AirTags are everywhere: the meteoric rise of geolocation devices

Since their marketing in 2021, AirTag-type geolocation devices have experienced “exponential” success, experts observe. These small connected objects are now used to locate luggage, or even track the movements of your pet or child.

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“The market has exploded. The number of connected objects like AirTags has exceeded the number of humans on Earth dozens of times,” says Ygal Bendavid, professor at the School of Management Sciences (ESG) at the University of Quebec in Montreal ( UQAM) and director of the Internet of Things Laboratory.

These devices, which are often used in professional contexts such as hospitals or for the transport of goods, have quickly gained popularity among the general public.

“It’s an incredible upward slope,” he adds. It’s being transmitted more and more to ordinary people.”

Consumers are massively adopting these geolocation devices thanks to the diversity of formats offered and their affordable price, he believes. “Why is it so popular? Because it’s very simple, available and useful, people find value in it. The utilities are everywhere and that’s really the beauty of it, in a few clicks it’s done,” he says.

Moreover, proof that the market is not likely to slow down, AirTag sales are expected to increase from US$6.03 billion in 2024 to US$15.79 billion by 2029, according to a study conducted by the firm Markets. and Markets.

Geolocation as a reflex

Initially designed to find lost objects, such as keys, geolocation devices like AirTags have seen their usefulness multiply in recent years.

Today, they even help prevent the loss of a child. Gabrielle Légaré, a mother from Quebec, has been slipping an AirTag into her son’s pockets since this year during their annual vacation in Florida.

“It’s 2024, there are more and more things that scare us. It’s a parent’s paranoia, but it’s a question of safety if something happens, like being kidnapped,” says the 33-year-old mother who intends to continue this practice in the future. When her child is at school, M^me Légaré wants to install the device in his shoes, especially during school trips.

Travelers insurance

Travelers also use these devices to verify that their luggage has indeed reached its destination. Athletes on the go are among the most frequent users who use it to keep an eye on their equipment.

“The worst fear as an athlete is losing our equipment when we know we are going to play the same day. It already happened when I was in Finland, my bag was still in Montreal,” says Julie Vandal, who has to take the plane more than once a year for ringette competitions.

The 25-year-old from Gatineau places an AirTag in her equipment bag, but also uses it when she travels with her loved ones and in her daily life with her road bike.

Pet owners have also turned to this product, to ensure they do not lose their loved one. Collars into which an AirTag is inserted are now sold to track an animal’s movements.