I retested Apple AirTags after 5 years - how they compare to Bluetooth tracker rivals

In a comprehensive retest, ZDNET senior editor Adrian Kingsley-Hughes finds that Apple AirTags, launched in 2021, remain the gold standard for Bluetooth trackers. The key to their enduring superiority is their dual-technology approach, combining Bluetooth Low Energy with Ultra-Wideband (UWB) for centimeter-level precision when in range. More importantly, they leverage Apple's vast Find My network, consisting of over a billion iPhones, iPads, and Macs, to anonymously report a tag's location globally, dramatically increasing recovery chances far from home.

While the market for third-party trackers like Tile has boomed, offering better cross-platform support for iOS and Android users, they still lack integration into the massive Apple or Google Find My Device networks. The review notes that any tracking tag significantly improves the odds of finding lost items like keys, wallets, or bags. However, for users deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem, AirTags' unique combination of UWB precision for precise, directional finding and the unparalleled scale of the Find My network makes them the most reliable and effective choice five years on.