Apple Airtags

[akh007]

Absolutely get them. Our last cruise in September someone took my wife's very unique looking suitcase from the suite area. Very unlikely a mistake. 
 

Tracked it to underneath a shuttle bus and got it back. Of course nobody claimed it as theirs when I brought it on the bus and asked who's bag it was....Thousands of dollars saved!

[Another_Critic]

22 hours ago, Cruise5life said:

I just got 4 AirTags for my big trip next week.   
2 for checked bags.  1 for backpack.    1 for Patron🐾🐾

 

 

You bought an airtag to track your tequila?  😉

[Cruise5life]

1 minute ago, Another_Critic said:

You bought an airtag to track your tequila?  😉

Yup.   My three legged tequila.   

[loman]

Well it looks like the overwhelming majority approve of the air tags .

Money well spent .

[Shippy]

I got all my children and grandchildren air tags for Christmas.

We love them.

   I am always misplacing my apple earbuds. Amazon had a little case exactly for them which holds an air tag.....got it !

  My daughter got the dog collar that holds one.

[DaKahuna]

3 minutes ago, Shippy said:

 

  My daughter got the dog collar that holds one.

 

This could be taken so many ways !!    LoL  

 

[Ret MP]

1 hour ago, Another_Critic said:

You bought an airtag to track your tequila?  😉

LOL, I was going to say, that's dedication to one's bottle(s).  

[Ret MP]

16 hours ago, flamingos said:

A friend had a military move from one post to another. Their household belongings didn't arrive, and the contract mover kept prevaricating.  Their airtags located the boxes and they were able to get delivery.

 

Wish I had them way back in the day.  One move from Germany to White Sands Missile Range, I had a box full of vinyl records (33 and 45), several still with the original wrapper still on, several first editions, one was a first edition Elvis (I don't and never did care for him, it was just an investment) and several others like Fleetwood Mac, KISS and so on.  Probably 50 or 60 of them.  They never made it to my new address and the Army's reimbursement for such things are just the Original Value, not the Market Value for such things. You know, the things you don't think about asking when you are young and no experience.  Today, I'd have things like that appraised and insured for their appraised value.  

[smokeybandit]

Anyone have any experience with the Tile or Samsung tags? Do they work at least somewhat was well as Apple's?

[HappyTexan44]

I use the Tile, but I haven't used the Apple, so I can't compare.  But I am pleased with the tile.   
It doesn't give you an arrow but it does tell you a signal strength.   The alarm is fairly loud on it, and could probably be heard outside the luggage.  

 

[Ret MP]

15 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Anyone have any experience with the Tile or Samsung tags? Do they work at least somewhat was well as Apple's?

Like @HappyTexan44, I haven't had an Apple product.  However, I just did a little test of my Tile (Android) on my key ring.  When I was within ~10 feet of the Tile, it showed "Very Strong" then it went to "Strong" up to about 30 feet away.  After that, it went to "Moderate".  This was all within my home.  I didn't get far enough away to see what it says after "Moderate", I'm assume it will go to "Weak".  I really like the tile so far.  I just wish it had the Arrow feature like the Apple one does.  But, I'll never own (knowingly) an Apple product.  

[Ret MP]

I just have a suggestions, it's only a suggestion:

 

Any tracking device you use, if there is an option, turn off/down the Ring Tone that sounds when you are tracking your item.  I'm talking about what is put on your kids (especially kids), pets (if you believe they have been stolen, not runaway), and so on.  If the items are lost by what you believe are nefarious actions, you don't want to alert the thieves that they are being tracked by you or the police, they'll just remove the device and throw them away or leave them behind.  If you are trying to track an item and you are sure they are just lost in the house or hotel room, et al, you can turn the ring tone on/up, especially if the app says you are close.

 

  

[RG306]

We used the AirTags for the first time in Europe. It gave a lot of peace of mind considering all the issues with lost luggage at the time. The flaw would be that someone with an iPhone has to be nearby for the AirTags to ping and update the location - so our luggage stayed at the pier for quite some time after being onboard. 

[Ret MP]

2 minutes ago, RG306 said:

We used the AirTags for the first time in Europe. It gave a lot of peace of mind considering all the issues with lost luggage at the time. The flaw would be that someone with an iPhone has to be nearby for the AirTags to ping and update the location - so our luggage stayed at the pier for quite some time after being onboard. 

From what I gather, that's true for most bands of tracking devices, an Android or iPhone has to be nearby and <their location option must be turned on> <not totally sure about that part of it though.

