iFixit Shares AirTag Teardown Revealing ‘Impressively Compact’ Design Compared to Tile Mate and Galaxy SmartTag

For comparison, iFixit compared Apples AirTag to the Tile Mate and the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag. One significant style distinction is AirTags lack of an integrated keyring hole, which iFixit attributes to Apples history of “turning important functions into premium, add-on accessories.”
AirTag includes an integrated speaker which gives off sounds when pinged by a paired iPhone through the Find My app, throughout set-up and other scenarios. With AirTag, Apple decided to use the entire body as the speaker driver, with the underside of the cover serving as the speakers magnet.
You read that right– the AirTags body is basically a speaker motorist.

iFixit has shared the very first of its two-part series in taking down Apples AirTag product tracker, exposing that Apple needed to make impressive style choices to attain its small design, consisting of rethinking the speaker design.
For contrast, iFixit compared Apples AirTag to the Tile Mate and the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag. Compared to the competition, AirTag is the tiniest in size, with the most internal area used to house the battery itself. One noteworthy style difference is AirTags lack of a built-in keyring hole, which iFixit attributes to Apples history of “turning necessary functions into premium, add-on accessories.”
An x-ray of the 3 gadgets does certainly reveal that Apple squandered no internal space for its item tracker. On the other hand, the Tile Mate and Galaxy SmartTag seem to be “stretching” with internal space, and in spite of their larger footprints, neither tracker includes ultra-wideband technology like AirTags. It deserves noting that Samsung just recently launched an ultra-wideband version of the Galaxy SmartTag; nevertheless, iFixit was unable to get one for its comparison.
The Tile Mate, Galaxy SmartTag, and AirTag all function coin cell replaceable batteries. AirTag and the Galaxy SmartTag use a. 66Wh CR2032 battery, while the Tile Mate utilizes a smaller.39 Wh CR1632 battery. AirTag features a twist and lift mechanism for its backplate in terms of battery replacement, but it doesnt include a simple method to lift the backplate if you take place to have slippery or greasy hands.
All three trackers open up with finger power– no other tools required! That said, the AirTag is by far the most tough, specifically if you indulged in a treat earlier and have oily digits.
Replacing the battery is the outermost a typical customer will have the ability to enter into their AirTag without proper tooling. Even because case, iFixit says Apple showed “surprising restraint in sealing the AirTag,” noting that totally opening the tracker only needs a vise and some plastic sticks.
AirTag features a built-in speaker which gives off noises when pinged by a paired iPhone through the Find My app, throughout set-up and other situations. Nevertheless, offered its little type element, Apple needed to believe of a brand-new way to fit a speaker into the tracker. With AirTag, Apple decided to utilize the whole body as the speaker driver, with the underside of the cover working as the speakers magnet.
Its circles all the method down as you head inside the AirTag. It sits ideal inside the donut-shaped reasoning board, embedded into a coil of copper to form a speaker. You check out that right– the AirTags body is essentially a speaker motorist.
As we noted earlier today, it is possible to drill a hole through an AirTag to offset its lack of a built-in keyring hole. Doing so will certainly void your AirTags warranty, and while it is possible, it is a threat. As iFixit notes, “drilling in the wrong place can cause major damage.”
, ifixit states that the second part of its teardown will include detailed information on the AirTags circuit board and other surprise secrets.. For everything you require to know about AirTags, make certain to check out our guide.