Why Apple Customers Are Drilling Holes Into Their AirTags

Those not willing to shell out extra cash for Apple Inc’s AAPL AirTag accessories are reaching for their drills, according to multiple reports.

What Happened: The $29 AirTag — the Cupertino, California-based tech giant’s tracking gizmo — comes in the form of a smooth polished disc and has no inbuilt mechanism that allows it to be tethered to things that need tracking.

Helpfully, Apple sells accessories ranging from $12.95 to $449 so that the AirTags can be attached to wallets, bags, and other items.

The luxury Hermès Air Tags accessories range includes a key ring for $349, a luggage tag for $449, and a bag charm priced at $299, as per Apple’s website.

However, some have chosen to take a more handy approach while attaching Apple’s tracker to their stuff by simply drilling a hole in the chassis of the AirTag.

The repair-centric community, iFixit, has found a “loophole” and used a 1/16” drill bit to do some digging after removing the battery of the target AirTag.

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iFixit reports that the AirTag they operated upon survived like “a champ and works as if nothing happened.”

Lewis Hilsenteger, host of “Unbox Therapy” — a tech-based channel on Alphabet Inc’s GOOGL GOOG YouTube — took a dig at Cupertino while discussing the matter.

Why It Matters: The lack of a hole aside, the newly-released AirTags may present a $10 billion opportunity for Apple, according to Raymond James analyst Chris Caso.

Unbox therapy’s Will Du said that “Apple missed the mark on this” — noting that the rival Tile “has the hole punch thing.”

Expensive products and accessories are nothing new for Apple.

In December, the iPhone maker released new wireless headphones for which it demanded $549 and became the subject of mocking on social media.

Apple also sells a set of “Mac Pro Wheels,” priced at $700, for its professional-grade desktop computer’s cabinet on its website.

Hilsenteger once fashioned a skateboard out of the wheels, which according to The Verge works terribly. The YouTuber does not recommend drilling a hole in AirTags.

Price Action: On Thursday, Apple shares closed nearly 1.3% higher at $129.74 in the regular session and gained 0.16% in the after-hours trading.

Read Next: Why Analyst Sees AirTags As A $10B Opportunity For Apple

Photo Courtesy: Apple Inc.