AirTag 2 not expected until 2025 as Apple sits on backlog of first-gen inventory

If you’ve been hoping for a second-generation AirTag, you’ll have to keep waiting. According to a new report from Bloomberg, Apple initially considered launching AirTag 2 sometime in 2024 but has instead decided to wait until next year.

In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman explains that Apple is in “no rush” to release AirPods 2. Gurman points out that Apple has little competition on the Find My network and that current AirTags “still work fairly well and have most of the features you’d want.

The ultimate headache for Apple is that it “clearly over-produced” AirTag, according to today’s report. “Apple retail store back rooms and Apple device storage warehouses are still full to the brim with AirTags,” the story says.

As for what to expect from AirTag 2, Bloomberg says we should look for “an upgraded wireless chip to bring in line with the newer parts inside the latest iPhones and Apple Watches.”

This is a reference to the second-generation Ultra-Wideband chip, which is featured inside the iPhone 15, Apple Watch Series 9, and Apple Watch Ultra 2. This chip can communicate with other devices that have the same chip at an extended range, compared to the U1 chip found in previous-generation iPhones and AirTags.

A similar timeline for AirTag 2 has also been reported by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. So if you need an AirTag today, there’s no point in waiting for the second generation.

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