Normally priced at $100, you can currently get four Apple AirTags for just $60, a new record low price. That’s just $15 per tag, which is an exceptional value. The only catch is that this is the first-generation model of AirTags (you can see the fairly minor differences between first- and second-gen AirTags here). Amazon’s Big Spring sale kicks off in just two days, but this deal is here early. I don’t know how long the price will hold, so snag them now, before the Spring Sale madness.
I did see the AirTags on sale earlier this year, but that was at $70 for four, so this is a better price for this amazing item tracker. The newer AirTag that was announced in January offers a handful of new features. However, that doesn’t change the fact that these are definitely cheaper (the new ones are $99 for four), and most importantly, you can buy them right now.
Not long ago, as I waited at baggage claim after a trip to Paris, I became increasingly nervous as bag after bag dropped onto the carousel, none of them mine. I knew there was no need to panic, though.
Back at Charles de Gaulle Airport, I had slipped a sophisticated tracking device into my trusty rolling suitcase before handing it over and heading to my gate. So, I pulled out my iPhone, and with just a few taps, I could see that my bag had never left the City of Lights. (Merde!)
Over the last few years, I’ve come to rely on Apple’s AirTags to keep track of my easily lost valuables. They’re not just good for luggage; I use them to track wallets, bikes, keys and even my car. I tell everyone who will listen that you can never have too many of these handy devices.
And just because they’re an Apple product doesn’t mean they are super expensive. As mentioned, the four-pack of AirTags have dropped to $60. If you want to buy a single one, it’s typically $29 each.
Here’s how the AirTag (like the one that was in my suitcase on that fateful trip) works. It uses an ingenious method of tracking itself, detecting its location from nearby iPhones and using them to anonymously piggyback the coordinates to a secure server where I could look it up on my iPhone. Until just a few years ago, this would have seemed like a scene straight out of a spy movie.
Instead of wondering if my belongings were stuck on an abandoned luggage cart or strewn across the tarmac, I could see in almost real time that my suitcase was still chilling at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. I was able to calmly inform the airline that my bag didn’t make the flight, and they made arrangements to have it delivered to me a few days later.
Apple AirTags are all about peace of mind
By itself, an AirTag isn’t much. A smooth, round 1.26-inch puck that resembles a glossy white breath mint, it sinks to the bottom of a bag or dangles from a keychain (with a compatible key ring, sold separately). It’s meant to disappear.
Activating the AirTag was a simple process of pairing it with my iPhone. And then, because it obviously doesn’t really do anything out of the box, I forgot about it.
But the next time I couldn’t find my keys? Sorcery. My iPhone didn’t just tell me they were somewhere nearby — it walked me directly to them, thanks to the AirTag’s built-in Ultra Wideband chip. Suddenly, all that time I’d spent retracing my steps and overturning couch cushions in the past felt like ancient history.
Now, I have AirTags attached to every significant item I’d want to keep track of: my everyday laptop bag, my camera backpack, the suitcase I use most when traveling, my keychain, my car, and a smaller sling bag I take on walks. I can pull up the Find My app on any of my Apple devices (or sign in to iCloud on any web browser) and see where my items are, and the last time the AirTags registered their locations.
Share an AirTag’s location with someone you trust.
A more recent feature is the ability to temporarily share an AirTag’s location with someone I trust. In my luggage example above, if the suitcase was in the airport with me but the airport’s staff hadn’t yet been able to locate it (not uncommon during peak travel times), I could share its location with an attendant who could quickly retrieve it from areas inaccessible to the public.
Apple AirTag specs
- Diameter: 1.26 inches (31.9 mm)
- Height: 0.31 inches (8 mm)
- Weight: 0.39 ounces (11 g)
- Splash, water and dust resistance: Rated IP67 (maximum depth of 1 meter up to 30 minutes)
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0
- Battery: Replaceable CR2032 coin cell battery
The only minor annoyance about AirTags
An AirTag includes Bluetooth, an Ultra Wideband chip and an NFC chip to share basic details when it’s in Lost Mode. That’s all powered by a CR2032 coin cell battery, which in my experience lasts roughly a year before I need to replace it.
I get notified when a battery is starting to get low, although there’s no gauge to see how much is left until it goes into the red. And it’s easy to change batteries. But my small fleet of AirTags means I need to swap multiple ones each year. I buy them in packs of 20 that I slowly work through.
