Since 2021, I’ve carried around a pair of Tile trackers; I kept one in my wallet and one on my keys. They’ve saved my bacon a few times, but I was constantly frustrated by the battery requirements and outdated features.
So I switched to Chipolo’s rechargeable trackers. Since carrying the Chipolo Loop and Card, I’ve understood what the standard should be for trackers. With Google’s Pixel Tag hitting the shelves soon, I now know exactly why I won’t be buying it.
I wouldn’t settle for anything less than a rechargeable battery
Trackers that use coin cell batteries (which is nearly all of them) have impressive battery life. One year is the norm, and that’s a reasonable trade-off, especially when the batteries are so cheap.
However, they are batteries, and batteries run out of charge. This problem is compounded by the very reason I picked up my Tile trackers in the first place. Namely, I’m forgetful.
Here’s what would happen. My Tile app would alert me that it was low on batteries. I would check for spares and not find any. After some time, I would realize that my Tile’s battery was dead at the worst possible time, when I was looking for it.
Tile was also frustratingly coy about telling me I needed to replace a battery. If I missed the first notification, I wouldn’t realize it until I had lost my wallet or keys.
I bought coin cell batteries in bulk, but since I only looked for them once a year, they inevitably got lost.
That’s why I switched to Chipolo’s Loop and Card trackers. Both are rechargeable via USB-C and wireless, respectively, so when I get the low battery notification, I can plug them in and, in less than two hours, they’re charged for another year. No batteries, no fuss.
That’s why I didn’t switch to the Moto Tag 2, or wait for the Pixel Tag. I never want to deal with batteries again.
Tile is fading into obscurity
Its trackers need Find Hub and Find My support
A lot of the discussion around the Pixel Tag revolves around its entry into a crowded market. However, the Apple-style marketing may help Google gain a foothold.
What I find more fascinating is Tile’s descent into madness. It doesn’t seem like too long ago that Tile was the big name in trackers, but now buying one seems irrational.
Tile’s trackers are cheaper than the alternatives, but they aren’t compatible with Google’s Find Hub or Apple’s Find My network. Instead, you have to rely on Tile’s network to locate lost devices.
My first real experience with Google’s Find Hub network was when I lost my Pixel Buds Pro 2. Thanks to Find Hub, I could track them while they were lost and eventually recover them. Having used Tile’s network for so long, I was blown away by Find Hub’s effectiveness.
Support for Find Hub and Find My should be standard for all new trackers. It’s why I’ll never buy a Tile again, and why I don’t recommend them to anyone looking for a new tracker.
Chipolo is missing a key feature, but there’s hope
Pinpoint tracking is on its way
The biggest catch with the Chipolo Loop is its lack of Ultra-Wideband (UWB) support. This technology allows you to track the direction of items and locate them to within a few centimetres, which is vital for crowded environments.
None of Chipolo’s trackers support UWB, but there’s still hope.
Chipolo’s trackers support Bluetooth 6.0, which includes a feature called Channel Sounding. This feature is just as accurate as UWB, but it doesn’t support directional finding.
While Chipolo’s trackers have the hardware to support Channel Sounding, this feature isn’t live yet. Chipolo’s reasoning is that not enough phones support Bluetooth 6.0 to make it worth implementing yet.
It’s a fair argument, and Find Hub is good enough that I don’t worry about the lack of Channel Sounding or UWB support. But Channel Sounding is on its way, so by the time I next have to charge my Chipolo Loop, it may be live.
I’ll certainly be sticking with Chipolo for the time being. While the card tracker is a forgettable slab of black plastic I hide in my wallet, the Loop is the right size to fit on my keys. Not too big, but bold enough to be noticeable.
There’s never been a better time to upgrade your tracker
Ditching my aging Tile trackers for Chipolo’s trackers was one of the best decisions I’ve made. They’re longer-lasting, packed with all the features I need, and I never need to replace the battery.
I certainly won’t need a Pixel Tag when it eventually launches, and I’ll be throwing my Tile trackers in the trash. I don’t have time for an inferior product, and Tile hasn’t shown me its worth upgrading to its newer products.
