Apple’s launch of AirTag puts it into a growing market of tracking accessories, but how does it compare against the Tile Pro and the Find My-enabled Chipolo One Spot? AppleInsider compares the trackers.
Apple’s AirTag is a smallaccessory that helps keep track of and find the items that matter most with Apple’s Find My app. Whether attached to a handbag, keys, backpack, or other items, AirTag taps into the vast, global Find My network1 and can help locate a lost item, all while keeping location data private and anonymous with end-to-end encryption. AirTag can be purchased in one and four packs for just $29 and $99, respectively, and will be available beginning Friday, April 30th.
Malcolm Owen for AppleInsider:
Arguably its biggest competitor is Tile, a company that has been around for quite a few years and has multiple tracking devices on the market… As Tile has many products already on the market, for the purposes of this comparison, we will be dealing with the Tile Pro.
While Tile is the main target for Apple, it’s not the only one on the market that Apple has to be concerned about. On April 7, Apple officially launched its Find My network accessory program, which allows for third-party companies to take advantage of Apple’s Find My network to provide similar device-tracking capabilities.
Chipolo was the first third-party vendor to come up with a pure tracking chip that works on the Find My network, which also makes them an ideal third candidate for this comparison. In this case, we are going to look at the Chipolo One Spot, a product that works exclusively with the Find My network.
MacDailyNews Take: Only Apple’s AirTag has Ultra-Wideband and Precision Finding, clearly making it the superior choice over Tile and Chipolo.
And only Apple forces you to buy yet another item to actually, you know, ATTACH IT to something.
I’ve had multiple different Tiles. I’ve never attached any of them to anything. And why would I? If somebody steals my bag, do you think they would NOT see it and throw it away?
I put the tracker in a bag or in my wallet etc. Why should everybody get bigger, heavier, uglier and more expensive device just because some users may need something that all users don’t need?
I was interested in the airtags until I saw there is no way to attach to most items. I refuse to be nickel and dimed any more from apple.
“Most” items? Are you sure? Bags, purses, bikes, whatever, you can just put it in somewhere. Keys and dogs are the thing you’d need an accessory with, and I don’t thing Apple designed AirTag with dogs in mind. It’s smaller, simpler and just generally better looking without some stupid holes for a handful of use cases.
I’m trying to find out whether there’s a subcutaneous insertion option for any of them.
Nothing stopping you. Just remember, changing the battery regularly will be a beeeatch.
Tile doesn’t warn you when the battery is dying. It’ll just die without warning. It doesn’t have anti stalking features. It doesn’t have find my lock so anyone can just remove the battery and reuse it. Airtags have find my lock so once activated they are locked to your Apple ID. Which also means if you use them to stalk someone you can be caught. Apple can supply details to law enforcement with the appropriate court orders
I consider those features to be more useful to me than a hole that just makes the device bigger and more fragile.
That is not true. Tile gives you an app alert and/or an audible warning when it needs a battery replacement.
This site is so confusing. Half of the posters come to badmouth anything non-Apple, and the other half are political blowhards that hate everything Apple does.
Honest discussion about Apple stuff would be a welcome change.