[Charles4515]

27 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

I just have a suggestions, it's only a suggestion:

 

Any tracking device you use, if there is an option, turn off/down the Ring Tone that sounds when you are tracking your item.  I'm talking about what is put on your kids (especially kids), pets (if you believe they have been stolen, not runaway), and so on.  If the items are lost by what you believe are nefarious actions, you don't want to alert the thieves that they are being tracked by you or the police, they'll just remove the device and throw them away or leave them behind.  If you are trying to track an item and you are sure they are just lost in the house or hotel room, et al, you can turn the ring tone on/up, especially if the app says you are close.

 

  

Airtags don't make a sound when tracking. AirTags only make a sound if you click Play Sound in the Find My app. 

[Charles4515]

4 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

From what I gather, that's true for most bands of tracking devices, an Android or iPhone has to be nearby and <their location option must be turned on> <not totally sure about that part of it though.

 

AirTags and Tiles.use Bluetooth which has a range of about 20 feet and your personal phone or other network devices will detect your tag within that range.  AirTags and iPhone 11 and later  also have UWB  which allows for the precision tracking.  Tile does not have that. The Tile network has 35 million devices. The AirTag network has 1 billion devices on it. So the odds are a lot better that an AirTag will be in range of an Apple device on their Find My network than a device on the Tile network.

[smokeybandit]

18 hours ago, flamingos said:

A friend had a military move from one post to another. Their household belongings didn't arrive, and the contract mover kept prevaricating.  

 

Isn't this basically every military move?

[Ret MP]

26 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

 

AirTags and Tiles.use Bluetooth which has a range of about 20 feet and your personal phone or other network devices will detect your tag within that range.  AirTags and iPhone 11 and later  also have UWB  which allows for the precision tracking.  Tile does not have that. The Tile network has 35 million devices. The AirTag network has 1 billion devices on it. So the odds are a lot better that an AirTag will be in range of an Apple device on their Find My network than a device on the Tile network.

Good info, for sure.  

 

I did read an article that Google/Android is developing the API to incorporate the UWB in time for Android 12, if not, maybe by Android 13 (I hope they skip to 14, LOL).  I don't know if they made it or not, I believe Android 12 is out now and have no idea if the API was developed/modified/adjusted to work with UWB.  I think, my opinion, as Tile becomes more and more of a household name, if ever, they will far exceed Apple's.  It only makes since as Android makes up 71% of all cell phones sold worldwide. 

 

But, the way I feel about it, and my knowledge about such things is very limited, if an aircraft is flying over the desert and my luggage falls out, chances are that Android or iPhone won't be able to track it. 

 

Maybe, I'll try to attach a satellite dish/antenna to my Tile.  

 

I said, Cell Phones.  I meant Mobile Devices

Edited December 31, 2022 by Ret MP
I said Cell Phones

[Ret MP]

15 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Isn't this basically every military move?

LOL

 

I think that is the popular perception!  I can only say that, excluding the experience I mentioned above, I've had good luck with my many moves while in the Army for over 20 years and moved on average every 3 years.  However, I would say that there are far too many issues with moving though. It could be a lot better, for sure. 

[Charles4515]

47 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

 

I did read an article that Google/Android is developing the API to incorporate the UWB in time for Android 12, if not, maybe by Android 13 (I hope they skip to 14, LOL).  I don't know if they made it or not, I believe Android 12 is out now and have no idea if the API was developed/modified/adjusted to work with UWB.  I think, my opinion, as Tile becomes more and more of a household name, if ever, they will far exceed Apple's.  It only makes since as Android makes up 71% of all cell phones sold worldwide. 

 

Worldwide phones but in the USA iPhones are over 50%. Then there are iPads and Mac computers.......

 

As for UWB it is not just incorporating the API. Your phone has to have a UWB chip. An API is not any good without the chip on the device  to use it. The only Android phones with UWB are Pixel 6 and 7, some recent Samsung phones. Only Apple, Google and Samsung are putting the UWB chips in devices. My Apple Watch has UWB too. Sweat. Also I doubt if Tile will ever be near Apple because Samesung users should use the Samsung trackers and Google Pixel a has small market share. Apple is way ahead......

Edited December 31, 2022 by Charles4515

[Ret MP]

3 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

 

Worldwide phones but in the USA iPhones are over 50%. Then there are iPads and Mac computers.......

 

As for UWB it is not just incorporating the API. Your phone has to have a UWB chip. An API is not any good without the chip on the device  to use it. The only Android phones with UWB are Pixel 6 and 7, some recent Samsung phones. Only Apple, Google ans Samsung are putting the UWB chips in devices. Also I doubt if Tile will ever be near Apple because Samesung users should use the Samsung trackers and Google Pixel a has small market share. 

