One of the coolest (and possibly most valuable, if you’re a dog-lover) uses of Apple’s new AirTag Trackers (check out our AirTag launch coverage and AirTags FAQ) is clipping one to Fido’s collar and being sure he’s never lost… Whether you’re worried about your pup running away from home, or if you have the kind of dog who likes to explore off leash while hiking or playing on the beach, dog-finding GPS trackers can literally be lifesavers.

My dogs are a bit too crazy to wander the world off-leash, so for me, Apple’s new AirTag trackers will give me peace of mind in an emergency: AirTags will help me find my dogs if they ever run away!

AirTags have many of the key features needed in a good dog-tracker, at a fraction of the cost:

• AirTags have a year-plus long battery life, with an easily replaceable battery (see more on AirTag Battery Life). Giving Fido an Apple Watch wouldn’t only be expensive (and let’s face it, would be kind of awesome to see his rings at the end of the day), but it would also be impractical… You don’t want to charge his collar every night. An Apple AirTag can clip to your dog or cat’s collar and be good to go for a whole year of safety
• AirTags are water-resistant (and basically water-bowl-proof): My dogs somehow consider drinking of the water bowl to be some sort of cannon-ball contest. Add walks in the rain, chewing on sprinklers, and other dog-hobbies, and having a waterproofing pet tracker is essential. Apple AirTags make great pet trackers, as they are IP67-rated for water and dust resistance (meaning they can handle a thirty-minute-session of meter-deep Portuguese-water-dog-swimming). Read more about AirTag water-resistance on our AirTag FAQs.
• AirTags offer the world’s best pet location system: Apple’s billion-device strong, global Find My network. What good is knowing how many steps Fido’s taken today, but not being able to find him tomorrow. Some of the other pet trackers out there offer admittedly-fun but gimmicky features, but only Apple’s AirTag tracker and the new Find My-compatible Chipolo ONE Spot Tracker (affiliate) let you leverage nearly every iPhone user out there to help you find your lost pup. Read more on How to Use the Find My App to Locate an AirTag on your lost pup here.
• AirTags are inexpensive: AirTags cost $25-30 upfront and don’t require a monthly or annual service plan. That means they save you over $225 the first year vs. the popular Whistle Go Explore Tracker and roughly $100 the first year vs. the FitBark GPS Dog Tracker

So, how do AirTags compare to other dog tracking collars and dog GPS devices? Let’s take a look at some dog- and cat-specific AirTags competitors in the pet tracking arena. Two of the top-rated pet trackers (other than AirTags) are the Whistle Go Explore Tracker and the FitBark GPS Dog Tracker, as discussed below.

How do AirTags Compare to the Whistle GO Explore Tracker for Finding Lost Dogs?

Whistle makes some of the post popular dog tracking collars on the market, including the top-rated Whistle GO Explore. Here are the key features and an assessment of Apple AirTags vs. the Whistle GO Explore Tracker GPS dog collar:

• Price:
  • Whistle GO Explore: $129.95 (often on sale at Amazon for ~$100)
  • Apple AirTags: (Cheaper)
• Annual Plan:
  • Whistle 360° Plan: $95.40/year
  • Apple AirTags: (Cheaper if anything at all)
• Location Tracking Technology:
  • Whistle GO Explore: 4G + GPS
  • Apple AirTags: U1 Ultra-wideband Chip + Bluetooth + Network of Apple iPhones & Apple Watches
• App & Compatibility:
  • Whistle GO Explore: Proprietary Whistle App for iPhone & Android
  • Apple AirTags: FindMy App built into every iOS device (but not Android compatible)
• Battery Life:
  • Whistle GO Explore: 20 days (depending on usage)
  • Apple AirTags: Much longer battery life (see our article on AirTags Battery Life)
• Waterproof / Water Resistance:
  • Whistle Go Explore: Yes, rated IPX 8, so it’s submergible up to 6 feet (2 meters)
  • Apple AirTags: Expect robust waterproofing
• Size:
  • Whistle GO Explore: Width: 1.4″, Height: 1.8″, Thickness: 0.7″ – and weighing in at just 0.96 oz
  • Apple AirTags: Size is still TBD, but Tile Trackers clock in similarly (see our Tile Bluetooth Trackers vs. AirTags Overview), so expect AirTags to be competitive
• Health & Wellness:
  • Whistle GO Explore: Scratching, licking, and drinking tracking – pretty cool but highly dog specific
  • Apple AirTags: Not going to track your licking or scratching!
• Global Compatibility and Range:
  • Whistle GO Explore: Only works in the United States. Uses 4G cellular network so it can ping back to your app and tell you where Fido is, so long as he is somewhere with cell phone coverage (e.g., probably anywhere in the city but not necessarily if he’s lost in the woods)
  • Apple AirTags: Worldwide coverage. But, since it relies on U1 Ultra-wideband and bluetooth, Fido needs to walk within say 300-500 feet (100-200 meters) of anyone with an iPhone (who needs to be in cell phone range too)… So call this anywhere in the world with cell phone signal for AirTags, vs. just anywhere in the US with cell phone signal for Whistle (see our AirTags Range article)

