Once again, Apple has dropped a limited edition Apple Card offer for new users who choose to sign up. Typically, the Apple Card does not offer a sign up bonus, so this is worth looking into.

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Foxconn, Apple’s primary manufacturing partner, will double monthly production of new AirPods at their facility in Hyderabad, India.

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Just as the iPhone 17 lineup hit stores last month, iMazing 3.4 rolled out with full support for iOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, and the new devices.

The update features multiple enhancements to the tools that give superpowers to iPhone users of any level, and 9to5Mac readers can get a limited-time 20% discount on all licenses with the code 9to5mac-20off. Here’s what’s new.

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Welcome to Indie App Spotlight. This is a weekly 9to5Mac series where we showcase the latest apps in the indie app world. If you’re a developer and would like your app featured, get in contact.

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Everyone, at least in the United States, likely feels a need to improve their fitness and health – but doesn’t quite know how to. Or, if they have, they end up losing motivation and then give up because they don’t want to feel bad. I’m sure we’ve all heard the stat that most New Years resolutions are to go to the gym more, and most people give up after just a couple weeks. FitWoody flips the script.

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I have an AirTag on my keychain to keep track of my keys, but obviously an AirTag is too big and bulky to fit inside a wallet. That’s what the SwitchBot Wallet Finder is for, currently discounted to just $17.99 each (Disclosure: Affiliate links are used in this article in cooperation with SwitchBot.).

Disguised inside a thin, credit-card form factor, the SwitchBot Wallet Finder connects to the Find My app on your iPhone, so you can follow its location, and it even houses a speaker so you can make it beep to help you find your wallet when it inevitably gets lost somewhere in your home. Read on for my review …

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Yesterday we started tracking notable discounts on Apple's new M5 iPad Pro, with deals mostly focused on 13-inch models. Today, Amazon has now introduced a new all-time low price on the entry-level 11-inch M5 iPad Pro, available for $949.00, down from $999.00.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

In terms of the 11-inch M5 iPad Pro, this is still one of the only steeper discounts, with others sitting around $25 off. If you're shopping for the 13-inch M5 iPad Pro, you'll find the 256GB Wi-Fi model for $1,249.00 ($50 off), the 512GB Wi-Fi model for $1,449.00 ($50 off), and the 2TB Wi-Fi Nano-Texture Glass model for $2,299.00 ($100 off).



The M5 iPad Pro launched this week, and features the new M5 chip, faster SSDs, N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, and more. If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

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This article, "Apple's 11-Inch M5 iPad Pro Hits New Low Price of $949 on Amazon" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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When Apple dropped App Tracking Transparency (ATT) prompts in iOS 14.5 back in 2021, it was a watershed moment for user privacy within third-party applications. Nothing like it had existed prior. The initiative gave iPhone users control over whether their in-app data could be aggregated and shared with third parties for advertising or other various purposes.

Still, today, I often find comments online from people who don’t really know what it does and find the wording very taboo. Like, why “Ask” the app? And is it still effective? Let’s briefly look at App Tracking Transparency in 2025…

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With the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro lineup, Apple shipped a major upgrade alongside the A19 Pro chip – 12GB of unified memory. That’s 50% more than the iPhones that directly preceded it, and double what iPhones offered just a couple years ago.

However, the base iPhone 17 with its A19 chip missed out on this upgrade – still sticking with 8GB of unified memory. According to one report from The Bell (via MacRumors), though, that might change with the next model.

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As the house’s tech dad, I’m responsible for ensuring we have everything we need whenever we head out, whether it’s a weekend away, a park day, or just a long afternoon running errands. At the center of it all sits my iPad mini 7. It’s the device that does everything: work, content, notes, games, and even kid-friendly apps. Around that, I’ve built my perfect everyday-carry setup to keep my whole family powered, connected, and ready for anything. Here are some of my go to accessories!

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Roughly a month after the release of the latest flagship iPhone models, it's looking the new iPhone Air isn't selling as well as Apple had hoped for, and that's leading to significant production cuts as Apple seeks to balance supply to meet demand.


