Apple AirTag review: The best key finder for the iPhone
Our Verdict
The Apple tree AirTag is a clever device that is super simple to fix, and its Precision Finding feature makes it like shooting fish in a barrel to find everything from your keys and wallet to your backpack or luggage.
For
- Very easy to ready upward
- Precision Finding works well
- Meaty pattern
- Multiple accessories
Confronting
- Privacy features demand work
- Design scuffs easily
- Doesn't piece of work with Android phones
- Tin can't ping iPhone from AirTag
Tom's Guide Verdict
The Apple AirTag is a clever device that is super simple to set upwards, and its Precision Finding feature makes it like shooting fish in a barrel to find everything from your keys and wallet to your backpack or luggage.
Pros
- +
Very easy to ready
- +
Precision Finding works well
- +
Meaty blueprint
- +
Multiple accessories
Cons
- -
Privacy features need piece of work
- -
Design scuffs hands
- -
Doesn't piece of work with Android phones
- -
Can't ping iPhone from AirTag
- -
The Apple tree AirTag is a device that I was born to review — and not in a good way. I'm then bad with misplacing my keys around the business firm that my family has turned it into a game, hiding the keys if I don't put them on the shelf where they're supposed to go.
Ironically, using the AirTag feels like a game itself, as its Precision Finding feature tin can guide y'all to your lost item using your iPhone, displaying the altitude to that misplaced thing and even directional arrows. Information technology's like "you're getting warmer" made digital. This feature is what separates the AirTag from near of the competition.
While in that location'due south room for improvement, especially in the privacy department, my AirTag review shows why Apple tree's device belongs on our all-time key finder listing.
AirTag review: Release date and price
The Apple AirTag release date is April 30, and y'all can order it now.
The AirTag costs $29 for a 1 pack and y'all can purchase a 4-pack for $99. Past comparison, Samsung's Galaxy SmartTag Plus offers similar ultra wideband connectivity, but sells for $39. The Tile Pro costs $35, while the Tile Mate costs $25.
Like other primal finders and product finders, the AirTag offers Bluetooth connectivity for proximity finding, but information technology goes one step further with ultra wideband.
If you own an iPhone 11 or iPhone 12, both of which take a U1 scrap, you'll be able to apply the AirTag's Precision Finding feature. Your iPhone leverages UWB to decide the distance and management to your lost item, and it analyzes input from your phone's camera, ARKit, accelerometer and gyroscope.
This is what enables you to get visual, haptic and audio cues to straight y'all to your lost item.
AirTag review: Design and customization
Near the size of coat button, the AirTag is quite pocket-size, with just a 1.26-inch diameter and a meridian of 0.31 inches. Information technology weighs just 0.39 ounces.
The AirTag is IP67 rated, which ways it can survive existence in water for 30 minutes. Y'all can likewise personalize your AirTag with free engravings with characters or emoji.
My biggest complaint about the AirTag is that it's not very durable. After just a few days the AirTag stored in Apple'southward plastic loop showed scuff marks. At offset I idea it was just a smudge I could wipe off, but not then much.
AirTag review: Setup
This is easily one of the best things well-nigh the AirTag. When you get the AirTag out of the box, you simply pull the tag for the battery and then bring the device close to your iPhone. My iPhone 12 automatically recognized the AirTag and so walked me through the setup. Just note that you'll need to be on iOS 14.v.
The Find My app took over from there, request me to name the AirTag by choosing from a list (keys, backpack, luggage, wallet, etc.). After registering the AirTag to my Apple ID I was expert to go. The Find My app will display your item and show you the iii main options bachelor: Precision Finding, Play Sound and Directions in Maps
AirTag review: Performance
Like other key finders and product finders, the AirTag offers Bluetooth connectivity for proximity finding. But information technology goes one step farther with ultra wideband.
If you own an iPhone 11 or iPhone 12, both of which have a U1 fleck, you'll be able to apply the AirTag's Precision Finding feature. Your iPhone uses UWB to determine the altitude and direction to your lost particular, and information technology analyzes input from your phone's camera, ARKit, accelerometer and gyroscope.
When you put it all together, this is what enables you to get visual, haptic and sound cues to direct you to your lost detail.
I tried placing my keys around the house with the AirTag attached, and overall the device worked well. But I wouldn't say the AirTag is perfect.