So those are the technical specs, but what are the real-world use-case differences in how you’d use Apple AirTags to find a lost dog vs. a pet-specific tracker like the Whistle GO Explore?

• AirTags Pros vs. Whistle GO Explore for Dog Tracking:
  • AirTags are cheaper on a monthly / annual basis: AirTags don’t require a monthly 4G wireless plan
  • AirTags work anywhere in the world as opposed to Whistle GO working just in the United States
  • Both need somewhere with cell signal to have the ability to call home from afar, but AirTags have arguably better coverage in the US – AirTags aren’t carrier specific, so you just need someone with an iPhone with signal (whether on AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, etc.) to walk by Fido for you to find him. With Whistle, you’re using AT&T and need to Fido to be somewhere in AT&T’s coverage universe
  • AirTags will have much better battery life than Whistle GO – this is a key advantage of using Apple’s proprietary U1 ultra-wideband chip + bluetooth as opposed to using a 4G wireless antenna and GPS. See our AirTags Battery Life overview for more information
• AirTags Cons vs. Whistle GO Explore for Dog Tracking:
  • Whistle Go Explore offers health tracking for dogs – including cool features like monitoring how frequently they drink water, scratch themselves and chew… Then again, these things are pretty easy to see (my dog’s currently asleep on the couch, but if he was itching, I would notice) if you’re home… so put this is in the Pro colum for Whistle / con column for AirTags, but it’s level of usefulness depends on how often you leave Fido home alone
  • Whistle Go Explore has a 4G antenna – this is a huge pro on one hand, as it means Fido can “call home” if lost anywhere with cell phone signal (e.g., if he’s down the street sleeping under a neighbor’s porch) without having to be near someone with an iPhone. If Fido’s on the move in an urban area, expect AirTags and Whistle to both help find him quickly – he’ll be in an area with 4G signal and passing by lots of folks with iPhones… If he’s not near other people (let’s say he’s scared and hiding), that 4G antenna will be really useful to find him. On the other hand, the 4G antenna and GPS receiver mean battery life takes a huge hit (have to recharge Whistle Go every 2-3 weeks, vs. multi-year long battery life in AirTags)

Bottom Line on AirTags vs. Dog-Specific GPS Collars for Finding Lost Pets: the Whistle Go Explore and other dog-specific tracking collars (like the FitBark Smart Collar) are available today, offer pet specific-heath tracking features, and use 4G + GPS to keep Fido safe and findable, but at a cost: a high monthly/annual service fee and short battery life. AirTags will be cheaper, offer significantly better battery life, and usable worldwide instead of just in the United States – but without the dog-specific health tracking features, and they’ll require lost dogs to walk within range of someone with an iPhone or Apple Watch to be able to ping back home.

Editor’s Note: Check out our hands-on article reviewing AirTags as Pet Trackers (includes discussion of using the Belkin AirTag Keychain on a Dog Collar vs. AirTag-Specific Dog Collar Accessories)

Big news, AirTags fans! Apple launch its Find My network and opened it to third parties this past week, officially announcing that third-party accessory makers can create devices that enable users to keep track of their belongings in the new Items tab within the Find My app! Even better, our friends at Chipolo (affiliate) are one of Apple’s key launch partners, and effectively already launched AirTags with the Chipolo One Spot tracker – read on below for more.

