Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Kickstarter
Apple launched the AirTag with a clear goal: to allow owners to track their belongings using their iPhones.
AirTags are part of the Find My network, so they broadcast their location using nearby Apple smartphones. It doesn't include a rechargeable battery but a CR2032 unit that lasts at least six months. In other words, you install the AirTag in your car and then forget about it for the next half of the year.
A couple in Utrecht, the Netherlands, planted an AirTag in their bike to ensure they see its location in case it gets stolen. And it got, with a thief running away with the bike after the owner forgot the key next to it.
The couple determined the bike's location using the information provided by the iPhone, so they knew precisely where it was all the time. They contacted the police, and two officers went to the location shown in the Find My application.
The couple and the officers found the bike locked to a lamppost. Thanks to the AirTag, they could prove the bike was theirs, so the police helped recover the two-wheeler. They couldn't find the thief, but law enforcement is now checking nearby surveillance cameras for information on who brought the bike to that location.
While recovering the bike, in this case, took only a couple of hours, things aren't that simple in other parts of the world.
Not long ago, a Honda CBR owner found the location of his stolen motorcycle and immediately reported it to the police. An officer went to the provided location, checked the surroundings but left because they couldn't find the motorcycle. The owner said their Honda was parked in a truck in a nearby alley, but the officer said they couldn't enter the vehicle without a warrant. As long as the stolen goods are not in plain sight, the police can't do anything about it, even if the AirTag pointed to its location.
The AirTag can, therefore, be a valuable device as long as the necessary regulations are in place. The device can reveal the location of stolen goods, but the police can't do anything about it unless they are found in a public place, so they wouldn't need a warrant.
In the meantime, Apple is working on the second-generation AirTag. It could launch in the fall with significant improvements, including better tracking and detection. People familiar with the matter expect the next AirTag to feature more precise location tools, so it can accurately determine where your belongings are located. The iPhone maker could announce the new AirTag in the fall when it takes the wraps off the 2023 lineup of smartphones, but confirmation doesn't exist at the time of writing.
A couple in Utrecht, the Netherlands, planted an AirTag in their bike to ensure they see its location in case it gets stolen. And it got, with a thief running away with the bike after the owner forgot the key next to it.
The couple determined the bike's location using the information provided by the iPhone, so they knew precisely where it was all the time. They contacted the police, and two officers went to the location shown in the Find My application.
The couple and the officers found the bike locked to a lamppost. Thanks to the AirTag, they could prove the bike was theirs, so the police helped recover the two-wheeler. They couldn't find the thief, but law enforcement is now checking nearby surveillance cameras for information on who brought the bike to that location.
While recovering the bike, in this case, took only a couple of hours, things aren't that simple in other parts of the world.
Not long ago, a Honda CBR owner found the location of his stolen motorcycle and immediately reported it to the police. An officer went to the provided location, checked the surroundings but left because they couldn't find the motorcycle. The owner said their Honda was parked in a truck in a nearby alley, but the officer said they couldn't enter the vehicle without a warrant. As long as the stolen goods are not in plain sight, the police can't do anything about it, even if the AirTag pointed to its location.
The AirTag can, therefore, be a valuable device as long as the necessary regulations are in place. The device can reveal the location of stolen goods, but the police can't do anything about it unless they are found in a public place, so they wouldn't need a warrant.
In the meantime, Apple is working on the second-generation AirTag. It could launch in the fall with significant improvements, including better tracking and detection. People familiar with the matter expect the next AirTag to feature more precise location tools, so it can accurately determine where your belongings are located. The iPhone maker could announce the new AirTag in the fall when it takes the wraps off the 2023 lineup of smartphones, but confirmation doesn't exist at the time of writing.
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