Apple has released a press release confirming what we have been seeing in the code of the beta versions of iOS 14.5 for many weeks: integrating your ‘Find My’ service with third-party accessories. The company also confirms the first companies with compatible products: Belkin, Chipolo and VanMoof. Some headphones from the Beats range will also be supported.
All products and accessories that are integrated with Apple’s Search service will have an official label that will indicate this on their boxes, and will require an Apple product with the U1 chip to function properly. As with Apple products, all accessories that are integrated with the service will be able to use the GPS of nearby products to triangulate and communicate their position.
All this is possible through a new version of the Search application, which includes a new section called ‘Objects’ with the icons that have already been leaked in the rumors of the past.
There are only AirTags left for all this to make sense
We cannot ignore that this is a first step towards the next arrival of AirTags, those chapitas locators that we can include in important objects such as key rings, suitcases or purses. We have been seeing traces of them in rumors and in betas for many months, but apparently Apple would have delayed their release one or more times.
Starting next week, the first compatible products from the aforementioned companies will begin to be sold: a Chipolo locator, VanMoof’s S3 and X3 electric bikes, and Belkin’s SOUNDFORM Freedom headphones. Perhaps that coming week is also the time for the AirTags to come to close the circle, although we still have no official clues about it.