Confirming many of our AirTags Rumors, Apple hailed the private and secure tracking capabilities of their newly named “Find My network,” noting that it already comprises of hundreds of millions of Apple devices (see our article, Does My iPhone Work with the Find My App?).

Even better, Apple is just opening up some nerdy protocol in their systems without any use to us, the end-users… Apple announced a whole slew of products are launching this week from third-party developers! Specifically, new products that work with the Find My app from will launch this week from Belkin, VanMoof, and Chipolo.

In the announcement, Apple VP of Worldwide Product Marketing, Bob Borchers noted that “For more than a decade, our customers have relied on Find My to locate their missing or stolen Apple devices, all while protecting their privacy… Now we’re bringing the powerful finding capabilities of Find My, one of our most popular services, to more people with the Find My network accessory program. We’re thrilled to see how Belkin, Chipolo, and VanMoof are utilizing this technology, and can’t wait to see what other partners create.”

What Are the New Apple Find My Products? Are there any AirTags Competitors?

Apple’s Find My launch partners include general accessory-maker Belkin, and two relatively obscure names… VanMoof and Chipolo. What are they releasing? An AirPods competitor, a couple of e-bikes, and importantly a true AirTags competitor.

Belkin’s first Find My compatible product will be its SOUNDFORM Freedom True Wireless Earbuds, a $99 set of noise-cancelling AirPod competitor headphones, launching in June. Key feature of note here is that you can find the charging case, if lost, using Apple’s Find My app…

VanMoof’s Find My compatible products will be the latest S3 and X3 e-bikes. Having built-in Find My tracking on a $2,000 e-bike is a huge and obvious plus! Will make a stolen bike so much easier to recover (and even possibly prevent thefts, if smart thieves know what they’re dealing with). I might have to try one of these S3s…

Most Importantly… What is Chipolo launching? The Chipolo One Spot – a real Apple-approved AirTags Competitor. Chipolo’s launch is exciting. A tracking tile that is compatible with Find My, and therefore enables hundreds of millions of iPhones to help you find your lost item (just like AirTags). This is basically the first release of Apple AirTags, and will certainly give Tile a real run for its money. I signed up to pre-order one for the June launch, and if you want to see one anytime soon, I suggest you do as well! In the meantime, you can also check out the Chipolo One for $25 at Amazon.

What does this mean for AirTags?

So the above was exciting, and we cannot wait to see what new products Chipolo and others launch… But we have to ask and wonder – is Apple still coming out with AirTags? Why would Apple allow its accessory makers to launch a whole new category of products before it release AirTags?

Some have speculated that this is classic, legal “CYA” – and Apple is simply trying to demonstrate that it is not stifling competition (in fact, it is encouraging competitors and giving them a head-start). Though, one must wonder, who has the most to lose to AirTags in a launch? I would have said tracker companies like Chipolo (but they are participating in the Find My launch) and Tile (still conspicuously absent). The Tile Pro is the best-selling AirTags competitor out there today (other than perhaps the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag, though it only works with Samsung Galaxy phones…), and therefore has the most to lose when Apple ultimately launches AirTags. Will today’s launch of the Chipolo One Spot, and Belkin / VanMoof products + promise of more on way mean Apple is now legally clear to launch AirTags? Will Tile ultimately join the party? We’ll have to wait and see, but I’m sure plenty of highly paid lawyers will choose to weigh in.

Samsung Galaxy SmartTag Overview

• $29.99 launch price (check Amazon for sales) per tracker — $5 less expensive than the Tile Pro
• Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology
• Compatible exclusively with Samsung Galaxy devices (not iPhone-compatible and not even compatible with other Android devices)
• Uses Samsung’s proprietary SmartThings app to find missing items
• Initial version does not use Ultra-Wideband (UWB) for precision location / indoor-GPS features – even though recent Samsung Galaxy phones have UWB chips built-in
• Samsung promises a later version with Ultra-Wideband, to be called the “Galaxy SmartTag +”, which will launch sometime later in 2021
• Samsung launched SmartTags alongside its new S21 Ultra flagship phone – and includes a $200 accessory credit + 1 free SmartTag with every pre-order purchase, meaning millions of SmartTags will soon be in the wild

How do Galaxy SmartTags Work?

