AirTagSource: MacRumors

What you need to know

  • Apple is expected to launch a Tile-like tracker eventually.
  • AirTags have been rumored for a long time now.
  • They will reportedly be powered by a removable battery.

I have many, many questions about AirTags – the Tile-like trackers we're waiting for – but I can't say that their power source is one of them. But here we are, with the hot news being that they'll use the same batteries as your digital scales. Or your computer's logic board. Or anything else that's boring but probably dotted around your home right now.

The battery I'm talking about is the ubiquitous CR2032 battery.

Duracell 2032 BatteriesSource: Amazon

A new report by MacRumors notes that a prototype of an AirTag has a back cover that can have a screw removed and then removed by turning it counter-clockwise. In there will be the battery. Pop it out. Pop a new one in. Robert's your father's brother.

Once a battery has been replaced, users will bring the AirTag near an iPhone or iPad to initiate the pairing process, according to the report.

Apple's closest AirTag competitor is the Tile Pro and it already has a removable battery that works in much the same way. Other Tile products don't have replaceable batteries, something the company has come in for criticism over.

We initially expected AirTags to be announced alongside last year's iPhones, but that didn't happen. Now they are thought to be just around the corner, although that could be as far away as the 2020 iPhone announcement that will likely take place in six months or so.

PSA: Send your 4th of July iMessages with fireworks this year
Celebrate!

PSA: Send your 4th of July iMessages with fireworks this year

This year, try to remember to use iMessage's cool Send with Fireworks feature when wishing friends and family a happy Independence Day. You've probably thought about doing it after the fact, when it's too late. This year's the year you remember!