AirTag 2 Teardown Reveals Speaker Changes Designed to Combat Unwanted Tracking

Apple's AirTag 2 has started shipping to customers, and early teardowns are revealing design changes that go beyond the company's stated privacy improvements. YouTuber Joseph Taylor's unboxing and teardown video shows that Apple has made the internal speaker significantly harder to remove compared to the original AirTag.

Speaker Removal Now Requires More Effort

The most notable discovery from Taylor's teardown is that the AirTag 2's speaker magnet is "glued in quite well" and requires multiple tools and considerably more effort to remove than the first-generation model. While Taylor ultimately succeeds in removing it, the process is notably more difficult.

This design change appears to be a direct response to privacy concerns that emerged after the original AirTag's release. The device's small size and long battery life made it attractive for potential misuse in unwanted tracking scenarios.

Apple's Privacy Improvements

Alongside the physical changes, Apple has implemented several software-based privacy enhancements for AirTag 2:

• Cross-platform alerts: Notifications about unknown AirTags will work across different operating systems
• Frequently changing Bluetooth identifiers: Makes it harder to track AirTags over extended periods
• Enhanced speaker functionality: The harder-to-remove speaker ensures unwanted tracking alerts remain audible

These improvements build on software updates Apple released for the original AirTag, but the hardware changes in AirTag 2 represent a more fundamental approach to addressing misuse.

Context of the Privacy Concerns

When Apple launched the original AirTag in 2021, it quickly became apparent that the device's effectiveness as a tracking tool could be exploited. Reports emerged of AirTags being used to track individuals without their consent, leading to concerns from safety advocates and law enforcement.

Apple responded with several software updates, including:

• Precision Finding for iPhone users to locate unknown AirTags
• Background tracking alerts for Android users via the Tracker Detect app
• Audible alerts that play when an AirTag is separated from its owner

The physical changes to AirTag 2 suggest Apple recognized that software alone couldn't fully address the privacy concerns, necessitating hardware modifications as well.

What This Means for Users

For legitimate users, these changes shouldn't impact the AirTag 2's core functionality. The device will still help locate lost items, integrate with the Find My network, and provide the same user experience as the original.

However, the enhanced privacy protections should provide greater peace of mind for those concerned about being tracked without consent. The combination of software alerts, frequently changing identifiers, and a speaker that's difficult to disable creates multiple layers of protection.

Availability and Pricing

AirTag 2 is available for purchase now:

• Single AirTag: $29
• 4-pack: $99

These prices match the original AirTag's pricing, making the privacy improvements essentially a free upgrade for new customers.

The teardown reveals that Apple is taking unwanted tracking concerns seriously, implementing both visible and subtle changes to make AirTag 2 safer while maintaining its utility as a helpful device for finding lost belongings.