• SmartTags have a range of 130 yards (~120 meters) when using “Galaxy Find Network”
• Find lost items that are in-range by tapping the ring button in the SmartThings app, which will make your SmartTag ring your normal ringtone (volume is controllable), and follow the sound to your lost item
• Find lost items that far away – or even offline – using the Galaxy Find Network by having other peoples’ Galaxy devices alert you to where they’ve seen the bluetooth ID of the missing tracker
• Can be used as button (e.g., if they’re on your keys) for IoT (internet of things) home automation – so push a button on SmartTags to turn your lights on

Detailed Samsung SmartTags Technical Specs

• Maximum SmartTags bluetooth range of 130 yards is assuming no obstruction (e.g., clear field of view)
• Samsung SmartThings compatibility is limited: SmartTags require initial setup on a modern Samsung Galaxy smartphone running Android 8.0 or higher with at least 2.0GB of RAM; also requires an opt-in consent for location tracking through SmartThings Find app
• Button on SmartTags initially does nothing – absolutely nothing – when shipped; needs to be connected to a users’ home automations internet-of-things and set to trigger an action, for it to be useful
• SmartTags Weight: 0.459 oz (13 grams)
• SmartTags Dimensions: 1.54 x 1.54 x 0.39 inches (3.9 x 3.9 x 1.0 cm)
• SmartTags Battery Type: SmartTags contain a user-replaceable CR2032 (same battery technology as the $35 Tile Pro, which has a one-year battery life – see our Tile Tracker vs. AirTags Comparison)

Samsung SmartTags Initial Review

1. We’ll have to wait until they ship to give our formal review, but at first glance, Samsung Galaxy SmartTags look like a decent competitor to the Tile Pro with the big caveat that you have to be fully committed to the Samsung Galaxy phone ecosystem, as SmartTags are only compatible with Galaxy phones. This is a highly limiting and a huge oversight. Imagine losing your backpack and phone – and your friends only have iPhones or other Android phones, but not Galaxy phones – they can’t help you find it. And the limitations to the Galaxy Find Network make this decision even worse – you need someone with a modern Galaxy smart phone — who opted in to allow it to help find missing items — to walk within 130 yards of your missing item for you to find it. That said, Samsung sold roughly 2x as many Galaxy phones in Q3 2020 than Apple sold iPhones, so other than the opt-in, perhaps the network will be decent
2. Pricing is strong, coming in $5 less than Samsung’s targeted competitor, the Tile Pro
3. Battery life is not yet marketed, but should be expected to be similar to the Tile Pro’s 1-year battery life, given the Galaxy SmartTags use the same CR2032 user-replaceable battery
4. Lack of Ultra-Wideband means that Apple AirTags still have the chance to be first-to-market with this groundbreaking “indoor-GPS” technology – Samsung seems to have rushed SmartTags out with just Bluetooth BLE 5.0, and promise to release the “SmartTags +” with UWB compatibility down the line
5. Size and weight are competitive
6. Color choices – currently just black – are limited at launch. That said, they refer to the color option as being black throughout, so it looks like they’re set up to launch other colors (and perhaps special editions) later – you heard the rumor here first

Apple hasn’t even launch AirTags yet, but the competition is already heating up. We’ve already reviewed Tile’s range of AirTags Competitors, but today we discuss a new and formidable (and… admittedly rumored) entrant: Samsung.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was written before Samsung released its Samsung Galaxy SmartTag Trackers in January of 2021 – we have a full and updated review of Samsung Smart Tag vs. Apple AirTags available.

To keep our readers happy while wait for Apple to release AirTags, here’s the quick answer…

• Top AirTags Competitors Available Today for General Use: Samsung SmartTags and Tile Pro trackers (see our Samsung SmartTag vs. Apple AirTags article)
• Top AirTags Competitors Available Today Specifically for Finding Lost Pets: Whistle Pro Pet Tracker and FitBark Pet GPS Tracker (see our Guide to GPS Pet Trackers / How To Find Lost Pets with Apple AirTags article)

Apple AirTags Alternatives and Competitors – Welcome to the Party, Samsung:

Samsung is one of the world’s largest electronics companies, with sales of over $173 billion this past year (last twelve months as of Q3’20). Even compared to Apple, that’s pretty good. I mean, Apple’s sales over the last year were $100 billion higher ($274 billion total sales), but hey, what’s $101 billion a year amongst friends? Samsung’s still in the big leagues, even if it’s not sitting at the top.

