Tile Goes Wide
Item ‘finders’ or personal trackers are a handy item to have if you are one of those people that tends to lose things of value, and by value we mean things that are essential to life as we know it, like car keys, smartphones, and wallets, but Apple’s Air Tags and Samsung’s Smart Tags, while both will (eventually) work through UWB (Ultra-Wide Band) networks, they are proprietary to the operating system, meaning Air Tags will only work on Apple products and Smart Tags will only work on Galaxy (Samsung) devices. But there is hope, again eventually, as the third supplier Tile (pvt) finders will work on both Android and iOS systems and has just announced that it has developed its own UWB enabled tracker, the Tile Ultra. While the Ultra is not yet available (‘early next year’) it has the advantage over both competitors in not being dedicated, but will lack the vast network of users that the Apple and Samsung products have, limiting the device’s ability to be located by passing users unless they happen to running the Tile app.
This would make the Tile Ultra best for items that are used locally, meaning remote controls or similar items, while both the Apple and Samsung tags would be more effective for items that are carried into public places, although Tile says it has sold over 35m tags since inception. (we expect only a percentage of the early devices are still in operation given the short-term batteries) Tile does have an agreement with Amazon (AMZN) to give access to the company’s Amazon Sidewalk Bluetooth/900 MHz network, which would include other devices on the Sidewalk network acting as additional ‘points’ of discovery, so if you left your phone at a friend’s house who had a Ring () doorbell system, there is a chance that your phone would be identified by the network.
While each tracker has its plusses and minuses, potential users should evaluate the circumstances under which they are using the devices. If they are constantly traveling in the US, the Apple network, with its millions of active users might make the most sense, while international travelers might rely more on the Samsung product, while Tile seems to be working towards making itself as agnostic as possible, which, in the final analysis, should be the determining factor, although the big marketing machines at Apple and Samsung do exert a lot of influence over consumer attitudes. The one thing that is common to all trackers however is the need for security, as surreptitiously placing a tracker on a person or object would allow a stalker to track that person’s or object’s location down to an accuracy of ~16’. All three tracker companies have their own version of security, but so far none are foolproof, so it is imperative to understand the balance between the merits of trackers and the pitfalls. They will continue to get better but caveat emptor…
For more information on UWB tags see:
8/5/21 Air Tag Tussle
4/2/21 The Tags are Getting Close
1/18/21 Lost in the Leaves
This would make the Tile Ultra best for items that are used locally, meaning remote controls or similar items, while both the Apple and Samsung tags would be more effective for items that are carried into public places, although Tile says it has sold over 35m tags since inception. (we expect only a percentage of the early devices are still in operation given the short-term batteries) Tile does have an agreement with Amazon (AMZN) to give access to the company’s Amazon Sidewalk Bluetooth/900 MHz network, which would include other devices on the Sidewalk network acting as additional ‘points’ of discovery, so if you left your phone at a friend’s house who had a Ring () doorbell system, there is a chance that your phone would be identified by the network.
While each tracker has its plusses and minuses, potential users should evaluate the circumstances under which they are using the devices. If they are constantly traveling in the US, the Apple network, with its millions of active users might make the most sense, while international travelers might rely more on the Samsung product, while Tile seems to be working towards making itself as agnostic as possible, which, in the final analysis, should be the determining factor, although the big marketing machines at Apple and Samsung do exert a lot of influence over consumer attitudes. The one thing that is common to all trackers however is the need for security, as surreptitiously placing a tracker on a person or object would allow a stalker to track that person’s or object’s location down to an accuracy of ~16’. All three tracker companies have their own version of security, but so far none are foolproof, so it is imperative to understand the balance between the merits of trackers and the pitfalls. They will continue to get better but caveat emptor…
For more information on UWB tags see:
8/5/21 Air Tag Tussle
4/2/21 The Tags are Getting Close
1/18/21 Lost in the Leaves
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