Andrew Heinzman
Conspiracy theorists across the globe believe that Apple’s AirTags, which don’t have a built-in key ring hole, are just a ploy to sell $30 AirTag-holding keychains. The tinfoil hat crowd is probably wrong on this one, but if you really don’t want to buy a keychain, iFixit’s latest teardown can help you drill a key ring hole through your AirTag.
iFixit’s detailed teardown proves that the AirTag is a feat of engineering. It’s slightly wider than a U.S. quarter, with most of its internal space occupied by a user-replaceable CR2032 watch battery and a magnetic speaker driver. Unlike Tile and Samsung’s trackers, which use dinky piezoelectric speakers (or as iFixit calls them, McDonald’s happy meal speakers), the AirTag contains a proper speaker so you can hear all its cute beeping noises in high fidelity.
Other components in the AirTag include a logic board, antennas, and a couple of tiny computer chips. Despite the AirTag’s compact build, there are a few places that are basically free of any electronics. If you don’t want to buy an AirTag keychain, iFixit says that you can drill a hole through the tracker and add it to your keyring for free.
Drilling through the AirTag can damage its components, and doing so without removing the battery first is obviously a bad idea. But the team at iFixit has identified three “safe zones” on the outer rim of the device near each of its battery clips. The only downside to drilling a hole through the AirTag is that it slightly decreases the speaker’s volume, and could expose the AirTag’s internals to dust, dirt, and water. Modifying your AirTag will also void any warranties associated with the device.
Check out the full iFixit AirTag teardown to get an inside look at Apple’s first tracker. If you want to drill a hole through your AirTags, scroll to the bottom of the guide. Keep an eye out for the “Part Two” update to iFixit’s AirTag teardown, which should provide detailed photos of the logic board and comparisons with Tile and Samsung trackers.
iFixit AirTag Teardown
Learn about the AirTag’s internals (and how to drill a hole through your AirTags) with iFixit’s detailed teardown.
Source: iFixit ❤️