So what is Samsung known for? Washing machines? OK. TV’s? Definitely. Cell phones? Yeah, if you like Android, they’re pretty awesome… But Samsung is also rightly known as the king of fighting Apple and taking on the iPhone (I didn’t say winning, necessarily, but certainly fighting). If Apple comes out with AirPods, Samsung comes out with “Buds.” If Apple gets rid of the headphone jack in the iPhone, Samsung ruthlessly runs ads making fun of them for it (old Samsung ad before…)……. AND THEN…… they inevitably, and shamelessly, copy Apple. Of course they dropped the headphone jack too (… Samsung eating crow and getting rid of the headphone jack).

And now, they’re back with a new washing machine competitor to AirTags and Tile – the Samsung Galaxy Smart Tag (background info via Sammobile). This is a still a rumor, but it is relatively confirmed as the name “Samsung Galaxy Smart Tag” and the model number (EI-T5300 – whatever that means) have been certified by the venerable Indonesian Telecom Certification. I think that’s like the FCC approving products in the US, which is a good sign that something is about about to be released. Still TBD on whether they have will be running their own ultra-wideband competitor to Apple’s U1 chip, or if its more of a Tile-style bluetooth-based tracker.

Samsung Smart Things Tracker vs. Apple AirTags

We should also note that Samsung already came out (and discontinued!) with their own Tile competitor (it was a bluetooth-based tracker), back in 2018. It came and went, and is dead now… May the “Samsung Smart Things Tracker” (photo above) rest in electronics peace.

How did the Samsung Smart Things Tracker work, and how did it compare to AirTags? Well, it was by default a bluetooth-based tracker but also had an LTE option (like your cell phone – which needs a SIM card and, how do we put this… is a really a bad idea) for expanded range. OK. That’s interesting. And what was the battery life like on the Samsung Smart Things Tracker with its cell-phone-like-LTE-technology? Two weeks! That’s it. It was a rechargeable battery that got only two weeks of battery life. That’s better than a cell phone, sure, but nothing compared to a Tile tracker or the upcoming AirTags. Let’s run through a use-case to see why that battery life would be terrible. Let’s say you put a Samsung Smart Things Tracker (instead of AirTags or Tile Trackers – which have 1-3 year battery life, generally) on your dog, another on your bike, your keys, your gym bag, and ten other things you don’t want to lose. Cool. Now fast forward two weeks and, ugh… Time to charge the tracker on your dog, your bike, your keys, your gym bag, and ten. other. things… You’ve got to be kidding. Two weeks later? Do it again. Apple AirTags have to have Tile-like (or better!) battery life, and expect Samsung to have improved on this greatly if they release their rumored Samsung Galaxy Smart Tag, because — let us stress this — two weeks isn’t going to cut it.

Hopefully for Samsung, their new AirTags alternative Galaxy Smart Tags will be better (smarter?) than the old Smart Things Tracker, and actually stick around. For now, we have to wait and see, but Apple’s AirTags competition is heating up!

Editor’s Update (12/27/20): Renderings Leaked of Rumored Samsung Smart Tags

As reported by 91mobiles, Samsung seems to have pulled an Apple-esque move and accidentally released Smart Tags icons in their tracking app, the so-called SmartThings App. Yes, just like how Apple included references to AirTags in its Find My App.

What do we know about Samsung Smart Tags now? Well, from the images below, they will be roughly Tile-shaped, small in size, have rounded corners, and (apparently) have a small hole for a lanyard / zip-tie. Interesting that they’ll have the ability to tie on to key chains, but it seems like it could also be a bit cumbersome.

Samsung is rumored to release its Smart Tags devices in January alongside its Galaxy S21 device, for a rumored $15-20 a tag (likely cheaper than Tile). AirTagReviews will continue to follow all the AirTags competitors and news, and keep you in the know.

