The AirTags are now selling out in most Apple stores. In these last few weeks, users have reviewed, tested, and analyzed the effectiveness of this small tracking device.
More recently, though, the internet is seeing reports and teardown results, showing the AirTag inner mechanisms.
AirTag remains an efficient and handy accessory to the Apple ecosystem. Put simply, it is a trackers that can be located through any Apple device. The most notable feature is its ability to accurately report its distance and location through the Precision Finding feature.
However, one of AirTag's weaknesses is its lack of keyrings. It is perfectly round, with its exterior having no loop or protrusion to tie as a keychain-ready tracker. Apple has an "AirTag Leather Loop" for sale that could be used to house the tracker. However, it is priced at a costly $29-$39.
Apple AirTag Breakdown
Ifixit made a breakdown report on the key features that make up Apple AirTag. For reference, AirTag was compared to Tile Mate and Samsung Galaxy's SmartTag in composition and performance.
AirTag is significantly smaller than the two in terms of surface size. However, it measures about twice as thick as both tags.
When tearing these tags open, Tile and SmartTag open up with a spudger and a little heat. AirTag has more resilience, using three clips and a lot of glue sealing. It is suggested to open it carefully because the glue clips are prone to breaking on release.
AirTag proves to be most difficult to open up, especially when changing batteries. The other two have dedicated divots that open up quickly with the use of the fingernail. The AirTag, however, has a shiny metal finish that makes it slippery on the fingers.
Both AirTag and SmartTag gain an edgy in the battery performance using 3-volt CR2032 coin cell batteries with around .66 Wh capacity. Whereas the Tile uses a smaller CR1632 cell with approximately .39 Wh.
AirTag Card Experiment
With the AirTag being a bulky piece of accessory, some people are inclined to find thinner alternatives. Techcrunch reported about Andrew Ngai, who decided to experiment on making an AirTag Card instead to slip the accessory in his wallet easily.
Using the guide by ifixit, Andrew tore the AirTag to its key components. After carefully analyzing the tiny bit of technology, Andrew isolated AirTag's primary tracing function. Using his 3D printer, he printed a new card housing and soldered the wires to connect it to the board. Upon testing, the AirTag Card proves to be a success!
This type of experiment takes a considerable amount of skill and knowledge to pull off. For those who are interested, Andrew uploaded the step-by-step experiment in his YouTube video. Andrew proves that users can still enjoy AirTag's key features despite reducing it to a pocket-friendly wallet-sized card.
Related Article: Apple AirTag Reviews Hype Up Precision Finding, Battery Life: How to Set Up and Other Features
