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Apple introduces new AirTag with longer range and improved findability

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Re: Apple introduces new AirTag with longer range and improved findability

#81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wait what

Russia does pretty widespread GPS jamming and spoofing both in their country as well as across the Baltics and Nordics (and others). If a phone is receiving bad GPS data when it reports sensing the tag, the tag location will reflect that bad GPS data and not reality.

Thanks for explanation. I had absolutely no awareness GPS jamming was a thing, let alone at scale.

Re: Apple introduces new AirTag with longer range and improved findability

#82
post #61

my parents live in Russia and my grandma has alzheimer's, so as a present "for her" I bought an airtag - so in case my mom loses grandma in a crowd she can be found. Little did I know, GPS jammers around the city make my grandma appear 50km away. Not Apple's fault of course.

AirTag itself doesn't have GPS, of course. It depends on the devices that communicate with the AirTag having precise location. IF you have a phone in Russia, are your maps apps off by 50km these days?

I would assume the inaccuracy is due to the various phones that pick up the airtag pings GPS being jammed, reporting AirTags nowhere near where they actually are.

Re: Apple introduces new AirTag with longer range and improved findability

#83

Probably one of the best products apple has made of late: relatively affordable, good ux, user replaceable batteries. Glad to see this iteration hasn't made it worse.

Apple of late is a mystery. Their software and hardware product quality is wildly inconsistent and, yet, with the most simplest of hardware like AirTags and AirPods, they're like magic. iPhones, I could hardly care less about. These new airtags? Insta buy!

I can see it in AirTags, but, haven't used AirPods myself, what is so "magical" about them?

Also, my understanding is that AirTags are only usable if you have an iPhone, am I wrong?

Re: Apple introduces new AirTag with longer range and improved findability

#84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wait what

Russia does pretty widespread GPS jamming and spoofing both in their country as well as across the Baltics and Nordics (and others). If a phone is receiving bad GPS data when it reports sensing the tag, the tag location will reflect that bad GPS data and not reality.

Shouldn't most comodity GPS receivers also be GLONASS compatible (I get that Galileo is more niche and might not be included).

Does the Sensor Apple uses not use GLONASS in Russia? Or is it cheapo Android Phones picking up the tag and then sending GPS coords into cloud?

edit: Nvm, I might be dumb, I guess unless your jamming includes all commodity GNSS it's pretty useless.

Re: Apple introduces new AirTag with longer range and improved findability

#85

Probably one of the best products apple has made of late: relatively affordable, good ux, user replaceable batteries. Glad to see this iteration hasn't made it worse.

Apple of late is a mystery. Their software and hardware product quality is wildly inconsistent and, yet, with the most simplest of hardware like AirTags and AirPods, they're like magic. iPhones, I could hardly care less about. These new airtags? Insta buy!

Apple is a big company. I’d be more surprised if they were completely consistent.

Re: Apple introduces new AirTag with longer range and improved findability

#86
post #77

Is this… skeuomorphism in an Apple UI? In 2026? https://www.apple.com/newsroom/images/2026/01/apple-introduc...

No. Skeuomorphism would have you dragging the AirTag from a picture of your pocket to a picture of someone else’s pocket, and you’d lose the ability to track it yourself then, because it would belong to the other person now.

Skeuomorphism is more about making the UI work like the real world, not just look like it.

Re: Apple introduces new AirTag with longer range and improved findability

#87
post #43
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use AirTags on car keys and wallets.

I have them on my dogs' collars, because squirrels exist.

Cats collars here, as an insurance measure if they were ever to sneak outside. They're also handy to locate them around the house for various reasons.

Re: Apple introduces new AirTag with longer range and improved findability

#88
post #74

> Designed exclusively for tracking objects, and not people or pets, the new AirTag incorporates… Interesting to call out that it’s not designed for pets. I know several people with AirTags on their pet collars.

why not pets?

Re: Apple introduces new AirTag with longer range and improved findability

#90
"With its updated internal design, the new AirTag is 50 percent louder than the previous generation, enabling users to hear their AirTag from up to 2x farther than before."

Curious about getting 2x the distance from 1.5x the "loudness", I would have thought the inverse? Maybe there is nuance to this though.

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