[PragmaticPulp]

> But to play devil's advocate, can't someone buy any cheap old iPhone (or any smartphone), activate it with a cheap prepaid plan, and use the phone itself as a tracking device instead of an airtag?

When I was younger I had a friend who worked in a cellular phone store (back when most people went to a physical store to buy cell phones).

He very frequently got customers asking for another phone to do exactly this. It was a common problem for their commission structure because the cheap phones used for tracking people (usually spouses suspected of cheating) were often returned within 30 days and their data plan cancelled, which was a net negative for their sales stats and commission structure.