Starting today AirTags are finally showing up at customers’ doorsteps. This means we will soon get to know more about the AirTag user experience and other details. The first AirTag teardown video has already appeared and offers excellent insight into how it works.
The teardown video is shared by a Japanese YouTube channel Haruki. It runs for 14-minutes and covers all aspects of AirTag. Apple has already specified that AirTag will come with a user-replaceable CR2032 coin cell battery that is readily available. The teardown confirms a CR 2032 battery that is relatively easy to access. You also get to see Bluetooth, the UI chip, and other components packed together circularly.
Thankfully it is pretty easy to open the battery compartment. All one needs to do is use a thin prying tool and open the metal battery door. Next up, you have to remove the inner plastic housing to access AirTag’s innards. Interestingly, the YouTuber uses a single prying tool to open AirTag. The inner chip is held together with the help of multiple metal mountings.
The voice coil motor is placed at the center, and changes in the current cause vibration while the housing doubles up as a diaphragm. Apple has cleverly used the housing as the speaker, thus saving space and reducing thickness. Since the video is in Japanese, we couldn’t understand much. On the brighter side, we are pretty sure iFixit will soon tear down AirTag.
Teardown often reveals a great deal about the device. We learn about repairability, the type of hardware used, and most importantly, how well space has been utilized. Teardown videos also help technicians repair the device.
