Elevation Lab has a gadget that gives an AirTag a ten-year battery life

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Elevation Lab's TimeCapsule is a case for AirTag that adds more battery life, extending the time between battery changes to up to ten years.

Exploded view of a black rectangular device with two batteries and a small white disc against a blue background.
ElevationLab's TimeCapsule AirTag Battery Case - Image credit: ElevationLab



Apple's AirTag is extremely useful when it comes to tracking down lost or stolen items, with many stories detailing how it's helped reclaim personal property. However, while it's small and handy, its battery life can be a problem.

The AirTag uses a CR2032 battery, and that cell lasts for about a year before you need to change it out. While this isn't a massive problem when using it on a keyring, it can be a struggle to regularly replace if it's in a well-hidden and hard to access spot, such as underneath a vehicle.

To solve this problem, ElevationLab has come up with the TimeCapsule AirTag Battery Case. A rectangular fiber-reinforced composite enclosure designed to encase the AirTag's main body, and to supply power to it too.

Users have to remove the battery and door from an AirTag before placing it inside the case. Along with the AirTag, the case has space inside its 4.45-inch long, 1.57-inch wide, and 0.75-inch thick casing to hold two AA batteries, which supply power to the AirTag.

The result is a 14-times increase in battery life, with a claimed lifespan of up to ten years. However, this does rely on the batteries being good quality, and not degrading or otherwise failing for such a long period of time.

Using four CNC-machined screws to hold the case together, it's also fully waterproof with an IP69 rating.

TimeCapsule is available now from the company's store and Amazon, starting from $19.99 for one unit. A two-pack is available for $29.99, and a four-pack is $39.99.



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 6
    Better not use alkaline batteries or they'll leak and corrode all the circuitry in that AirTag.
    SSD1400StrangeDayswatto_cobra
     3Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 2 of 6
    4-pack of ElevationLab capsules is $40.  8-pack of Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA batteries is about $33.  So you get about 10-years life for $73.

    4-pack of Energizer Lithium CR2032 batteries is about $6.  Lithium CR2032 batteries will probably last in an AirTag for about 3+ years, so you pay about $18 to get a 10ish-year life.

    Kinda pricey just to not have to change a battery so often.  Still, I can see a use for these given their "rugged" enclosure and IP rating.  I'll take 4 please.
    edited December 2024
    SmittyWwatto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 1Informative
  • Reply 3 of 6
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,150member
    SSD1400 said:
    4-pack of ElevationLab capsules is $40.  8-pack of Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA batteries is about $33.  So you get about 10-years life for $73.

    4-pack of Energizer Lithium CR2032 batteries is about $6.  Lithium CR2032 batteries will probably last in an AirTag for about 3+ years, so you pay about $18 to get a 10ish-year life.

    Kinda pricey just to not have to change a battery so often.  Still, I can see a use for these given their "rugged" enclosure and IP rating.  I'll take 4 please.
    Most of my AirTags run out of battery within 12-18 months.
    appleinsideruserwatto_cobrashamino
     1Like 0Dislikes 2Informatives
  • Reply 4 of 6
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,348member
    It isn’t that hard to change a battery, and I doubt anyone would not have updated their AirTags to teh latest and greatest in that timeframe. I cannot see the value/weight/ portability proposition.
    watto_cobra
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 5 of 6
    charlesncharlesn Posts: 1,291member
    shamino said:
    Better not use alkaline batteries or they'll leak and corrode all the circuitry in that AirTag.
    Is this really a known thing with alkaline batteries? Because THAT would explain a lot for me. I have had SO many leakage issues with alkalines over the years despite sticking to the best known brands. 

    sflocal said:
    Most of my AirTags run out of battery within 12-18 months.
    Yes, I have about a dozen AirTags in use and have never gotten more than 2 years out of a battery. Mostly they fail in the 18-24 month window. 

    entropys said:
    It isn’t that hard to change a battery, and I doubt anyone would not have updated their AirTags to teh latest and greatest in that timeframe. I cannot see the value/weight/ portability proposition.
    The use case cited in the article was for AirTags in difficult to access locations, like under a car, and that seems fair, although somewhat niche. I had your same thought about a 10-year lifespan for an AirTag battery, wondering if the AirTag itself would even still be supported by Apple in terms of connectivity after all that time. I also have a feeling that battery life will improve significantly in the next AirTag iteration due in 2025. Might it even be a sealed, wireless rechargeable, negating the need for batteries completely? 
    freeassociate2SmittyWdarbus69watto_cobra
     4Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 6 of 6
    charlesn said:
    shamino said:
    Better not use alkaline batteries or they'll leak and corrode all the circuitry in that AirTag.
    Is this really a known thing with alkaline batteries? Because THAT would explain a lot for me. I have had SO many leakage issues with alkalines over the years despite sticking to the best known brands.
    Based on my personal experience and various reviews/tests by YouTubers that I trust, it seems to be the case.  All alkaline and carbon-zinc batteries leak. Usually when they are old or are left in devices after fully discharged.  Not all leak as often as others, but there doesn't seem to be a pattern related to brand.

    These days, I buy the cheapest ones I can find (usually Costco), and I make a point of inspecting them in devices that don't draw a lot of power (e.g. remote controls).  There doesn't seem to be any advantage to buying any particular brand, as long as you aren't buying batteries that have sat in storage for a long time (which is sometimes the case with some Amazon resellers and no-name brands sold in dollar stores).
    edited December 2024
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