Apple Mistakenly Confirms the Existence of an Unreleased Key Finder Product Named ‘AirTags’
Manufacturing giant, Apple is set to make an entry into the item finding business dominated by Tile, with the release of their AirTags, or at least that’s what a video posted on their YouTube channel appears to confirm.
For months now, there have been unending rumors that the tech giants are working on a Bluetooth accessory that would assist users in locating missing objects – similar to what is obtainable with Tile. And they seem to have verified this via a support video on ‘How to erase your iPhone’ posted on their channel.
In a section of the support video, precisely around a minute, and forty-four seconds in, a screenshot of an iPhone’s ‘Find My’ app is shown briefly. However, what is most intriguing about the screenshot is the fact that it displays a new ‘Enable Offline Finding’ function, which is currently unavailable on Apple devices.
The description below Offline Finding reads: ‘Offline finding enables this device and AirTags to be found when not connected to WiFi or cellular.’ The above statement serves as a confirmation of the name of the product and makes inference to the use of Bluetooth to locate lost or missing items.
This video was hurriedly taken down, but not before several Eagle-eyed users spotted the blunder, further lending credence to the fact that something is, indeed, on its way.
If this were true, then AirTags would become the latest repertoire in Apple’s impressive list of tech gadgets – a list that already boasts an excellent range of devices.
Apple is yet to issue an official statement on the matter.
What We Already Know About AirTags
Speculative designs suggest Apple’s AirTags will be tiny, circular discs with U1 chips. Hidden codes in iOS beta build discovered by MacRumors also reveal AirTags will work in tandem with Apple devices – iPhones and iPads specifically – to create a platform to locate missing items.
Like traditional Bluetooth trackers such as Tile, AirTags will most likely feature tiny tags or chips which will be attached to the object of interest and then paired with suitable Apple devices. The tags are expected to work with the native ‘Find My’ app on iPhones, consequently offering a user-rich experience, and better iOS integration.
Earlier this year, renowned key finder makers, Tile, and a host of other companies expressed their concerns on the monopolistic behavior of large tech companies such as Apple, Amazon, and Google before congress. And the news that Apple is set to launch its Bluetooth key finder will raise quite a few eyebrows.
Via: The Verge