Apple’s item location-tracking AirTags are already in production, claims a Nikkei report published Tuesday. This suggests that AirTags, which have been heavily rumored for months, are likely on the verge of launching.
AirTags can be attached to items like a keychain or luggage and then be easily located using the “Find My” app on iPhone. This tags will use ultra-wideband technology to accurately determine their location. Recently, sounds discovered in iOS code gave an indication of how the AirTag-finding process will work.
The same report also notes that Apple is supposedly prepping for mass production of the iPhone 12. This will take place in mid-September, rather than the usual August time frame. Apple already said this year’s iPhones will be slightly delayed due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Nonetheless, this production schedule is good because it suggests Apple has reduced the delay from months to weeks.
Apple is reportedly starting mass production with the base model 6.1-inch iPhone 12. This, the report claims, accounts for around 40% of production orders. In total, Apple has ordered components for up to 80 million 5G iPhones. Before COVID-19, Apple planned to manufacture around 100 million of the new 5G iPhones.
Apple is also boosting orders for its next-gen iPads, reflecting the number of people who are working remotely these days.
Finally, the report suggests that Apple has no plans to launch a new iPhone SE in the spring. That would suggest that the low-cost $399 handset, whose first-generation model arrived in 2016 and second-gen shipped in 2020, will not become an annual fixture on the Apple calendar.
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