According to a new report, Apple’s upcoming Tile-like tracker for personal belongings, dubbed AirTag, should feature a removable CR2032 coin cell battery.
Based on a prototype of the AirTag accessory, MacRumors has learned that removing and replacing the battery will require unscrewing the back cover and performing a counter-clockwise twisting motion before inserting the battery with the plus sign facing up.
From the report:
CR2032 batteries are not intended to be recharged and need to be replaced over time — for example, the Tile Pro’s battery lasts around one year. Users will be required to pull a tab on the AirTag to activate the battery, and then bring the tag near a device like an iPhone or iPad to initiate the pairing process.
The report contradicts earlier rumors which called for a rechargeable battery and magnetic charging similar to the Apple Watch. Although “AirTag” was a name coined by the media, MacRumors has now confirmed that this is the marketing name of Apple’s item tracking tags.
Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has predicted that AirTags should enter mass production in the third quarter ahead of a fall release, with Universal Scientific Industrial fulfilling approximately 60 percent of orders for the product’s densely packed circuit boards.
The user will be able to attach an AirTag to an every-day item like their keys or a backpack. Any misplaced AirTag-tracked items would show up under the Items tab in the Find My app.
In a separate report, Kuo predicted that AirTags would use power-sipping ultra-wideband (UWB) short-range radio technology, found in the iPhone 11 Pro series, which enables way more precise indoor positioning than either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.