Exclusive: Apple updates AirTag packaging with 2022 compliant button-battery warning

Apple has made good on their commitment to not just meet but exceed the requirements of new ACCC regulations regarding the packaging of products which contain button batteries with new packaging rolling out on Apple Airtags as soon as this week.

While on its own the addition of a simple warning logo to a retail box isn’t much of a story, the change comes amid concern around the new Apple product from retailers who withdrew the AirTag from sale seemingly within days of it hitting shelves.

Officeworks were first to make the change suggesting they would await ACCC guidance on the product’s safety, a decision that perplexed us here at EFTM given the ACCC had expressed no concerns to retailers or issued any form of Product Safety recall.

At the time, Apple said “AirTag is designed to meet international child safety standards, including those in Australia, by requiring a two step push-and-turn mechanism to access the user-replaceable battery. We are following the regulations closely and are working to ensure that our products will meet or exceed new standards, including those for package labelling, well ahead of the timeline required.”

And it’s those new standards which Apple is now a full year ahead of, with a fully compliant retail box and labelling beginning to roll out across Australia.

The new box features a Yellow warning triangle, with a symbol indicating a button battery is included. There is also additional information included in the in-box instructions.

Given there has been no statement from the ACCC in the month or so since the Apple AirTag was removed from sale at Officeworks – it’s likely the ACCC will be supportive of Apple’s move to update packaging warnings a full year ahead of the requirement set for June 2022.

Meanwhile, Apple hasn’t slowed in their sales of the AirTags, with EFTM’s research showing the four-packs of AirTags sold out at several Apple Stores. It seems a bunch of retailers have missed the boat on potentially tens of thousands of sales with their posturing over this one.