Apple’s version of Tile trackers will come with augmented reality

With less than two weeks until Apple’s big iPhone launch, we’re still finding out new details about what the company might show off. 

One rumored product sounds very useful: a new Bluetooth tracking accessory meant to help you keep track of lost items. The gadget, essentially Apple’s version of the popular Tile trackers, has been rumored since last spring when it was reported the gadget would be incorporated into the new “Find My” app in iOS 13.

Now, MacRumors reports that the gadget will also use augmented reality to help you locate lost items. When you need to find something you’ve lost, the Find My app will prompt you to hold up your phone and look for an AR balloon, which could help lead you to the lost item, according to information reportedly uncovered in an “internal build” of iOS 13. 

Such a feature would not only give Apple an excuse to highlight ARKit, it would give the company a leg up on Tile. It could also help the company justify a higher price for its accessory. (Tile’s trackers cost between $20 and $35.)

MacRumors also dug up images of what could be the tracker itself — a small, white, disc-shaped gadget with an Apple logo — though the site notes it could simply be a placeholder image. 

You’ll be able to manage your tags and keep track of your items in Apple’s Find My app, which is debuting in iOS 13. The app, which combines Find My iPhone and Find My Friends into a single interface, will also get a new “items” section to go with the trackers. 

While it’s possible Apple could hold the still-unnamed gadget for a later date, it certainly sounds like the company is gearing up for a launch at its September event.