AirTags Said to Be 'Completely Waterproof' and Use Magnetic Charging Like Apple Watch

In a report touching on several topics today, Japanese site Mac Otakara claims that Apple's Tile-like "AirTags" item trackers will be "completely waterproof" and use similar magnetic wireless charging to that seen on the Apple Watch.

apple item tag

AirTag image found in iOS 13 build

Evidence of AirTags has been found in builds of iOS 13 since last summer, and it appears the small item trackers will show up in the Find My app and enable users to locate misplaced items. With ultra wideband support found in the iPhone 11 lineup and augmented reality, it looks like AirTags could offer high precision and direct the user straight to an item, even pinpointing it within a room.

We're not sure when to expect AirTags to launch, but it looks like it may not be imminent yet, as noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said just last week that production isn't expected to ramp up until the second or third quarter, and today's report from ‌Mac Otakara‌ claims an announcement in the fall of this year, which would likely be alongside new iPhones in September.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 3 4ths Perspective Aluminum Camera Module 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Apple 2025 Thumb 1

10 Products Still Coming From Apple in 2025

Friday April 11, 2025 4:14 pm PDT by
Apple may have updated several iPads and Macs late last year and early this year, but there are still multiple new devices that we're looking forward to seeing in 2025. Most will come in September or October, but there could be a few surprises before then. We've rounded up a list of everything that we're still waiting to see from Apple in 2025. iPhone 17, 17 Air, and 17 Pro - We get...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Foldable iPhone Resolutions Leak With Under-Screen Camera Tipped

Monday April 14, 2025 3:12 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone (or "iPhone Fold") will feature two screens as part of its book-style design, and a Chinese leaker claims to know the resolutions for both of them. According to the Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station, the inner display, which is approximately 7.76 inches, will use a 2,713 x 1,920 resolution and feature "under-screen camera technology." Meanwhile, the...
iPad Pro iPadOS

iPadOS 19 Will Be 'More Like macOS' in Three Ways

Sunday April 13, 2025 6:43 am PDT by
A common complaint about the iPad Pro is that the iPadOS software platform fails to fully take advantage of the device's powerful hardware. That could soon change. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that iPadOS 19 will be "more like macOS." Gurman said that iPadOS 19 will be "more like a Mac" in three ways:Improved productivity Improved multitasking Improved app window management...
M6 MacBook Pro Feature 1

Waiting for the Perfect MacBook Pro? 2026 Might Be the Year

Thursday April 10, 2025 4:19 am PDT by
Apple in October 2024 overhauled its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, Thunderbolt 5 ports on higher-end models, display changes, and more. That's quite a lot of updates in one go, but if you think this means a further major refresh for the MacBook Pro is now several years away, think again. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said he expects only a small...
Apple Vision Pro with battery Feature Blue Magenta

Vision Pro 2 Rumored to Have Two Key Advantages Over Current Model

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:15 am PDT by
Apple is working on a new version of the Vision Pro with two key advantages over the current model, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Specifically, in his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said Apple is developing a new headset that is both lighter and less expensive than the current Vision Pro, which starts at $3,499 in the U.S. and weighs up to 1.5 pounds. Gurman said Apple is also...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: New iOS 19, iPhone 17, and Apple Watch Ultra 3 Leaks

Friday April 11, 2025 7:13 am PDT by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we catch up on the latest iOS 19 and watchOS 12 rumors, upcoming devices, and more. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Detailed new renders from leaker Jon Prosser claim to provide the best look yet at the complete redesign rumored to arrive in iOS 19, showing more rounded elements, lighting effects, translucency, and...
top stories 2025 04 12

Top Stories: iOS 19 and iPhone 17 Pro Rumors, Siri Revamp Turmoil, and More

Saturday April 12, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
It was a big week for leaks and rumors in the Apple world, with fresh claims about iOS 19, the iPhone 17 Pro, and even the 20th anniversary iPhone coming a couple of years from now. Sources also spilled the tea on the inner turmoil at Apple around the Apple Intelligence-driven Siri revamp that has seen significant delays, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more! iOS ...

Top Rated Comments

MarkAtl Avatar
67 months ago
“Similar magnetic charging”

Ideally they should support Qi wireless charging, and hopefully not another magnetic charger.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DoctorTech Avatar
67 months ago

What's the expected range? Don't Tiles work over only a few feet? Seems like at that range locating your bike should be easy.
I don't know the expected range of the tag itself but I would guess it to be in the 30' to 100' range. The key is that it is expected to use ANY iPhone (or possibly even iPad or Apple Watch) within that range to locate your AirTag. That means if someone were to steal my bike, I could locate it anytime it was within 30-100' of anyone with an iPhone.

The existing Tile product works in a similar manner but 1) you can only locate a Tile if it is within range of someone who has the Tile app running on their portable device and 2) I do not like Tile's privacy standards - once you install the app they have the ability to track your mobile device anywhere. I trust Apple with my real time location and I know my wireless service provider has that information (nothing I can do about that) but I don't want to give access to that information to a 3rd party like Tile.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
robinp Avatar
67 months ago
I hope they use the exact same charger. It would be incredibly annoying to add yet another charger to use these.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Westside guy Avatar
67 months ago
Hopefully they’ll only need to be charged every 6-12 months, along the lines of what’s already out there, though.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alexandr Avatar
67 months ago

I honestly don't understand the hype with these trackers -- it's not something I'd ever need.
well, you should really tell apple this so that they can pull the plug on these...
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Glideslope Avatar
67 months ago
These are gonna be big if they work as designed. The margins will be huge. ;)
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)