After placing the AirTag virtually xxx feet away in the living room underneath the couch with keys attached, I fired up the Find My app. I then tapped Find, and the iPhone 12 displayed a field of swirling dots (I gauge to testify that it's thinking) and after a few seconds my iPhone showed how many feet away the AirTag was.
As I got closer to the AirTag, an pointer appeared on screen showing how close I was to my keys. I besides hit the Play Audio push button to see if I could hear the AirTag underneath the couch pillows. I could hear the AirTag'southward beeping, simply it wasn't very loud.
This is one of my few complaints about the AirTag. The device but has so much surface area to produce sound, so you'll likely demand to be on the aforementioned floor as the lost item to hear the AirTag, especially if information technology happens to exist underneath something.
As I got closer to the keys, the arrow turned to a circle on my iPhone's display — like a bullseye — and the phone vibrated. Mission accomplished.
I conducted some other tests with a split up AirTag placed in my wallet, and I was mostly impressed. I could hear the beep from the next room, and I generally could start precision tracking within 13 to eighteen anxiety. However, if yous're a flake too far away yous won't be able to play the audio; my iPhone told me that the AirTag was non reachable and to motion effectually to connect.
AirTag review: Privacy and stalking concerns
Apple has built in a number of safeguards with the AirTag to protect your privacy and forestall tracking, but there's clearly room for improvement. For example, just y'all tin see where your AirTag is and your location information and history are never stored on AirTag. Apple also says that all of the location data is encrypted and that Apple doesn't know the location of your AirTag.
To discourage the tracking of people, your iPhone can notify you if an AirTag that's not yours is traveling with y'all. And y'all'll be able to play a sound on that rogue AirTag to locate information technology and become instructions on how to disable it. Plus, an AirTag that'southward separated from its possessor for an unspecified flow of time will start playing a sound when it'south moved, alerting you lot to its presence.
Unfortunately, Apple does not specify how long it takes to receive this prophylactic alert, which is troubling. You volition also receive a safe alert when you lot get home should an AirTag not registered to you be detected.
Merely what if y'all're not headed habitation? You won't get notified until the terminate of the day. Note that you'll merely receive an alert if y'all're running iOS xiv.5.
If yous have Android phone, it can take almost three days for the AirTag itself to emit a sound. That's a disturbingly long time. In a statement to Gizmodo, Apple said it ""may adjust the logic and timing of these features, which are tunable over the air, to continue improving our deterrents." (Apple has released an Android app that lets you manually browse for AirTags.)
As of early 2022, nosotros've seen numerous reports of women telling police that their iPhones reported unknown AirTags mirroring their movements, and too of AirTags being used past car thieves to locate desirable vehicles.
AirTag review: Battery life
The AirTag uses a standard CR2032 coin cell battery, which Apple says is rated to last over a year. A rechargeable battery might have been nice, merely that would have resulted in a bigger tracker.
AirTag review: Accessories
Apple sells a wide range of accessories for the AirTag, including the AirTag Leather Fundamental Ring ($35), AirTag Leather Loop ($39), and AirTag Loop ($29). If you're feeling actually fancy, there's also a selection of AirTag Hermès leather accessories, which start at $299 and go upwardly to $449.
AirTag accessories will also exist available from the likes of Belkin, Nomad, Spigen Moment, Dbrand and others. Some of the third-party options are pretty affordable, too. Belkin's AirTag accessories start at $12.95
It would be overnice if the AirTag supported Android phones, but I'm also not surprised that Apple tree wants yous to stick to its ain ecosystem. Android phone owners are better off with the $34.99 Tile Pro, which is quite loud and has a 400-foot range. Plus, dissimilar the AirTag, it has a push button built in to notice your phone.
The $39 Samsung Galaxy SmartTag Plus goes a pace farther with its own ultra wideband functionality, It uses augmented reality to observe your lost stuff; it's not just arrows, you'll be able to see dots around your lost particular via your Galaxy phone's alive photographic camera view. Plus, the SmartTag Plus' push can let you perform various smart home commands, like turning off the lights when you're away.
AirTag review verdict
I wish the pattern were a bit more durable and the volume slightly louder, but overall the Apple tree AirTag is worth the investment and was well worth the expect because of its ease of use and Precision Finding feature. However, Apple needs to fine tune its privacy settings to better thwart potential stalkers.
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/apple-airtags
Posted by: poormaneptich.blogspot.com
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