Cases And Accessories

Which object tracker must you select?

AirTag – Apple’s first object tracker – is finally here. The disc-shaped object tracker from the Apple brand is a new addition to the domain and contradicts the most famous name – Tile. Tile offers a wide variety of trackers, but we picked the Tile Pro for comparison because price and features are similar. In this comparison between AirTag and Tile, we’ll weigh the pros and cons of each product and try to figure out which is the better solution.

design

The Tile Pro takes this lap straight away. Before we get into the subjective subject of aesthetics, however, let’s look at the more important functional aspect. The tile offer has a keychain holeThat means you can easily attach it to your heavy car key or school bag with a fabric loop. In other words, the Tile Pro offers what every object tracker should have as a basic design feature.

Benefits versus aesthetics? Sorry, you made the wrong choice here, Apple!

That brings us to the AirTags. The Apple listing doesn’t include a keychain hole, and in my opinion it’s a disaster. Yes, they look good without them. To actually get the most out of the AirTag in most cases, you’ll need to spend more money on a keychain or loop accessory. But Apple makes a ton of money, forcing you to buy first-party and third-party accessories so they at least get excited about it.

Tile Pro is said to be water-resistant, but the company hasn’t yet provided a number or certification rating. The AirTags, on the other hand, have an IP67 certification and should last up to 30 minutes in one meter of water.

When it comes to aesthetics, it depends on buyers’ tastes whether they prefer AirTag’s industrial design or the Tile Pro’s utilitarian approach. However, the tile offering is available in a range of colors including black, white, ruby ​​red, azurite blue and rose pink.

The AirTags, on the other hand, are available in a single white color. However, if you buy them from the Apple Store, they can have your name or an emoji engraved on them for free.

compatibility

The Tile Pro is compatible with both Android and iOS devices. The former requires your phone to be running Android 8.0 or a later version. In the Apple ecosystem, your iPhone should be on iOS 13 or a newer build. You need to download the Tile app to use the tracking function.

The AirTag, on the other hand, only works with compatible Apple devices. They support very limited interaction with Android phones, but the device must be NFC enabled and is only useful if a tracker has been put into lost mode. For more information on AirTag compatibility, see this in-depth article.

persecution

The biggest difference between AirTag and Tile Pro is the technology used to track misplaced objects. The Tile Pro is limited to Bluetooth and has a range of 122 meters.

AirTags, on the other hand, rely on both Bluetooth and Ultrawide Band (UWB) technology. Unlike Tile, Apple did not disclose the maximum tracking area. The UWB technology, however, has a decisive advantage: the precision finding. This will guide you to your lost item with an AR directional overlay on your phone’s screen as well as voice instructions. This is more effective than just following the chimes of a tracker. However, this feature is only available for the latest iPhones and iPhone 11 series.

Now when we get to the tracking system, these two trackers rely on it. At AirTags, they rely on the Find My network, which is essentially a network made up of hundreds of millions of iPhones around the world. If your AirTag is out of range and you activate lost mode, the object tracker will send bluetooth pings. As soon as an iPhone is within range, it immediately receives a notification that an AirTag is nearby. The person can then inform the original owner of the location of their AirTag.

Apple says the location data is encrypted and no one but the owner can see it, not even Apple. If an Android phone is brought near a lost AirTag, the two devices can connect using NFC to send a similar lost item notification to the original owner. The wide network of devices that the AirTag has gives them a huge advantage. Also, there is no need to have an app installed on an iPhone or Android device that interacts with a lost AirTag.

Tile also has its own network, but it relies on the fact that any nearby device that comes into contact with a lost Tile Pro must have the Companion app installed. This is because only phones with the Tile app installed can receive the Bluetooth pings sent by a lost Tile tracker. Yes, Tile trackers can communicate equally well with Android and iOS devices, but the need to install the Companion app on those devices significantly limits the scope of finding a missing item that is out of range.

Battery life

The Tile Pro is said to last up to a year and is powered by a replaceable CR2032 battery. Tile also offers a subscription-based premium service that offers benefits such as smart alerts, access to location history for the last 30 days, unlimited sharing and free battery changes.

In contrast to Tile, Apple does not offer a premium service for the AirTags. In terms of battery life, the company says their object tracker can be used for over a year and runs on the same CR2032 coin cell battery as its Tile rival.

Pricing

The Tile Pro is $ 34.99 per pop, while the 4-pack package will set you back $ 99.99. The AirTag costs $ 29, but if you go for the 4-pack, you end up paying $ 99. If you’re not worried about a closed ecosystem and you’re using an iPhone, the AirTags are simply the best option. However, if you want a more versatile product without compromising the ecosystem and not having to spend your money on accessories, consider getting the Tile Pro.

If you plan to pick up Apple’s object tracker, make sure you have the newer iPhone 12 and 11 series models as they have the U1 chip to take advantage of the precision finding feature can. And in case you have an iPhone 12, be sure to check out this list of the best iPhone 12 cases. Check out Pocketnow for a detailed AirTags review that will be available shortly.

View Apple AirTag on Amazon

Check out Tile Pro on Amazon


Nadeem Sarwar

I’ve been writing about consumer technology for over three years, having worked with names like NDTV and Beebom in the past. Leaving the latest news aside, I’ve checked out my fair share of devices that range from smartphones and laptops to smart home devices. I’ve also interviewed tech managers and appeared as a presenter on YouTube videos talking about the latest and greatest gadgets.

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