This week also saw a new round of betas for iOS 26.1 and related updates with a significant tweak for Liquid Glass, while we heard more rumors about Apple's plans for future iPhone models, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!

Top Stories

Apple's iPhone Air Experiment Fails as Supply Chain Cuts Production by 80%

A number of supply chain reports in recent days have indicated that Apple's new ultra-thin iPhone Air is not selling well overall, and Apple has reportedly dramatically scaled back production to meet the current levels of demand.


Analysts at Mizuho Securities indicated last week Friday that Apple was planning to cut iPhone Air production amid underwhelming sales, and this week another analyst survey revealed "virtually no demand" for iPhone Air while noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that iPhone Air suppliers are expected to reduce capacity by more than 80%.

Reports of dire overall sales of iPhone Air come just as the device sold out upon launch in China last week, although it's unclear what the sustained levels of demand will be there. The eSIM-only iPhone Air saw a delayed launch in China due to required approvals for the technology.

iOS 26.1 Beta 4 Lets Users Control Liquid Glass Transparency with New Toggle

Apple made a big change to its new Liquid Glass design in the fourth betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS Tahoe 26.1 released this week, introducing a toggle that allows users to choose between a more glass-like Clear look and a more opaque Tinted look.


We went hands-on with the new option to see how the two looks differ, with the Clear one emphasizing the glassy aspects of the new design and the Tinted one making buttons and other user interface elements more readable in some circumstances.

The fourth beta of iOS 26.1 features a few other changes, including an option to turn off the Lock Screen swipe gesture that normally opens the Camera app, an option to turn off haptic feedback when phone calls are connected or dropped, and more.

Apple's Plan to Launch Three New iPhone Designs Allegedly Revealed

We've been hearing rumors about Apple introducing several new phones in the coming years, and a new report corroborates details on Apple's plans.


Apple will reportedly be launching its first foldable iPhone in 2026, featuring a book style similar to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold, although some analysts have concerns that work on the crucial hinge of the device could push a release back to 2027.

After the first foldable, Apple is expected to release a special 20th-anniversary iPhone with "zero" bezels around the display with the OLED display bending around all four sides of the device. And in 2028, Apple will reportedly release a clamshell-style foldable iPhone similar to Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip.

M4 vs. M5 Chip Buyer's Guide: How Much Better Really Is M5?

Apple debuted its new M5 chip last week in the MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro, but just how much better is it than the previous-generation M4 chip?


Apple emphasizes strong improvements in graphics and AI capabilities, with more modest gains in CPU performance, although it still features the highest single-core CPU performance score ever seen in Geekbench benchmark testing.

GM to Remove CarPlay from All Future Vehicles, Including Gas Cars

Back in 2023, General Motors made waves for its decision to end support for CarPlay and Android Auto in its electric vehicles, forcing users toward what it claimed was a more integrated experience in the native infotainment system.


While the decision didn't sit well with many potential car buyers, GM not only didn't back down but has now revealed that it will be making the same move in its gas-powered lineup as those vehicles get major refreshes.

Calling it "a very Jobsian approach to things," GM likened its decision to Steve Jobs' efforts to phase out the disk drive and other technologies in favor of more modern solutions. GM didn't give a timeline for the transition and told MacRumors that existing gas-powered vehicles will continue to offer CarPlay for the "foreseeable future," but that they will "gradually move to a better, more deeply integrated experience."

Former Apple Employee Sam Sung Changed His Name to Avoid Attention

Apple fans who have followed the company for a while may remember the story of Sam Sung, an Apple retail employee from Vancouver, Canada, who drew attention for his name's similarity to that of one of Apple's primary competitors.


Business Insider recently caught up with him, learning about the stress he endured due to the publicity. Sung left Apple in 2013 amid a desire to move on from retail, and he later changed his name because he "didn't want to be known for being an internet joke."