Well, it looks like iOS 14.3 (which was just released to beta testers two days ago) includes code to support third-party tracking devices from within the Find My app. What does this mean? It means that Apple (is probably trying to get ahead of any potential antitrust litigation and…) is considering opening up its integrated Find My tracking platform to AirTags competitors (third-party tracking devices), like Tile, as opposed to restricting Find My to just its upcoming AirTags.

This is great news for consumers – particularly those of you who have already invested in Tile or other competitors, and don’t want to have to up-end your tracking system when AirTags come out. Because, really, who wants to stick an AirTag and a Tile to one set of keys? No one. I mean, we’ll probably do it here at AirTagReviews.com to help compare and test them once AirTags are finally released, but no one else will.

So this is amazing news – it:

1. Creates a lot of new value for exiting users of Tile and other tracking devices, as they’ll suddenly be much easier to find / potentially bring to bear the full force of the billions-strong iPhone & iOS user base to help you find missing items
2. Hopefully means that AirTags are coming out when iOS 14.3 is released (in other words… very soon)!
3. It creates choice and competition for the customer – people can choose to use Apple AirTags or Tile or other tracking devices and still track them easily with native iPhone/iOS integration via the Find My app. That’s good for everyone.

One does question how this will impact the suite of unique AirTags features / their competitive advantages over Tile – the network effect and built-in iOS integration were set to be huge differentiators. But, Apple is Apple, and if they know anything it is how to make something old seem new, make something that was hard to use / understand into something easy, and to make it look good in the process. I’m sure AirTags will be compelling, and even if its just ease-of-use and industrial design, I already know I want them. Plus you know, the magic of precision location from the U1 ultra-wideband chip. For now, we’ll keep our eyes peeled for more AirTags news and rumors, so you don’t have too. Fingers crossed we get a confirmed release-date soon. Could it see Apple AirTags before Christmas?! We”ll have to see.

Well, one of the best ways to understand AirTags’ potential is to compare it to the current leader of the pack, Tile.  Apple wouldn’t plan on releasing a new product if it wasn’t going to be the best one out there! (some clear failures aside, this has generally been true…)

What Are the Technical Differences Between Apple AirTags and Tile Trackers?

• Native Apple integration – Apple AirTags software / tracking will be fully integrated into the iOS platform (e.g., every modern iPhone will be ready to find lost items from day 1) vs. having to have bespoke software installed for Tile
• Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology vs. a purely Bluetooth-based approach – Apple’s AirTags are expected to take advance of the U1 UWB chip inside iOS devices since the iPhone 11, to more precisely be able to locate AirTag’d objects (even within a building / house / office) 
• Network Effect / iOS Halo – one of the coolest things about Tile trackers and the upcoming Apple AirTags is the way they can utilize the millions of other phones out there running the Tile app (or billions of iPhones in the world, when AirTags are released) to help locate missing items.  To understand this better, see our article on How Tile Trackers Work (and How AirTags Will Probably work)
  • The more devices you have in the world that are capable of tracking your missing keys, for instance, the more likely you are to find them.  For example, let’s say you left your keys (with a Tile tracker or an Apple AirTag on them) in the back of an Uber – but you’ve taken two Ubers already today and are not sure if you left your keys in the car, or at home, or in your gym bag… what do you do?
  • Well, Tile uses bluetooth to help you “ping” / “ring” or make your keys play a sound if they’re nearby – but that’s only if they’re still in Bluetooth range
  • If your keys are rolling around the back of that Uber Prius and halfway across London by the time you realize it, how do you find them?  For that, Tile goes to the Tile network of installed users – you hit “Notify When Found” on your tile App and then every phone running the Tile app can anonymously join your search party to help you find your keys… It’s an awesome feature, but you’re banking on someone with the Tile app installed on their iPhone getting into your runaway Uber Prius or sitting really close to it at a light, to help you track down your missing keys.
  • The good news, is even with Tile’s currently market-leading but still rather limited installed base (they claim 10s of millions of devices sold – but if the average Tile owner has multiple devices… well, it can’t be too too many users), Tile says that 90% of items marked as lost are found! That’s pretty incredible! Current Tile stats below:
    • > 6 million items found every day using Tile
    • > 195 countries currently in the Tile community (with active Tile users)
    • > 90% of items marked as lost with Tile are eventually found
  • So imagine how that will work with an iPhone and Apple AirTags? In our ugh-I-left-my-keys-in-the-London-Prius-Uber-AGAIN example, odds are probably 50/50 that the next Uber rider will have an iPhone, and if they’re an Android person, the next iPhone rider will be coming in soon… So you put out the alert with your “Find My” app on your iPhone, anonymously bringing to bear the billions upon billions of iPhones out there in the world, billions of which (since the iPhone 11) have the U1 ultra-wideband chip, to help you find your keys.  I’m pretty sure you’ll find them nearly immediately.  Heck, the Uber driver probably has an iPhone and it’ll spot the keys right away. Or the first stoplight on your keys’ journey through London – probably 5 of the 10 cars in bluetooth range at the red light will have iPhones that finding your keys.  AirTags are going to be amazing

