Technologies

AirTag 2 Rumors: The Most Recent Leaks and What They Mean

Recently reported rumors and leaks point to Apple’s AirTag smart tracker finally getting an upgrade.

It’s been more than four years since Apple launched the original AirTag. In Apple years, that’s practically a lifetime. While the little tracker has become a go-to for finding lost keys, wallets and luggage, it is severely overdue for an update.

That sort of delay is unusual for Apple, which tends to refresh most of its product lines every couple of years. Now, as we head into summer travel season, when item trackers are more useful than ever, rumors and hints are heating up that a second-gen AirTag might finally be on the way.

Competitors like Tile, Samsung and Google have all made moves to expand or improve their tracking tech since AirTags first hit the scene. Meanwhile, Apple has stayed quiet, which is typical for the brand, but industry whispers suggest we could see the AirTag 2 announced later this year.

From design tweaks to Find My network upgrades, there’s a lot of speculation around what Apple could be planning. Here’s what we know so far about the possibilities of an AirTag 2.

AirTag 2 design

There have been no rumors that the AirTag 2 will look too different from the original. It will likely have the same tiny circular shape that can fit easily into a pocket or a compatible keychain loop. Some consumers have asked for physical changes like a built-in key hole or a flatter design — which we’ve seen in rivals made by Tile and Chipolo — but there’s no indication that Apple will follow these suggestions.

Similarly, the AirTag 2 will likely continue to use a replaceable CR2032 3-volt coin battery instead of transitioning to a rechargeable model. However, there have been reports that the current AirTag isn’t always compatible with coin batteries that have a bitterant coating, so the company might alter it somewhat so that it will be.

AirTag 2 features

Macworld has reportedly taken a look at code in the upcoming iOS 26 and found evidence that Apple has changed how it manages AirTags. Bluetooth communications between Apple devices and the trackers will be improved, making it more reliable, and there are new battery-related features too. iOS 26 also apparently utilizes Extended Precision Finding more, which would enable longer range tracking for up to 60 meters. Current versions of the AirTag only have Precision Finding of up to 15 meters.

More importantly, however, the new AirTag 2 might be more tamper-proof. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the second-generation AirTag will be more difficult for wannabe stalkers to hack. The AirTag has come under fire as a potential tool for stalkers, so Apple introduced safety features like sound alerts when it’s not around its registered owner. However, the speaker is apparently fairly easy to remove, which negates this effort. The idea is that the newer AirTag will have a speaker that is far more difficult to fiddle with.

Another important upgrade is that the new AirTag could have a longer tracking range thanks to the second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, which is the technology that the AirTag uses to locate your stuff. (This chip is already in existing iPhones — it was introduced with the iPhone 15.) The longer tracking range of the new chip means you can keep track of your belongings at an even greater distance since it has three times the range of the original. This backs up the earlier leak from MacWorld that it would have Extended Precision Finding enabled. This, along with a new onboard wireless chip, would certainly make finding items easier.

Last but not least, there are rumors that the new AirTag will integrate with Apple’s Vision Pro augmented reality headset. It’s not entirely clear what this means, but Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has theorized that the location-tracking capabilities of the AirTag could be part of a spatial computing concept.

AirTag 2 price

So far, little has been said about the pricing of the second-gen AirTags. Currently, a single AirTag is $29 while a four-pack is $99(though a four-park can often be found for $75 or less at Amazon). The AirTag 2 could retain the same price, but with the current on-and-off tariff situation, the cost of the AirTag 2 is currently unclear.

AirTag 2 release date

It’s widely rumored that the AirTag 2 will be released in the middle of 2025. Since Apple’s annual WWDC event will take place June 9, that date seems highly likely for the announcement of the AirTag 2.

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, March 14

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for March 14.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s the extra-long Saturday version, and a few of the clues are tricky. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Book parts: Abbr.
Answer: PGS

4A clue: Silicon Valley company that operates a fleet of robotaxis
Answer: WAYMO

6A clue: To a much greater degree
Answer: WAYMORE

8A clue: Contents of a scuba diver’s tank
Answer: AIR

9A clue: South Korean automaker
Answer: KIA

10A clue: Stop on a train route
Answer: STATION

12A clue: Actress Merman of «Anything Goes»
Answer: ETHEL

13A clue: Find another purpose for
Answer: REUSE

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Employee’s hourly calculation
Answer: PAYRATE

2D clue: Workout spot
Answer: GYM

3D clue: «Great» mountains of Tennessee, familiarly
Answer: SMOKIES

4D clue: One giving you the dish?
Answer: WAITER

5D clue: Baltimore M.L.B. player
Answer: ORIOLE

6D clue: Used to be
Answer: WAS

7D clue: Suffix with Caesar or Euclid
Answer: EAN

11D clue: Night that NBC once aired «30 Rock» and «The Office»: Abbr.
Answer: THU

Technologies

AI Toys Can Pose Safety Concerns for Children, New Study Suggests Caution

When one child told the toy, «I love you,» it responded, «As a friendly reminder, please ensure interactions adhere to the guidelines provided.»

