Apple’s AirTag Vs. Tile Pro — Which Smart Tracker is better for you?

The global “Smart Tracker” market was valued at USD 413.14 million in 2020, and it is expected to reach USD 807.66 million by 2024 — Technavio.

Source: Technavio

While many different concepts contribute to this growth, this article focuses on one specific segment — Tracking devices that help the users locate everyday essentials. Let’s call them “Item Finders” or “Tags.”

Source: Google

Here’s the basic idea of this gadget, if you lose track of anything connected to an item finder device, an app on your phone can help you locate it.

These gadgets use Bluetooth to connect with the Item Finders and can tell you the last place it “saw” the device. It is also capable of alerting you when you are close to the device you are looking for.

Despite multiple companies are active in this space, there is no clear leader. Some of the bigger names you will find are -

1. Tile
2. Chipolo
3. Samsung Galaxy SmartTag
4. Apple’s AirTag

Tile, however, leads the race in this niche sector with a total worth of $165 million, and Apple’s AirTag is a new entrant.

In this article, I will be focusing on these two products — Tile Vs. AirTag

Source: iThink

Tile Tracker:

Tile is the first of its kind company best known for Bluetooth trackers.

Since inception, their motto has been quite simple -

“Just being able to use technology to solve one of life’s persistent problems.”

Source: thetileapp.com

Some of the key features:

1. Crowdsourcing/Tile community — The location is passed back to you where another Tile user detects your lost item. It’s all anonymous.
2. Impressive range — supports up to 200 feet distance
3. Smart Alerts to inform you if you’re leaving home without something you usually take
4. 30-day location history so you can see where your Tile has been
5. Free Battery replacement
6. Customized Tiles
7. Smart Assistant connection — Tile works with Google Home and Alexa. The users can also use Siri Shortcuts.
8. Works both with iPhones and Android devices
9. Tile offers more products

The company continued to improve itself over time by adding new features and additional support!

Source: thetileapp.com

On the flip side,

Tile is still working on introducing UWB (Ultra-wideband technology). UWB is a short-range wireless protocol that’s great for precise directional location.

For those who don’t know what UWB:

The technology would, for example, allow you to locate an item more precisely than the current Bluetooth approach and use augmented reality — AR — to find that device via the screen on your phone. In other words, navigate the users to the exact point.

News: As most of you might know, Tile bashes Apple’s new AirTag as unfair competition, and the fear is real.

Apple’s AirTag:

Apple has recently launched its long-rumored AirTags in April 2021.

Apple has packed AirTags with a full range of features taking advantage of its ecosystem.

Precession finding is what sets Apple’s Airtag apart. It is incredibly accurate — Multiple sources

Given Apple’s focus on reducing e-waste, you’d be correct to assume that AirTag uses a replaceable battery.

Some of the Key features of AirTag:

1. Setting up an AirTag is amazingly smooth
2. Lost mode — irrespective of the OS, any phone capable of NFC can identify the owner. All you need to do is, click on “lost mode” and enter your phone number.
3. FindMy Ecosystem — AirTags use the Find My ecosystem to ping nearby Apple devices when in the lost mode so users can locate them.
4. Siri integration — Just activate Siri to find anything that has Airtags tagged
5. NFC Shortcuts — AirTags are NFC tags too. Users can create a new automation, select NFC. Once the user scans the tag, give it a name. Now users can choose what action or automation they want to create -

i) Call someone — Tag a number to AirTag.

ii)Open YouTube

iii)Take a voice note

iv) Take a screenshot, and the options are endless.

6. If someone else’s AirTag finds its way into your stuff, your iPhone will notice it’s traveling with you and send you an alert. Then, after a while, if you still haven’t found it, the AirTag will start playing a sound to let you know it’s there.

We help people locate the things that matter to them most — Apple.

Source: WWDC

On the flip side,

1. The most talked-about “precision finding” needs iPhone 11 and beyond. In addition, it requires phones with U1 chip capability.
2. It works only with iPhones.
3. Accessories — Apple-branded AirTag holders are more expensive than the Airtag itself, which is weird.

Tip — Luckily, there are a ton of other options in the market which are cheaper alternatives.

Finally, how to choose one?

If you are an Apple user, you should go for AirTags taking advantage of Apple’s ecosystem.

On the other hand, Tile is likely the best option if you are an Android or Windows user.

Additional Notes:

What is Apple’s U1 chip: The U1 is a chip from Apple that allows iPhone to precisely locate and communicate with other U1-equipped devicesor other devices that support ultra-wideband.

When Apple announced the iPhone 11, it also quickly introduced the U1 chip.

While it didn’t get a big moment on stage, Apple said the chip would provide the new iPhone models with “amazing new capabilities.”

Comparison of Item finders:

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