They might not be the flashiest gadgets in Apple’s lineup but AirTags are probably the most useful for solving one of life’s most frustrating problems: losing your stuff. These tiny tracking devices let you locate keys, wallets and anything else that seems to disappear right when you need it most.
For Prime Big Deal Days, Amazon has matched the record low pricing we last saw during the July Prime Day event, something that hadn’t happened before that. Apple appears determined to clear inventory at these historic prices which is interesting considering AirTags sell perfectly well at full retail. Right now, you can grab a single AirTag for $19, down from the usual $29, or opt for the four-pack at $64 instead of $99.
Precision Finding
The magic of AirTags lies in Apple’s Find My network which taps into hundreds of millions of Apple devices around the world to help locate your missing items. Here’s how it works in practical terms: if you leave your backpack at a coffee shop, any nearby iPhone can anonymously detect your AirTag’s Bluetooth signal and relay its location back to you through the Find My app. This all happens encrypted and in the background so the iPhone owner has no idea they’re helping you find your stuff. The network is so vast that even in moderately populated areas, your chances of locating a lost item are high.
Each AirTag also contains a built-in loudspeaker that produces a sound when you trigger it from your iPhone, perfect for finding keys hidden beneath the cushion or a lost wallet between the car seats. The sound is loud enough that you’ll hear it from another room but not loud enough that it’ll disturb the entire household. iPhone 11 and subsequent iPhone versions, which support Ultra Wideband, have AirTags with Precision Finding which uses a combination of sound, haptic alerts, and on-screen directions to guide you directly to your lost item with amazing specificity.
Setup literally takes seconds. Point your iPhone close to the AirTag and it immediately pairs with a single tap, just like setting up AirPods. Then, you assign the AirTag a specific item from a predetermined list such as keys, wallet or luggage. The CR2032 battery within each AirTag operates for more than a year with moderate usage, and changing it is a simple matter of unscrewing the stainless steel cover on the rear. Apple has built the AirTag with a rating of IP67 water and dust resistance, which allows it to withstand immersion for 30 minutes at a depth of up to a meter of water.
The four-pack is particularly worth it when you think about all the items which you constantly lose track of. One goes on your keys, another on your wallet, a third on your daily backpack, and a fourth which can switch between bags, luggage, or even your pet collar. For $64 for a four-pack, you’re getting $16 AirTags for each one instead of $29 for retail orders, which saves you yet another $13 on top of the already cheaper rate.
The only catch being that AirTags live entirely within the Apple world so you’ll have to have an iPhone or iPad on which you can trigger them and follow them, with Android users looking elsewhere but if you’re already committed to using Apple devices and tired of wasting time searching the home for your items when getting dressed for work, then this Prime Big Deal Days pricing makes purchasing AirTags a no-brainer decision.