A new study from the University of Cambridge found that AI-enabled toys for young children can misinterpret emotional cues and are ineffective at supporting critical developmental play. The conclusions could be concerning for parents.

In one report examining how AI affects children in their early years, a chatbot-enabled toy struggled to recognize social cues during playtime. Researchers found that the toy did not effectively identify children’s emotions, raising alarm about how kids might interact with it.

The report recommends regulating AI toys for kids and requiring clear labeling of their capabilities and privacy policies. It also advises parents to keep these devices in shared spaces where kids can be monitored while playing.

The research behind the study had a limited number of participants, but was done in multiple parts: an online survey of 39 participants with kids in their earlier years, a focus group with nine participants who work with young children and an in-person workshop with 19 leaders and representatives from charities that work with early-years kids. That was followed by monitored playtime with 14 children and 11 parents or guardians with Gabbo, a chatbot-enabled toy from Curio Interactive.

Some findings indicated that the AI toy supported learning, particularly in language and communication skills. But the toy also misunderstood kids and sometimes responded inappropriately to emotional requests.

For instance, when one child told the toy, «I love you,» it responded, «As a friendly reminder, please ensure interactions adhere to the guidelines provided. Let me know how you would like to proceed,» according to the research.

Jenny Gibson, a professor of neurodiversity and developmental psychology at the Faculty of Education at Cambridge, who worked on the study, said that while parents may be excited about the educational benefits of new technology aimed at children, there are plenty of concerns.

Gibson posed overarching questions about the reason behind the tech.

«What would motivate [tech investors] to do the right thing by children … to put children ahead of profits? she said»

Gibson told CNET that while researchers are exploring the potential benefits of AI-based toys, risks remain.

«I would advise parents to take that seriously at this stage,» she said.

What’s next for AI toys

As more playthings are enabled with internet connectivity and AI features, these devices could become a major safety risk for children, especially if they replace real human connections or if interactions are not closely monitored.

Meanwhile, younger people are increasingly adopting chatbots such as ChatGPT, despite red flags. Multiple lawsuits against AI companies allege that AI companions or assistants can impact young people’s psychological safety, including some chatbots that have encouraged self-harm or negative self-image.

AI companies such as OpenAI and Google have responded by adding guardrails and restrictions for AI chatbots.

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)

Gibson said she was surprised by the enthusiasm some parents showed for AI toys. She was also alarmed by the lack of research on AI’s effects on young children, noting that companies making such products should work directly with children, parents, and child development experts.

«What’s missing in the process is that expertise of what is good for children in these kinds of interactions,» she said.

Curio Interactive, the company behind the Gabbo toy, was aware of the research as it was happening but was not directly involved, Gibson said. The toy was chosen because it’s directly marketed to young kids, and the company had an understandable privacy policy. Gibson said the company seemed supportive of the project.

A representative for Curio did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Technologies

Two Lost ‘Doctor Who’ Episodes Found Intact in Waterlogged Collection

The 1960s episodes featuring the first Doctor William Hartnell will air in the UK in April.

Whovians, rejoice. The BBC is about to unlock a piece of Doctor Who history that even the TARDIS might have forgotten. Two lost episodes of Doctor Who, the iconic sci-fi series, will broadcast in April, the showrunner for the current season confirmed.

The two 1965 episodes, The Nightmare Begins and Devil’s Planet, were donated to the charitable trust Film Is Fabulous by the estate of an anonymous collector.

«The collector did recognize what he had, but how he acquired them has been lost to time,» Professor Justin Smith Leicester of De Montfort University, who led the recovery effort, told the broadcaster.

The researchers said that while most of the donor’s private collection was destroyed by water damage, the Doctor Who episodes were intact.

Doctor Who showrunner, Russell T Davies, celebrated the news on Instagram and said the episodes would air in the UK in April, though no US air date has been announced yet.

«Lost for 61 years! Best of all, these will be made available for FREE on the BBC iPlayer in April,» Davies wrote.

He expressed gratitude to Film Is Fabulous for finding the lost episodes and encouraged people to donate to the registered charity. «Maybe they’ll find more! As the Doctor says… ‘Daleks!'»

The episodes feature the first incarnation of the Doctor, played by William Hartnell, and a typical Dalek plot to take over Earth and the galaxy.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the BBC had a policy of destroying film or reusing videotapes, leading to dozens of episodes of Doctor Who and other popular UK shows like Dad’s Army and Top of the Pops going missing.

Old Doctor Who episodes do surface occasionally, and in 2016, the newly discovered soundtrack for one storyline was turned into an animated series called The Power of the Daleks.

Meanwhile, Disney ended its working relationship with the BBC last year, and star Ncuti Gatwa left the show. However, the UK broadcaster says that Doctor Who will continue, and Russell T Davies is working on a new Christmas special.