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!
This article, "Top Stories: iPhone Air Flops?, New Liquid Glass Toggle, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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It began in 2020, and since then, Apple has steadily gone from the computer employees begging IT to support to a platform CIOs now consider as mission-critical. A new CIO survey shows Apple makes up 63% of endpoints in the enterprise today. 95% of IT leaders plan to grow their Mac purchases over the next two years. 73% are already running AI workloads on Apple devices. Apple Silicon, combined with end-to-end hardware and software, and strong price-to-performance, has led to an incredible run for Apple in the enterprise.

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Foxconn's facility in Hyderabad, India is preparing to double monthly AirPods output and more than double its workforce as Apple accelerates accessory manufacturing in the country, the Economic Times reports.


Foxconn will apparently raise capacity at its Kongara Kalan plant from more than 100,000 units per month to 200,000 units per month by overhauling five existing assembly lines and installing additional equipment that is being transferred from facilities in Vietnam. The site began production of AirPods in April after machinery and tooling were relocated.

The workforce of around 2,000 employees is also likely to rise to 5,000 in the next six to eight months. The current assembly mix at the plant includes the AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 3.

The step-up in Hyderabad follows a temporary constraint in July, when AirPods production was hampered by a shortage of dysprosium after China tightened export controls on rare earth metals. The expansion of AirPods production in India is part of a broader strategic production shift in Apple's supply chain as it diversifies its manufacturing across different countries.
This article, "Apple Preparing to Make More AirPods in India" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The Windows 10 end-of-support deadline is driving the largest coordinated PC replacement cycle in years across the industry, and Apple is emerging as one of the main beneficiaries as Mac shipments accelerate.


Counterpoint Research this week reported that nearly 40% of the global installed PC base was still running Windows 10 ahead of the October 2025 cutoff, triggering early fleet renewals across both commercial and consumer channels. This pressure lifted shipments for most large brands, and the Mac is among the strongest gainers. According to Counterpoint, Apple's global Mac shipments grew 14.9% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2025, supported by demand for new MacBook models and rising enterprise adoption of Apple hardware.

Lenovo remained the largest PC vendor and had the highest annual growth at 17.4% year-over-year. Asus saw 14.1% year-over-year growth. HP followed with a 10.3% increase, driven by commercial penetration. Dell shipments declined 0.9% year-over-year. Counterpoint said that the top five vendors together controlled nearly three-quarters of the global PC market in the period, while smaller brands were flat or down.

Counterpoint noted that computer companies have started marketing systems with neural processing units and integrated AI features. While these features have not yet converted into a primary sales driver at scale, enterprise buyers are beginning to incorporate AI capability requirements into forward procurement so as not to retire devices before emerging AI workflows arrive.
This article, "Windows 10 Deadline Boosts Mac Sales" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 could feature 50% more memory than its predecessor, according to Korea's The Bell.


With its latest iPhone lineup, the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max feature 12GB of memory. This is a significant increase of 4GB more their predecessors, largely driven by the demands of on-device artificial intelligence processing.

The iPhone 17 is the only new model to continue to feature 8GB of memory. It looks like that will change with the ‌iPhone 18‌, with Apple reportedly seeking memory parity across all four models. Apple has apparently asked Samsung, a key supplier of RAM for the ‌iPhone‌, to increase its supply of LPDDR5X chips for the next ‌iPhone‌ lineup.

Samsung's high-performance LPDDR5X launched in 2024 is only available in 12GB and 16GB configurations, making another standard ‌iPhone‌ with 8GB of memory unlikely. Apple is also said to be in talks with SK Hynix and Micron for additional mobile DRAM supply.

The ‌iPhone Air‌ 2, ‌iPhone 18‌ Pro, ‌iPhone 18‌ Pro Max, and foldable ‌iPhone‌ are expected to launch in the fall of 2026, with the ‌iPhone 18‌ and ‌iPhone‌ 18e following in the first half of 2027.
This article, "iPhone 18 Rumored to Feature 50% More RAM" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple has refreshed both tiers of its MacBook lineup in 2025, first updating the MacBook Air with the M4 chip and now introducing the MacBook Pro with the new M5 chip, so how do the latest models compare?


