Image: Foundry
When Apple introduced AirTag in 2021, the company also unveiled its own accessories for the tiny, hole-less tracker. However, since then, neither AirTag nor its first-party accessories have received any major updates. But it seems that Apple has now quietly discontinued one of the original AirTag accessories amid rumors of a new generation of the item tracker.
The original AirTag Loop is no longer available in stores
As spotted by Macworld, Apple is no longer selling an accessory known as the AirTag Loop. The accessory has disappeared from the company’s online store and is unavailable in many Apple Stores around the world.
Sources familiar with the matter told Macworld that stores haven’t received new AirTag Loop supplies for months, and the product has also been removed from the catalog, suggesting that it has been discontinued for good. Although Apple sometimes faces supply shortages that impact the availability of some products, the company usually makes it clear in its store when a product is temporarily out of stock, sources said.
For those unfamiliar, the AirTag Loop lets users attach the item tracker to objects such as backpacks and suitcases. Apple originally offered both leather and silicone versions of the Loop, but in 2023, it discontinued the leather version after announcing FineWoven as a replacement for its leather accessories. However, while Apple replaced the AirTag Leather Key Ring with a FineWoven model, it never made a FineWoven Loop, instead sticking with the silicone version as the only option.
Apple’s FineWoven Key Ring for AirTag remains available both in retail and online stores.
At $35, the company’s official AirTag accessories cost more than an AirTag, but Apple also promotes third-party accessories that are much cheaper. According to another source who spoke to Macworld, many customers who buy AirTags tend to opt for third-party accessories rather than Apple’s own.
You can still find the original AirTag Loop in some other stores at prices as low as $13, likely discounted to clear out remaining stock.
The AirTag Loop is no longer sold at Apple Stores.
Foundry
AirTag 2: What to expect
Although the most likely reason Apple stopped selling the AirTag Loop is its low popularity among customers, the company may also be gearing up to launch a new version of AirTag with refreshed accessories in the near future.
Based on the latest rumors, a 2nd-gen AirTag is already in the works and may launch later this year. The new version is expected to have a similar design to the current one but with an improved Ultra Wideband chip and extended range. The iPhone 15 and later models include an updated UWB chip with a range of up to 60 meters, compared to 15 meters for the chip inside the 1st-gen AirTag. The technology enables the Precision Finding feature, which shows the distance between you and the item you’re trying to track.
Other reports suggest that AirTag 2 will also include stronger anti-stalking mechanisms, such as better protections to prevent people from disabling the tracker’s internal speaker.
Author: Filipe Esposito
Filipe Espósito is a Brazilian journalist who has been covering tech for over 10 years, and has become known for publishing exclusive reports on Apple’s plans – such as the launch of the first titanium Apple Watch. He has worked for 9to5Mac and also co-hosts the tech podcast “A Fonte” in Brazil.