How Will Apple AirTags Pricing Compare to Tile Trackers?

• We know there’s at least one area where Apple isn’t guaranteed to be as good as the competition… price.  So how much will Apple AirTags cost / what is AirTag pricing going to look like?  Well, let’s start by comparing them to Tile Trackers
• Tile has four lines of Tile Trackers currently on the market, at a range of prices:
  • Tile Pro – $35 – their best / most durable Tile. Meant for keys, backpacks, shoes, etc.; longest Bluetooth range of the Tile line (400 feet / 122 meters), with the loudest ring; comes with a user-replaceable CR2032 battery (roughly 1-year battery life); water resistant (not waterproof)
  • Tile Mate – $25 – probably the most popular Tile; 200 foot (61 meter) Bluetooth range and a user-replaceable CR1632 battery (roughly 1-year battery life); water resistant (not waterproof)
  • Tile Slim – $30 – skinny & flatter but wider/longer – these are the size of 3 credit cards stacked on each other; Meant for wallets or laptops – things that a low-profile thin card-like Tile would be perfect for;  200 foot (61 meter) range;  Other key differences: 3-year built-in (not replaceable) battery, and is actually waterproof
  • Tile Sticker – $40 (for a two-pack) – a button-shaped sticker that sticks to things like remotes, bikes, etc.; smallest Tile overall (but thickest); Like the Tile Slim, the Tile Sticker has a 3-year built-in (not replaceable) battery, and is actually waterproof

So, what is Apple going to charge for its AirTags?

This is the key question – we know that AirTags will have a structural advantage over Tile given the huge installed base of Apple iOS users and the U1 ultra-wideband chip, but how will AirTags compete with Tile in terms of price?

One area to look to is the service concept – Apple has been focused on expanding its services revenue (AppleCare, iTunes, App Store, Apple Pay, Apple News, Apple Music, new Apple One bundles, etc.) to help the company continue to drive top-line growth in the face of long-term iPhone market saturation (everyone already has an iPhone – they’ll occasionally upgrade to a new one, but they probably don’t each need two, so there are only so many they can sell each year now!)

Can AirTags help Apple in two areas by creating both a new hardware product and a new service area? We think this is likely!

Let’s look to Tile again. Tile offers its Tile Premium service for either $3/month or $30/year which gives “Smart Alerts” and free battery replacements. The “Smart Alerts” concept is definitely something Apple should mimic – they can alert your phone as you’re walking away from your keys before you notice that you left them at the restaurant. That’s a pretty valuable feature. Free battery replacements every 1-3 years when they run out? Not sexy, but sure, I’ll definitely take that too.

Tile also offers a new version of premium – its “Tile Premium Protect” for $100/year. This one is a combination of the Tile Premium above + insurance for your items. Basically, it covers up to $1,000 / year for lost items if Tile cannot find them. Cool, but for $70 more a year, I hope you’re protecting more valuable things than you’re remote? And man, if I couldn’t find my puppy with a Tile on his collar, well, I guess $1,000 would adopt a lot of new dogs, but it wouldn’t make me less sad – I’d have wished I would have bought Apple AirTags and been able to find Fido instead.

I’d expect Apple to want to undercut Tile on price in some fashion, while still driving services revenue. Maybe AirTags will always come bundled with the service – so they’re $50 a year for instance, instead of a separate up-front cost and monthly fee? I’m sure Apple will offer AppleCare on them as well. We’ll have to see what they do in terms of pricing… What do you think?