Apple Airtags

[Flyfrequently]

Well folks, the end is near. Low battery.
View attachment 434006

Post an old fashioned letter to the address @CaptainCurtis ?
(I have trouble letting go.......)

 

[CaptainCurtis]

Well folks, the end is near. Low battery.
View attachment 434006

Well time for another update. For the past week or so, the Airtag hadn't moved at all from its MEL airport location. I had assumed the battery died, until I received the following text:

Hey there your AirTag is in the staff car park bus shelter on the windowsill in Melbourne

So I guess the million dollar question is - anyone going past the staff car park at MEL anytime soon?

 

[Quickstatus]

Anyone looked at these?

10 yr battery case for AirTag

Runs off 2AA batteries

They have other AirTag carrier products




Video showing how it works

 

[SYD]

Anyone looked at these?

10 yr battery case for AirTag

Runs off 2AA batteries

They have other AirTag carrier products

View attachment 435890


Video showing how it works

Why? Just replace the battery in the AirTag. It tells you weeks in advance that it’s going flat.

Losing $10k of camera equipment and blaming it on a flat AirTag battery they didn’t replace is embarrassing TBH….

Besides, who knows what better tech will be available long before that 10 yr promise….?

 

[mt4789]

Worth mentioning there are rumours of an Airtag 2 being announced (next week WWDC?) with 3x greater range. Evolution as opposed to revolution.

AirTag 2: Here's what we're expecting - 9to5Mac

Apple has long wrapped up its spring releases, including the new iPhone 16e, M4 MacBook Air, M3 iPad Air, and...

9to5mac.com

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Anyone looked at these?

10 yr battery case for AirTag

Runs off 2AA batteries

Just ordered a kit of 4 of them for $40 USD off Amazon.com (with it being shipped to my home in Canada). It seems like these don't ship to Australia though and going through the official website of the company they just offer shipping to the US. It should be noted that you would want to use more expensive Lithium AA batteries to ensure that it actually remains working for 10 years.

Why? Just replace the battery in the AirTag. It tells you weeks in advance that it’s going flat.

You raise a good point and certainly for items like keys it seems completely impractical to have such a big item attached to your keyring (kind of reminds me of the keys of service stations restrooms that have a brick attached to it so people don't wander off with it).

Where it could come in handy is for checked luggage where you have the room to fit a slightly bulkier case and where the convenience of not having to replace the battery so often can be beneficial. For instance, when travelling do you really want to be hunting for CR2032 batteries when the AirTag in your checked bag goes low? I understand that you get advance warning but also realize too that for every trip you take you need to ensure the AirTag will function for at least 3 weeks. The reason being is if the bag is lost the airline has 3 weeks to find it before having to pay you out under Article 19 of the Montreal Convention. There is something to be said of the peace of mind that comes with knowing your AirTag will last a long time indeed, and it's not that expensive either - I bought a 4 pack of those for $40 USD. Considering how quickly AirTags eat through CR2032 (at a rate of 1 per year) it shouldn't be too long before I make my "investment" back in having to replace batteries less frequently.

Besides, who knows what better tech will be available long before that 10 yr promise….?

Worth mentioning there are rumours of an Airtag 2 being announced (next week WWDC?) with 3x greater range. Evolution as opposed to revolution.

AirTag 2: Here's what we're expecting - 9to5Mac

Apple has long wrapped up its spring releases, including the new iPhone 16e, M4 MacBook Air, M3 iPad Air, and...

9to5mac.com

I think it goes without saying that Apple will at some point release an improved AirTag. But the question remains, how are they going to make it much better than what we already have? Are they going to introduce cellular or satellite capability? Maybe better range or battery life? It's all incremental improvements in my mind having had first hand experience losing luggage with AirTags. The fact remains that with AirTags you have a very good sense of where your luggage is.

 

[SYD]

Where it could come in handy is for checked luggage where you have the room to fit a slightly bulkier case and where the convenience of not having to replace the battery so often can be beneficial. For instance, when travelling do you really want to be hunting for CR2032 batteries when the AirTag in your checked bag goes low?

Just make a diary note to replace the batteries (ideally before you travel). They say about 12mths battery life, but mine have been lasting longer.

CR2032 batteries are commonly used worldwide. Easy to get.

I understand that you get advance warning but also realize too that for every trip you take you need to ensure the AirTag will function for at least 3 weeks. The reason being is if the bag is lost the airline has 3 weeks to find it before having to pay you out under Article 19 of the Montreal Convention.

