starting to flow into that we may see a sequel to Apple’s AirTags as quickly as subsequent yr, though it’s not but recognized exactly what a second-generation AirTag would possibly convey to the desk.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo shared a prediction this week that an “AirTag 2” is anticipated to enter mass manufacturing in late 2024. Since Kuo has deep connections inside Apple’s provide chain, it’s seemingly he’s decided this by placing collectively some items primarily based on the kind of parts Apple is working to supply from its suppliers.
Nonetheless, something past the concept Apple is planning to launch a brand new mannequin of AirTag seems to be pure hypothesis. Kuo urged that the brand new “AirTag 2” will supply some distinctive “spatial computing” integration with Apple’s Imaginative and prescient Professional, which ought to already be available on the market by the point it launches.
It’s not fully clear what Kuo means by this comparatively imprecise assertion; nonetheless, one risk could be the flexibility to make use of Precision Discovering to be guided towards a misplaced AirTag whereas carrying the Imaginative and prescient Professional.
Though that ought to be considerably attainable with the AirTags which can be obtainable as we speak, the present implementation of Precision Discovering solely works inside a two-dimensional discipline; your iPhone can let you know how far-off your AirTag is and level you to it with left/proper navigation directions, however it gained’t information you to maneuver up or city to find it.
One other leaker, LeaksApplePro, suggests {that a} new “AirTag 2” could supply “3D Precision Discovering” however provides that it gained’t launch till a minimum of 2025. Nonetheless, with Kuo predicting the brand new AirTags will go into mass manufacturing within the fourth quarter of 2024, these timelines is probably not as far aside as they appear.
What’s extra vital is whether or not “3D Precision Discovering” would require a {hardware} improve to the AirTag. Extremely Wideband (UWB) locator expertise isn’t inherently restricted to a two-dimensional plan — that’s simply the best way Apple has designed the Precision Discovering characteristic on the iPhone.
In spite of everything, in case you’ve ever tried on the lookout for an AirTag that’s misplaced on a unique flooring in your house from the place you’re looking out, you’ll have found that your iPhone is aware of how far an AirTag is above or beneath you — it simply doesn’t information you to go up or right down to find it.
There additionally was a hidden Precision Discovering debug mode that demonstrated that the iPhone was conscious of the vertical angle or “pitch” between the iPhone and the AirTag being tracked.
That is seemingly one thing that Apple will handle within the Imaginative and prescient Professional for the present AirTag. Nonetheless, a brand new “AirTag 2” may characteristic a extra highly effective locator chip to supply an much more exact location that would permit it to be pinpointed with precision accuracy instantly within the wearer’s discipline of view reasonably than merely displaying directional arrows.
With the iPhone having supported augmented actuality for years, it was shocking that the AirTag didn’t supply this sort of “through-the-camera” functionality to discover a lacking AirTag. Rumors main as much as the AirTag urged AR would play a component, with code present in iOS even displaying references to a digital balloon that would seem to assist customers visually find the misplaced AirTag.
Sadly, when the AirTag lastly launched, the iPhone’s Precision Discovering characteristic supplied solely primary bearing and distance, suggesting that the U1 chip in Apple’s unique AirTag didn’t have the extent of precision that might have made AR options work precisely.
Nonetheless, we’ve been listening to since early final yr that Apple is growing a brand new “U2” chip that would energy the following era of AirTags. In June, experiences of this chip gained new life when Kuo urged the iPhone 15 lineup will get a brand new UWB chip or quicker and extra environment friendly communications with the Imaginative and prescient Professional.
Whereas Kuo doesn’t present a designation for the brand new chip, “U2” is about pretty much as good as any, contemplating it could be a successor to the U1. In response to Kuo, this new chip could be constructed utilizing a extra superior 7 nanometer (7nm) fabrication course of that might enhance efficiency and cut back energy consumption.
Such velocity enhancements might be the important thing to creating AR-based Precision Discovering work correctly, as the important thing situation doesn’t appear to be the accuracy of the sign however reasonably how regularly the knowledge might be up to date as you’re transferring round along with your iPhone. The present U1 chip is quick sufficient to offer distance in meters or ft and an approximate bearing, however an AR view by the Imaginative and prescient Professional would want to speak way more shortly, providing updates primarily based on actions of a fraction of an inch as you progress your head round to search for your lacking AirTag.
Along with delivering the quicker efficiency that would make that occur, a 7nm chip would eat much less energy, maybe permitting an “AirTag 2” to last more on a single battery or shrinking the dimensions of the AirTag through the use of a smaller battery. It may even be sufficient to convey us RF-powered AirTags that may cost over the Wi-Fi in your house.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]