While the 13- and 15-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ continue to start at $999 and $1,199 respectively, moving to the 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ requires spending at least $400 more. For some buyers, the extra cost is unnecessary; for others, the Pro's hardware advantages meaningfully change the experience in ways the Air cannot match even with higher configurations. Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two popular laptops is best for you. Beyond their chips, the key differences are as follows:

‌MacBook Air‌	‌MacBook Pro‌
13.6- or 15.3-inch display	14.2-inch display
	Slimmer borders around the display
LCD Liquid Retina display	Mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display
60hz refresh rate	ProMotion for refresh rates up to 120Hz
Up to 500 nits brightness	Up to 1,000 nits brightness and 1,600 nits peak HDR brightness
	Nano-texture display option
Passive cooling	Active cooling
Two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports	Three Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports
	HDMI 2.1 port with support for multichannel audio output
	SDXC card slot
13-Inch: Four-speaker sound system 15-Inch: Six-speaker sound system with force-canceling woofers	High-fidelity six-speaker sound system with force-cancelling woofers
Three-mic array with directional beamforming	Studio-quality three-mic array with high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming
256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of storage	512GB, 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB storage
13-Inch: 53.8-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery 15-Inch: 66.5-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery	14-Inch: 72.4-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
18-hour battery life	24-hour battery life
30W, 35W, or 70W USB-C Power Adapter	70W or 96W USB-C Power Adapter
Silver, Sky Blue, Starlight, or Midnight color options	Silver or Space Black color options
13-Inch: Starts at $999 15-Inch: Starts at $1,199	Starts at $1,599

Dimensions are also a key area of difference between the ‌MacBook Air‌ and ‌MacBook Pro‌. The ‌MacBook Pro‌ is noticeably thicker and heavier than both ‌MacBook Air‌ models:

	‌MacBook Air‌ (13-Inch)	‌MacBook Air‌ (15-Inch)	‌MacBook Pro‌ (14-Inch)
Height	0.44 inches (1.13 cm)	0.45 inch (1.15 cm)	0.61 inches (1.55 cm)
Width	11.97 inches (30.41 cm)	13.40 inches (34.04 cm)	12.31 inches (31.26 cm)
Depth	8.46 inches (21.5 cm)	9.35 inches (23.76 cm)	8.71 inches (22.12 cm)
Weight	2.7 pounds (1.24 kg)	3.3 pounds (1.51 kg)	3.4 pounds (1.55 kg)

With the latest version of the ‌MacBook Pro‌, Apple is touting the power of the M5 chip. Compared to the M4, it says the M5 is:

• Up to 15% faster multithreaded CPU performance


• Up to 30% faster overall graphics performance


• Up to 45% faster ray tracing performance


• 27.5% higher unified memory bandwidth

In addition to general performance claims, Apple published a set of specific real-world workload results showing measurable gains in AI-driven applications:

• 4×+ peak GPU compute performance for AI


• 3.6× faster time to first token (LLM)


• 1.8× faster Topaz Video Enhance AI processing


• 1.7× faster Blender ray-traced rendering


• 2.9× faster AI speech enhancement in Premiere Pro

Other notable changes compared to the M4 chip in the ‌MacBook Air‌ include:

M4 Chip	M5 Chip
Made with TSMC's second-generation 3nm process (N3E)	Made TSMC's third-generation ‌3nm‌ process (N3P)
Based on A18 Pro chip from iPhone 16 Pro	Based on A19 Pro chip from iPhone 17 Pro
No integrated Neural Accelerators	Integrated Neural Accelerator in every GPU core
Metal 3 developer APIs	Metal 4 developer APIs with Tensor APIs to program GPU Neural Accelerators
Second-generation ray tracing engine	Third-generation ray tracing engine
First-generation dynamic caching	Second-generation dynamic caching
Shader cores	Enhanced shader cores
120 GB/s unified memory bandwidth	153 GB/s unified memory bandwidth

Taken as a whole, the M4 ‌MacBook Air‌ continues to represent the most suitable choice for users whose workloads are light to moderate and who value portability and an affordable price over sustained performance. Its starting price of $999, which is frequently reduced further through Apple education pricing and third-party promotions, places it within reach for the majority of buyers. For daily tasks like email, light productivity, browsing, and media consumption, it delivers performance that is effectively indistinguishable from more expensive models. Its thinner chassis, lower weight, and selection of color options also remain important advantages for many.

