The 2026 AirTags are definitely an upgrade from the first-gen AirTags. However, it might not be worth running to the store to pick up the tracking device if you already have the previous generation.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m someone who always loses his wallet or keys, so I\u2019ve been using AirTags<\/a> for a couple of years now. I\u2019ve also found them great to use when travelling, as I\u2019ll have an AirTag in my luggage and in my passport holder. I haven\u2019t gotten the chance to use the AirTag while travelling yet, but the second-generation Ultra Wideband chip makes the AirTag easier to find from further away.<\/p>\n I\u2019m able to track down my AirTag from around my house, whether it\u2019s upstairs or down. I like having the extended range on my AirTag. While the last model could tell me that my wallet was in the house, I couldn\u2019t always find it with Precision Finding, especially if the device was upstairs and I was downstairs. Still, the difference in range here isn\u2019t worth running to the store, as Precision Finding didn\u2019t work from right outside my front door.<\/p>\n Aside from better Precision Finding, the AirTag is also 50 per cent louder than its predecessor. Still, unfortunately, not loud enough to find it from a different floor. It\u2019s definitely louder, but when it\u2019s in my wallet, the sound gets dampened quite a bit. The louder volume does help, especially when it comes to pinpointing the location of my wallet in my very messy closet.<\/p>\n You can also find your AirTag with your Apple Watch, which I absolutely love because sometimes when I\u2019m looking for my wallet, I don\u2019t always have my phone on me. My watch is always on my wrist, so it works out great.<\/p>\n The second-gen AirTag also has \u2018Share Item Location,\u2019 which lets users securely share its location with third parties like airlines, which can help with finding delayed luggage or other items. Apple has partnered with more than 50 airlines to support this. I haven\u2019t had to use this yet, but it\u2019s good to keep in mind. I lost my AirPods Pro 2nd gen on a plane once, and noticed it immediately. However, Air Canada said they weren\u2019t able to find the earbuds. Maybe they would have been able to find it if I had been able to share the tracking information with them.<\/p>\n The new\u00a0AirTag is C$39<\/a> for a single tag and $129 for the 4-pack.<\/a> If you already have AirTags, you might not need to pick up the new one right away, unless yours are on the way out or something. However, I\u2019ll probably pick up another one for my passport, because being able to share location details and the ability to find devices from further away are definitely worth buying one or two for me.<\/p>\n