Apple accidentally reveals secret ‘AirTags’ product in now-deleted YouTube video
APPLE has accidentally confirmed the name of a top-secret product in a now-deleted YouTube video.
The mysterious "AirTags" are believed to be a type of location tracker that you can attach to your belongings.
Users would then be able to use their iPhone to locate the object.
AirTags have been mooted by analysts several times before, but now Apple has finally confirmed the name.
The support video included an iPhone Settings screen for a feature called "Offline Finding".
It reads: "Offline finding enables this device and AirTags to be found when not connected to WiFi or cellular."
The YouTube video has now been pulled offline, and Apple still hasn't formally unveiled the AirTags yet.
But this leak means we're likely inching very close to an actual launch.
For months, rumours have pointed to Apple working on smart trackers.
The gadget is supposed to work like the tags offered by tech firm Tile, which let you locate objects using a smartphone app.
A Tile tracker could be attached to your keychain, for example, to help you avoid losing them.
Earlier this year, respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple was preparing to release such a product.
The tech expert is famed for his Apple predictions, and has correctly guessed almost every major launch by the firm to date.
In his note, he talked about a so-called "UWB tag" set for imminent release.
"We forecast that Apple's major new hardware products in 1H20 include the 4.7-inch LCD iPhone, iPad Pro, MacBook Pro/Air, smaller wireless charging mat, UWB tag, and a high-end Bluetooth headphone," wrote Kuo in a research note with TF International Securities.
The "UWB" bit stands for ultra-wideband, which is a type of radio technology used for short-range, high-volume communications.
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Basically, it's better than Bluetooth or WiFi for locating objects over short distances.
This sort of technology would be ideal for a tracker-tag, as finding an object at close-range is often the biggest hurdle when it comes to lost objects.
It's likely, however, that the tags would also track objects at distance too, including their last-known position.
Kuo was also correct in his prediction that a new iPad Pro and new MacBook Air would be announced – as they were in late March.
We're expecting Apple to unveil a new iPhone in the coming weeks.
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