• M4 vs. M5 Chip Buyer's Guide: How Much Better Really Is M5?

By contrast, the M5 ‌MacBook Pro‌ exists for those whose work or expected longevity justifies the premium. The combination of a more advanced chip, mini-LED XDR display with ProMotion, active cooling for sustained performance headroom, a dedicated HDMI port with multichannel audio support, an SDXC card slot, a third Thunderbolt port, higher memory ceilings, larger storage options, improved speakers and microphones, and materially longer battery life produces a machine with materially different capabilities. If you expect to perform extended tasks in video editing, 3D workloads, software development, or AI-driven tasks, the ‌MacBook Pro‌ is designed to avoid the thermal and bandwidth constraints that the Air will encounter.

A notable exception arises at the upper end of the Air's pricing. The 15-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ at $1,299, and especially when configured to 512GB of storage at $1,399, approaches the 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌'s $1,599 entry point closely enough that the trade-off changes. For an increment of $200–300, the Pro substitutes a significantly more advanced display, active cooling, six additional hours of battery life, superior speakers and microphones, an additional Thunderbolt port, and integrated HDMI and SDXC. In that specific pricing band, the Pro will likely constitute the stronger long-term purchase for the majority of buyers unless screen size or minimal weight are the overriding priorities.
This article, "M4 MacBook Air vs. M5 MacBook Pro Buyer's Guide" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Following the announcement of the Android Workgroup earlier this year, the first preview release of the Swift SDK for Android was just rolled out. Here are the details.

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Apple is working on a new framework that will allow third-party photo apps to back up images more reliably. Here are the details.

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We’re giving away the new iPhone 17 (Pro or Air) to one lucky reader this month courtesy of iMazing, one of the most advanced and comprehensive iPhone management platforms available on both macOS and Windows. Enter the giveaway below and, for a limited time, get the new iMazing 3.4 for 20% off.

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In the fourth iOS 26.1 beta, Apple added a "Tinted" option that reduces the translucency of Liquid Glass for those who prefer a more opaque look. I saw some comments wondering whether the setting might preserve battery life, so I thought I'd do some testing.

Test Settings

I did four separate tests using the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and I kept the parameters as similar as possible. Here are the settings I used for each test:

1. Liquid Glass set to Clear.


2. Liquid Glass set to Tinted.


3. Liquid Glass set to Tinted with Reduce Transparency and Increase Contrast on.


4. Liquid Glass with Reduce Transparency, Increase Contrast, and Reduce Motion turned on.

For every test, I used Light mode and not Dark mode, I turned off True Tone and Night Shift, and set my iPhone to 50% brightness. The display was also set not to turn off. My battery health is still 100%, and ambient temperature during testing was 68 to 72 degrees.

I left my notifications turned on because I get a fairly even distribution of notifications throughout the day and I wanted to mimic how I'd use my ‌iPhone‌. My Home Screen was set to the standard icons.

How I Tested

I did the exact same series of actions for each test, timed to the second.

• 30 minutes of scrolling TikTok.


• 30 minutes of YouTube videos.


• 30 minutes of scrolling Instagram/watching reels.


• 30 minutes of Safari on the MacRumors website. Scrolling and tapping to a handful of different pages.


• 30 minutes of the Maps app. I routed myself to the same location, but I didn't actually go. It was more of a test to have the Liquid Glass interface up for a solid 30 minute period.

