Are Apple Tags really going to be called AirTags?

(Image credit: 9to5Mac)

What you need to know

Apple's rumored Tile-like trackers look set to be named AirTags.
References to AirTags were found in iOS 13.2.
We're said pandas.

We've been hearing rumors of a Tile-lag tracking device coming out of Apple for a couple of months and we're still expecting an announcement pretty soon. But it sounds like we were off on our thinking that Apple would go with Apple Tags as the name. According to 9to5Mac and references found in iOS 13.2, at least.

As has become commonplace 9to5's Guilherme Rambo has been spelunking through the recently released iOS 13.2. And he's found references to "AirTag" with placeholder images of AirPods and other accessories. There does at least appear to be confirmation that AirTag betteries can be replaced, however – there's a video file titled "BatterySwap."

We obviously don't know when Apple will announce the so-called AirTags, but with AirPods Pro having been announced via Press Release today it's possible a similar fate will befall the tracking accessories. If that's the case it could be that we're in for a week of press release announcements. The 16-inch MacBook Pro is still to come, as is pricing and configuration details for the upcoming Mac Pro.

This week could be a big one, folks. Or it might not. But isn't it fun waiting to find out?

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.