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AirTag 2 to Debut by Summer 2025 with Smarter Tracking and Enhanced Privacy

AirTag 2 to Debut by Summer 2025 with Smarter Tracking and Enhanced Privacy

Hans India23-04-2025
Apple is reportedly gearing up to launch the next version of its populartracking device, the AirTag 2, as early as May or June 2025. Originallyintroduced in 2021, the AirTag has remained largely the same in design andfunction, helping users locate everyday items like wallets, keys, and luggagethrough the Find My app. Its reliability has made it a go-to gadget forfrequent travellers and those prone to misplacing essentials.
Over the years, the original AirTag has received a handfulof software updates, such as firmware improvements and the recent 'Share ItemLocation' feature introduced with iOS 18.2. But in terms of hardware, not muchhas changed. That's about to shift with the upcoming release of AirTag 2, whichpromises a more refined and capable experience.
According to reliable sources in the Apple ecosystem,including tipster Kosutami and tech analyst Mark Gurman, the AirTag 2 isnearing mass production and is likely to hit shelves in early summer 2025.Gurman, who has a strong track record of accurate Apple predictions, hadearlier suggested a mid-year launch window, and recent developments seem toback that up. In terms of design, the second-gen AirTag is expected tomaintain its signature compact, circular shape. While some users have requestedtweaks—like a built-in keyring hole or a flatter profile—Apple hasn't confirmedany physical redesigns yet.
However, what's more likely are internal upgrades. TheAirTag 2 may come equipped with a new wireless chip for extended range andquicker connectivity. Enhanced privacy features are also anticipated,addressing past criticisms about the device being misused for unwantedtracking. In previous updates, Apple added sound alerts when an unknown AirTagwas nearby, but these could be easily bypassed by disabling the speaker.
The new model is rumoured to include a tamper-resistant speaker and more robustsafeguards. With a smarter design and stronger security, the AirTag 2looks set to improve on what made the original a favourite, making it even moredependable for everyday use.
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Apple cites Supreme Court's birthright ruling in fight over Epic Games injunction
Apple cites Supreme Court's birthright ruling in fight over Epic Games injunction

Time of India

time41 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Apple cites Supreme Court's birthright ruling in fight over Epic Games injunction

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Tech Wrap July 24: iQOO Z10R, Qi2 25W standard, Google Photos AI features
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time2 hours ago

  • Business Standard

Tech Wrap July 24: iQOO Z10R, Qi2 25W standard, Google Photos AI features

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A $2,000 foldable iPhone can take the heat off Tim Cook
A $2,000 foldable iPhone can take the heat off Tim Cook

Time of India

time3 hours ago

  • Time of India

A $2,000 foldable iPhone can take the heat off Tim Cook

Picture the life of Samsung hardware engineers: Day after day, they toil at the cutting edge, devising almost inconceivable ways to defy physics. Components are shrunken, twisted, bent against their will. And then their work is unveiled to the world: the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 , an unfathomably thin folding smartphone. The company eagerly awaits the reaction of American smartphone buyers. 'Meh,' they say. Harsh? Maybe. But the sales won't lie. At this point, I don't know what it would take for Samsung Electronics Co. to engineer its way to a bigger slice of the US market, where Apple Inc. has a 56% share compared with Samsung's 25%. The consumer lock-in of iOS and the Apple product range is just too great. People love their iPhones. And yet, ask a Wall Street investor and she'll tell you the iPhone segment is tired. Revenue growth (globally) has softened — 1.9% in the last quarter, down 0.8% in the all-important holiday quarter before that. The predicted upgrade 'supercycle' from artificial-intelligence features has failed to materialize because they are delayed. That's had some close observers half-heartedly questioning Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook 's position. He can quiet at least some of that talk with the coming folding iPhone, which, according to Bloomberg News' Mark Gurman, is expected by the end of next year. That's a long way off but not too long. From a hardware standpoint at least, Samsung's Fold 7 is a blueprint for where the iPhone can and will go next. The Korean giant's foldable efforts began in 2019 with the introduction of the Galaxy Fold. The head-turning engineering achievement was held back by obvious limitations: The screen was fragile and quickly developed a prominent crease at the fold. When closed, it was rather fat — 15.5 mm. The release was delayed after reviewers found severe reliability issues. The devices have improved since, but the foldable market is still less than 2% of the overall smartphone pool, CCS Insight's Ben Wood estimates — 22 million foldable units sold in 2024. But with the Fold 7, announced at an event in Brooklyn earlier this month, there's more than a whiff of a suggestion that Samsung has made a foldable phone that everyday users might finally find appealing. The device has been well received in review circles. The $2,000 price tag is huge, granted, though that can be heavily discounted with trade-ins and other perks. And again, it's remarkably thin: When shut, the device is only six-tenths of a millimeter thicker than the latest iPhone 16 Pro. None of this alters the challenge, however, which is that anyone who might be tempted away from the iPhone has too many practical considerations that overrule the novelty or utility of a folding phone. The years of photos, videos and messages; the effortless syncing with MacBooks and iPads; the commitment to never be the one who turns the group chat green. Above all, iOS' straightforward familiarity, and the fact that Apple has never wavered on the quality of its software, is what makes the huge majority of its customers transition from one iPhone to the next without hesitation. Switching from iOS to Android is like asking someone to learn to write with their other hand. They see no compelling reason to put themselves through the effort. Some think that AI is the force that can break Apple's grip, given the company's well-publicized struggle to grasp the technology's potential. It's one reason, in addition to tariff fears, that Apple investors have been in a tizzy since the start of the year, worried that Cupertino has been asleep at the AI wheel and has put at risk the lasting appeal of the most successful consumer product in history. Shares are down more than 14% this year. These concerns are overblown as both a short- and medium-term threat. No AI company is likely to build a device that competes with the iPhone, given the supply chain mastery required, within at least the next five years or longer. There's little to worry about from existing players, either. While watching Samsung's keynote presentation to launch the Fold 7 and other new devices, it was notable that for all the talk of Apple's intense struggle to introduce AI to the iPhone, Samsung hasn't exactly achieved much to get truly excited about either. The standout AI functions were created by Google, a company that aims to get its AI into as many affluent hands as possible, which means making much of the functionality work on the iPhone as well. In addition to this, the most impressive AI functions on Samsung devices require sending data to the cloud — something Apple has been steadfastly opposed to for privacy and performance reasons. That's not to say Apple's AI problem isn't urgent. Seasoned Apple watchers rightly consider the recent fumbles an embarrassment. However, what investors seem to be overlooking is that Apple is on the cusp of a once-in-a-decade moment. The iPhone is about to receive a genuinely significant upgrade, a giant leap from the incremental changes consumers have grown accustomed to in recent years. The last time Apple did this, with the all-screen iPhone X in 2017, analysts underestimated the consumer appetite to drop $1,000 on a smartphone. They shouldn't make the same mistake again — a foldable iPhone is expected to go for $2,000 or more, from which the company is expected to enjoy strong margins. Volumes may be low at first but, from the offset, 'the allure of a folding iPhone would immediately lift the market by many millions,' Wood said. Investors should also consider what happened when Apple introduced its 'Max' models with larger screens in 2014, which some at the time considered to have niche appeal. 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I'm confident it won't take much to persuade a great number of Apple users to start buying what ultimately amounts to one device for the price of two.

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