During each of the five segments, I swiped to access notifications on the Lock Screen four times, and swiped to open Control Center four times. I opened up notifications and Control Center 20 times total for each test, then swiped back to close them. These were timed to roughly 3.5 minute intervals.

When I swapped from one app to another, I swiped up to close it and exit to the ‌Home Screen‌, swiped down to bring up search, typed in the app name, and tapped to open it.

Every test was 2.5 hours, with a few extra seconds between each segment to switch apps. Tests were split over two days, one at approximately 3:00 p.m., and one at 5:30 p.m.

I only charge my ‌iPhone‌ to 80%, so between each 2.5 hour period, I charged my ‌iPhone‌ back to 80% before starting the next test. The only wildcard factors were notifications and the content that was on TikTok and Instagram as I scrolled.

Test Results

The results weren't what I expected. I went into this test thinking that turning on Reduce Transparency and Reduce Motion would have an effect, but it didn't. I didn't find a selection of settings that changed the battery that my ‌iPhone‌ used.

• Round 1 - This was the "Clear" round, and my baseline. I started at 80% and ended right at 70%.


• Round 2 - Tinted mode. I started at 80% and ended at 69%.


• Round 3 - Tinted mode, Reduce Transparency, and Increase Contrast. I started at 80% and I ended at 69%.


• Round 4 - Tinted mode, Reduce Transparency, Increase Contrast, and Reduce Motion. I started at 80% and ended at 70%.

I did end up with 1% less battery with the two middle tests, but there wasn't enough of a deviation to draw any conclusion. I can't see fractions of a percent with battery measurements, so it's possible that the two 70% tests were close to 69% and I had minor differences because of the small variations in content between tests.

Test Results Expanded

I wanted to include the percent totals for each segment of testing because there were some minor differences.

• Round 1 - TikTok ended at 79%, YouTube ended at 77%, Instagram ended at 74%, Safari ended at 72%, Maps ended at 70%.


• Round 2 - TikTok ended at 78%, YouTube ended at 75%, Instagram ended at 72%, Safari ended at 70%, Maps ended at 69%.


• Round 3 - TikTok ended at 78%, YouTube ended at 76%, Instagram ended at 73%, Safari ended at 70%, Maps ended at 69%.


• Round 4 - TikTok ended at 79%, Instagram ended at 77%, YouTube ended at 74%, Safari ended at 72%, and Maps ended at 70%. In this round, I accidentally swapped Instagram and YouTube, but restarting would have changed the time of day of the test so I just did those two apps swapped.

Caveats

I wanted my test to mimic how I might regularly use my phone, but it was only a 2.5 hour period. It's possible that a full 16 hours of swiping in and out of apps and features that use Liquid Glass could have more of an aggregate battery saving effect. I'm guessing it would only be a tiny percent of overall battery usage though, and mostly inconsequential.

The apps that I used don't all have Liquid Glass-heavy interfaces. TikTok and Instagram, for example, barely use Liquid Glass at all. Heavy use of apps that have more Liquid Glass elements could change the results, but there aren't many apps that I spend a lot of time on that use Liquid Glass like that.

I use an ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ Max. I am curious if there would be a difference in battery life on an older ‌iPhone‌ that might struggle more to render Liquid Glass effects.

If anyone with an older ‌iPhone‌ wants to do similar testing, I'd be happy to revisit this with another article that includes more testing from MacRumors readers. I am also able to do more testing if anyone has suggestions on what I might be able to change to actually reduce battery consumption.

Conclusion

On the iPhone 17 models, I don't think there are Liquid Glass-related settings to change that will make a meaningful difference in battery consumption.

There seems to be no reason to turn on something like Tinted mode or Reduce Transparency unless you want the opacity for visual preference reasons.

Low Power Mode, Adaptive Power Mode, Dark Mode, and turning down screen brightness seem to still be the most effective ways to eke out more battery life.
This article, "iOS 26.1 Beta Liquid Glass Battery Drain Test: Tinted vs Clear Mode" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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It's been over four years since Apple launched its Find My network accessory program, and unlike the AirTag, Find My-compatible devices have been evolving. Chipolo recently came out with a pair of new accessories that integrate with ‌Find My‌, the Loop and the Card.