I did have one start to show low battery during a trip, so I swapped the tag in my carryon and checked bag (which was low battery), until I got home. The low battery soldiered in for a month before I replaced both. It may have gone longer.

Certainly better to DIY than rely on the Montreal Convention….

 

[LondonAussie]

CR2032 batteries are commonly used worldwide. Easy to get.

But oddly expensive in the UK/Europe.

Here in London a pack of 4 sells for about £8 or $16 AUD. Last time I was in Australia I paid $5.

 

[VPS]

But oddly expensive in the UK/Europe.

Here in London a pack of 4 sells for about £8 or $16 AUD. Last time I was in Australia I paid $5.

I bought 4 from Amazon UK for just over 5 quid

 

[SYD]

But oddly expensive in the UK/Europe.

Here in London a pack of 4 sells for about £8 or $16 AUD. Last time I was in Australia I paid $5.

About A$2 to $4 ea here. Looks like Bunnings is a good buy (4 pack is $9,90).

BTW, they have a 10 yr shelf-life.

 

[LondonAussie]

Looks like Bunnings is a good buy (4 pack is $9,90).

$5 for a 4 pack at Kmart & Target, but that's their own brand version rather than a big name.

 

[Mattg]

Not a bad deal with Everyday Rewards this week.

 

[ellen10]

Ok, I have been looking at purchasing airtags for our next trip. Husband is a bit ho hum about them.
But as I have quite a few flights and connections, I am looking at the Everyday rewards offer.

Worth it?

 

[Flyfrequently]

Ok, I have been looking at purchasing airtags for our next trip. Husband is a bit ho hum about them.
But as I have quite a few flights and connections, I am looking at the Everyday rewards offer.

Worth it?

Air tags definitely worth it @ellen10
I bought ours from Apple shop and cost for four 2 years ago ~$140

 

[ellen10]

I bit the bullet and made the purchase.
Annoyingly no confirmation email received. And EDR chat is offline.

 

[Happy Dude]

Not a bad deal with Everyday Rewards this week.

View attachment 451852

I bought this from there for $139 (less $10 discount for first time customer) in Nov 2024 so there's been a decent price rise.

Beware if you buy via cashback sites it won't pay if you use any kind of promo even if it's on the Everyday Market site.

 

[There'sOnlyOneJimmy]

Ok, I have been looking at purchasing airtags for our next trip. Husband is a bit ho hum about them.
But as I have quite a few flights and connections, I am looking at the Everyday rewards offer.

Worth it?

Definitely worthwhile in situations like this…

 

[VPS]

Ok, I have been looking at purchasing airtags for our next trip. Husband is a bit ho hum about them.
But as I have quite a few flights and connections, I am looking at the Everyday rewards offer.

Worth it?

absolutely. The day before I flew to Europe I cleaned my apartment thoroughly and then used my stay plus night for the Sofitel in Adelaide and ready to fly out late that afternoon. As I was in the Uber to go home from the hotel I got the warning you've left your keys behind. (This probably should be in the travel mistakes thread). Great Uber driver who waited for me and great service from the staff who took me up to my room and couldn't find them and then showed me a photo on his phone - are these yours - yes thanks

 

[kangarooflyer88]

Ok, I have been looking at purchasing airtags for our next trip. Husband is a bit ho hum about them.
But as I have quite a few flights and connections, I am looking at the Everyday rewards offer.

Worth it?

Absolutely worth it, even if your luggage never gets lost. Having that peace of mind knowing that your bag did arrive with you makes travel less stressful. And when your bag does go missing (and trust me with enough flights it is only a matter of when that happens), it'll help you locate the bag and make delivery less painful. For instance, when Qantas lost my bag flying from Sydney to Melbourne, I wasn't stressed out about the bag as I could clearly see where the bag was at all times. Even when Qantas said they located the bag and were forwarding it to my hotel in Melbourne, I could keep tracking and see it was still a ways away meaning I could attend the meeting I had scheduled rather than hanging around the hotel.

One piece of advice: put the AirTag inside of the suitcase rather than using a luggage strap. The reason being is those luggage straps will get chewed up by the baggage equipment and you'll lose your AirTag (made that mistake when I first got AirTags).

-RooFlyer88

 

[Cruiser Elite]

O/T but similarly O/T - anybody using any of the various business card size type trackers for iOS?