Apple has officially launched a new AirTag, but you would be forgiven for missing it. The company hasn’t slapped a big “2” on the product, and at a glance, the new AirTag looks almost identical to the original one introduced nearly five years ago.
Still, whether you are shopping online, unboxing a new tracker, or sorting through AirTags you already own, there is a reliable way to tell which generation you are holding. And once you know it, you will never unsee it.
Why the naming is confusing on purpose
Apple is calling the updated model “the new AirTag” or, in some places, “AirTag (2nd generation).” Retailers like Amazon are doing customers a favor by clearly labeling older stock as “AirTag (1st generation),” but that clarity disappears once the AirTag is out of the box.
Visually, the design has not changed in any meaningful way. Same size. Same white front. Same stainless steel back. No color cues, no markings on the edge, and no obvious external hardware differences.
That leaves one place to look.
Flip it over and read the fine print
The fastest and most reliable way to identify an AirTag’s generation is by checking the etched text on the stainless steel back.
Apple conveniently shows the back of the AirTag right on the front of its retail packaging, so you can check even before opening the box. If the AirTag is already out in the wild, just turn it over and read.
Original AirTag (1st generation) text looks like this:
AirTag
Designed by Apple in California
Assembled in China
Bluetooth LE
Ultra Wideband
New AirTag (AirTag 2) text looks like this:
AirTag
FIND MY
NFC
BLUETOOTH LE
ULTRA WIDEBAND
IP67
APPLE INC.
The trick that makes it obvious
Here’s the shortcut:
If the text is in ALL CAPS, you are looking at the new AirTag.
If it uses standard capitalization, it is the original model.
Apple quietly switched to an all-caps layout for the second-generation AirTag, and once you spot it, the difference is unmistakable.
Why this matters when buying AirTags
Functionally, both AirTags still work with Apple’s Find My network, but the new AirTag adds meaningful upgrades like improved Precision Finding range, a louder speaker, and updated internal components.
If you are buying new, make sure you are getting the latest model for Apple’s standard $29 price. If you are intentionally buying a first-generation AirTag, it should be discounted. Paying full price for older hardware simply does not make sense anymore.