Prior to this review, I saw some complaints that prior Chipolo products stopped working after a few months, so I wanted to do a longer review. I've had them for a little over two months, and so far they've been working as intended.

Chipolo Loop

The $39 Loop has a round shape, and it's bigger than the ‌AirTag‌, but lighter because it doesn't include a replaceable battery inside. It connects to the ‌Find My‌ app like an ‌AirTag‌, and it shows up inside the Items tab. You can attach the Chipolo Loop to anything and it works almost exactly like an ‌AirTag‌.


You need an accessory if you want to connect the ‌AirTag‌ to keys or similar objects, but Chipolo's Loop has a built-in flexible silicone loop at the top. The attachment point is thick and feels sturdy even though it's pliable.

The Loop is made entirely from plastic, and because it lacks a metal back and it's light, it doesn't feel as premium as the ‌AirTag‌ if that's something that you care about. Between the two, I prefer the design of the loop with the built-in attachment point.

I also like that the Loop comes in several different colors, including navy, mint, honey, coral, and charcoal. I have the coral color, and it's easier to find when it's tucked in a bag. The ‌AirTag‌ is fine, but it's nice to have options.


What I like best about Chipolo's Loop is the built-in battery. It recharges via USB-C, and that is just way more convenient for me than replacing an ‌AirTag‌ battery. My AirTags have been out of battery for months because it's annoying to have to order CR2032 batteries (which I don't have on hand), and then open it up to swap them out.

With the Loop, I just plug it in. The battery can last for up to six months, and I haven't had it long enough to test the full battery life. The downside with something like the Loop is lithium battery degradation over time. It might not last as long as an ‌AirTag‌, but it should hold up for several years to come.

It has IP67 water resistance so it can stand up to immersion in up to a meter of water, and dunking it in a bowl full of water didn't faze it.

There's a speaker in the Loop, so it can play a sound to help you find a lost item, plus the charging light can blink so you can find it in the dark.

Chipolo says the Loop has a Bluetooth range of 400 feet, and it seemed similar to the ‌AirTag‌ in range. It reliably delivered item left behind notifications, but it doesn't have Ultra Wideband with Precision Finding, so it can't track items indoors as reliably as the ‌AirTag‌ can.

Chipolo Card

The $39 Card is sized to fit in a wallet, like a credit card. Apple doesn't have an equivalent product, because the ‌AirTag‌ is too thick to fit comfortably inside most wallets. The Card is only available in black, and it is made from matte plastic. It has an unassuming look, and I'm not sure that someone who stole a wallet would immediately know what it is because it looks similar to a key card.


Chipolo's Card is 2.5mm thick. Standard credit cards are 0.76mm thick, so the Card is about three credit cards thick. It won't work well in a wallet that's designed to be super thin, like the iPhone variants that only hold a couple of cards, but it fits fine in my small wallet and doesn't add too much bulk. It's not the thinnest of the Find My-connected card-like trackers that I've used, but it's not too far off.


There isn't room for a USB-C port on the Card, so it uses Qi wireless charging. It's magnetic, so I can pop it right on a MagSafe charger.

Aside from the Qi charging the Card it has all of the same specifications as the Loop. The battery lasts for up to six months, it has the same sound level, the Bluetooth range, water resistance, and it supports all of the same ‌Find My‌ features.

Sound

The speakers in the Chipolo Card and Chipolo Loop are louder than the ‌AirTag‌ speaker, but I think the higher pitch of the ‌AirTag‌ sound stands out more to my ears. There is an option to change the ringtone on the Chipolo, and some of the alternate options do sound louder.

A decibel meter on my phone suggests the Chipolo devices are around 74db, and the ‌AirTag‌ is at about 67db. I can hear either one from a room away, but further than that is tough unless it's dead quiet. With a different sound setting, the Chipolo is closer to 82db.

