Apple is running out of excuses to not bring the highest level of Find My support to all of its new products.
A report from earlier today revealed that, with the latest beta of iOS 15, Apple would be bringing the AirTag experience to both AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. In the latest version of iOS, your AirPods will be linked to your Apple ID, just like your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV already are. The new feature will allow you to locate your AirPods anywhere, even if they are not connected to your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
This report, while great for those who own a pair of AirPods Pro or AirPods Max, immediately reminded me that Apple, despite launching incredible technologies like Precision Finding with the implemention of an ultra wideband chip and other technologies that use Bluetooth to find lost devices, the company still bailed on each of those for its new Siri Remote for the new generation of Apple TV 4K.
I can't help but still be baffled why Apple has not included UWB chips in its latest products to bring the incredible experience that Precision Finding is to all of its devices. If you've had the chance to find an AirTag, you know exactly what I'm talking about. It's truly a signature "magical" experience from the company and really takes the anxiety out of misplacing a set of keys, wallet, or backpack around the house, office, or anywhere else you happen to be at.
However, this technology was missing from the one Apple product that everyone was begging for it to be featured in: the new Siri Remote. Everyone was so happy that Apple redesigned the remote. It brought back more buttons and didn't sacrifice the touchpad that some enjoyed on the previous model. The one thing it was sorely missing, however, was the precence of a UWB chip so that you could use Precision Finding to locate the remote if it was lost in the couch or if you (or your kid) misplaced it somewhere in the house.
Apple tried to justify the absence of the chip by pointing to the thickness of the new remote, saying that it would be more difficult to lose it between the couch cushions. While that may be true, the number of remotes that get lost due a child or a absentminded adult are also vast and a perfectly legitimate reason to include the technology in the $60 remote.
There are, of course, some Apple product that don't need Precision Finding. The Apple TV and any desktop Mac does not need the feature. Unless someone steals your new iMac and you need to hunt it down in an apartment complex, which seems like a very niche situation that doesn't warrant design for. However, any Apple product that moves with you would be much better off if Apple took Find My to the next level.
I know I would sleep easier if I want able to locate any of my Apple products with pinpoint precision and, now that Apple has proved the benefit and effectiveness of the technology with AirTag, it makes sense to bring it to everything it possibly can.
Especially the Siri Remote.
