There’s more bad news about the AirTag 2 release date – but it makes perfect sense

The original AirTag launched in 2021 (Image credit: Apple)

A new and improved AirTag isn’t exactly number one on Apple fans’ 2024 product launch wishlist (Apple Vision Pro, anyone?), but given the popularity of Apple’s coin-sized object tracker, there’s every reason to believe that a second-generation AirTag model is in the works.

The original AirTag arrived back in 2021, and the latest intelligence surrounding the Apple AirTag 2 suggests that Apple is indeed working on an upgraded AirTag model that uses the company’s latest Ultra-Wideband chip – of the sort found inside the iPhone 15, Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 – to deliver greater tracking range and potential compatibility with the Vision Pro headset.

We’re not, however, expecting the AirTag 2 to release any time soon. In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s resident Apple expert, Mark Gurman, claims that Apple did consider releasing the next-generation AirTag in 2024, but has since decided to wait until 2025. This echoes a recent tip from notable industry insider Ming-Chi Kuo, who also touted 2025 as the most likely AirTag 2 release date.

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Sure, that’s not ideal news for anyone holding out for an AirTag 2 in 2024, but Gurman’s report notes the logic behind Apple’s decision. Chiefly, Apple has an abundance of AirTag stock that it’s keen to shift before releasing any new AirTag products; Gurman writes that Apple Store back rooms and Apple warehouses are currently loaded with surplus AirTag units. That’s not to say AirTags aren’t popular, mind – they're currently #2 on Amazon’s list of best-selling electronics products – but given the ease of producing AirTags versus more expensive Apple products, the company hasn’t been afraid to overorder.

The Apple Vision Pro headset on a grey background — Apple wants to integrate AirTag 2 into a “spatial computing… ecosystem” with the “Vision Pro as the core" (Image credit: Apple)

What’s more, as things stand, the original AirTag remains a market-leading product with very little competition. Apple does allow third-party trackers to be used with its Find My network, but there’s no real pressure for the company to overhaul the AirTag line just yet. Samsung launched the (arguably superior) Galaxy SmartTag 2 back in October, and Google is reportedly working on its own object tracker, but neither launch has had – or will have – much bearing on Apple’s share of the object tracker market in 2024.

So, it looks like we’ll be waiting until at least 2025 for a successor to the original AirTag, but if you’re keen to pick up an AirTag today, there’s still some good news: the Apple AirTags four-pack continues to be discounted at Amazon in both the US and UK.

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Axel is TechRadar's UK-based Phones Editor, reporting on everything from the latest Apple developments to newest AI breakthroughs as part of the site's Mobile Computing vertical. Having previously written for publications including Esquire and FourFourTwo, Axel is well-versed in the applications of technology beyond the desktop, and his coverage extends from general reporting and analysis to in-depth interviews and opinion. Axel studied for a degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick before joining TechRadar in 2020, where he then earned an NCTJ qualification as part of the company’s inaugural digital training scheme.