On the Chipolo devices, there is an option to adjust the volume of the sound, so you can set a medium and low volume if desired. High is the default.

Find My

In the ‌Find My‌ app, Find My-compatible devices like the Loop and Card are listed right alongside the ‌AirTag‌ and are added in the same way. I opened up ‌Find My‌, tapped the "+" button to add an item, pressed the button on each device, and selected a name and emoji.


Unrelated to Chipolo, I'm not sure why Apple doesn't allow me to use Genmoji for an item icon. It's limited to standard emoji for both AirTags and third-party products.

The Loop and Card offer all available ‌Find My‌ functions:

• View a map with the item location


• Play a sound


• Get directions


• Share item with others


• Allow others to see owner info and get access item location (such as if you lose your luggage at the airport)


• Notify when found


• Notify when left behind (lets you know when your item isn't with you)


• Item left behind notification exceptions (so you can set "safe" locations like home)


• A link to the Chipolo app


• Options to change name and icon


• Battery status

The only thing I can't do in ‌Find My‌ with the Chipolo products that I can do with an ‌AirTag‌ is use the "Find Nearby" feature for precision locating. I do think this is an important option for items that you're likely to lose indoors, like your car keys or your Apple TV remote. I wouldn't use the Chipolo Loop for items like that because Precision Finding works better in those situations.

The most important part of the ‌Find My‌ network is the way that it links Apple devices owned by other people. AirTags and Find My-compatible products like the Loop and Card can ping any nearby Apple device, which helps you find your lost items even if you're nowhere near them.

Chipolo App

The Loop and Card are meant to work with the ‌Find My‌ app and Apple's ‌Find My‌ network, but they are also compatible with the Chipolo app that adds extra features. You just need to download the Chipolo app from the App Store and connect the Loop or Card to Bluetooth to get the extra features.


Here's what's available:

• Call Your Phone - You can set the Card or Loop to cause your phone to ring with a double press on either device. This requires full access to your location, though. I'm not using this feature, but I did test it and it works. It could be useful if you don't have an Apple Watch with the ‌iPhone‌ pinging feature.


• Change the Ringtone - There are a bunch of ringtones you can select. There are holiday themed options, and classic tunes like Frére Jacques, Oh Susanna, In the Hall of the Mountain King, and more. I set it to Frére Jacques, which is louder than the default ringing sound. Hall of the Mountain King is a nice video game-sounding theme, so it's fun to have options.


• Take a Selfie - You can use a double press on the Loop or Card to take a selfie with the Camera app, but you need to do it through the Chipolo app so it's not the most convenient feature.


• Ring and Blink - There's an option to have the Loop and Card blink when they ring to make them easier to find in the dark, which is potentially useful for locating an item in a dimly lit area or at night. Once turned on, this works when you activate the device with the Play Sound feature in the ‌Find My‌ app.

There are also settings for changing the volume of the Chipolo device, and options for sharing a referral code with friends to get a free Chipolo.

Bottom Line

Chipolo's Loop and Card are item trackers with a few useful features over the ‌AirTag‌, offering a better range of design options and changeable sounds. I like the bright colors of the Loop and the thin design of the Card, and being able to recharge them via USB-C and Qi, respectively, is a major plus.

On the downside, they do not have Precision Finding for indoor tracking purposes, so I might not use them if I specifically wanted to locate items very close by.

The one negative is the price. I think the Card and Loop are a little too expensive at $39 each. I can get an ‌AirTag‌ for $29 from Apple, and even cheaper from retailers like Amazon. If I want to attach the ‌AirTag‌ to something I do need an extra accessory, so that puts the price closer to Chipolo's options.

I think the integrated battery is worth an upcharge, and if you're like me and don't replace ‌AirTag‌ batteries as often as necessary, spending the extra money for simpler charging could be a good investment.

How to Buy

The Chipolo Card and Chipolo Loop are available from the Chipolo website for $39.
This article, "Chipolo Loop and Card Review: Rechargeable AirTag Alternatives With Find My Integration" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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