Like I said, I'm not knowledgeable about the finer requirements/specifications of how to get to UWB on Android.  All I know is that the article I read only mentioned the API had to me modified or changed in some way that I don't remember exactly how, I don't know if that requires a new, modifying an existing chip, or different chip and I don't know how technical they wanted to make the article, all I know is that they are working on it.  If you say it requires a chip (different or not) so be it, I'm in no position to debate that with you.  I did edit my post, before you last post, to say "Mobile Devices", the 71% is of "Mobile Devices" world wide.  If you limit it to just phones, Apple may have the larger share, even world wide, maybe, I don't know. I do acknowledge they are very popular (I don't understand why).  

 

I understand what you are saying about Samsung/Pixel users using Samsung/Pixel trackers, in theory, I totally agree.  However, If you/I have a Samsung phone today but purchase a Moto next week, can you/I still use the Samsung/Pixel tracker?  I honestly don't know!

 

This isn't the article I read but it is about what I remember reading:

 

https://www.xda-developers.com/google-adding-ultra-wideband-uwb-api-android/

 

Since the early days of smartphones, we have relied on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless technology for our short-range connectivity needs. Ultra-wideband (UWB) is widely regarded as the next big thing in the world of wireless technology, promising to offer highly precise indoor positioning of smart home devices and high-speed peer-to-peer data transmission. Apple’s iPhone 11 was the first modern smartphone to support UWB tech. Samsung followed suit with the Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra, becoming the first Android OEM to incorporate the new technology. Xiaomi has also announced plans to get onboard with UWB technology, demonstrating how it aims to utilize the technology to control its smart home ecosystem. As more smartphones are expected to embrace this new wireless protocol in the coming days, Google is adding a new API in AOSP to better support UWB technology on future Android smartphones.

 

 

[jean87510]

3 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

Anyone have any experience with the Tile or Samsung tags? Do they work at least somewhat was well as Apple's?

I have the Samsung one for my keys and my electric bike.  Also got 2 more for my 2 senile deaf wandering 14 yr old terriers.  I love them.  They work great.  Not as refined as the apple tags which my kids have but good enough.

[Ret MP]

1 hour ago, Ret MP said:

Like I said, I'm not knowledgeable about the finer requirements/specifications of how to get to UWB on Android.  All I know is that the article I read only mentioned the API had to me modified or changed in some way that I don't remember exactly how, I don't know if that requires a new, modifying an existing chip, or different chip and I don't know how technical they wanted to make the article, all I know is that they are working on it.  If you say it requires a chip (different or not) so be it, I'm in no position to debate that with you.  I did edit my post, before you last post, to say "Mobile Devices", the 71% is of "Mobile Devices" world wide.  If you limit it to just phones, Apple may have the larger share, even world wide, maybe, I don't know. I do acknowledge they are very popular (I don't understand why).  

 

I understand what you are saying about Samsung/Pixel users using Samsung/Pixel trackers, in theory, I totally agree.  However, If you/I have a Samsung phone today but purchase a Moto next week, can you/I still use the Samsung/Pixel tracker?  I honestly don't know!

 

This isn't the article I read but it is about what I remember reading:

 

https://www.xda-developers.com/google-adding-ultra-wideband-uwb-api-android/

 

Since the early days of smartphones, we have relied on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless technology for our short-range connectivity needs. Ultra-wideband (UWB) is widely regarded as the next big thing in the world of wireless technology, promising to offer highly precise indoor positioning of smart home devices and high-speed peer-to-peer data transmission. Apple’s iPhone 11 was the first modern smartphone to support UWB tech. Samsung followed suit with the Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra, becoming the first Android OEM to incorporate the new technology. Xiaomi has also announced plans to get onboard with UWB technology, demonstrating how it aims to utilize the technology to control its smart home ecosystem. As more smartphones are expected to embrace this new wireless protocol in the coming days, Google is adding a new API in AOSP to better support UWB technology on future Android smartphones.

 

 

https://www.slashgear.com/tile-ultra-bluetooth-tracker-adds-uwb-ar-tech-for-ios-and-android-12694874/

[Charles4515]

35 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

https://www.slashgear.com/tile-ultra-bluetooth-tracker-adds-uwb-ar-tech-for-ios-and-android-12694874/

That is good. Understand though as I explained that UWB will only work with devices that have the UWB hardware chip.  A list is in the link below. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UWB-enabled_mobile_devices

Edited December 31, 2022 by Charles4515

[Ret MP]

20 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

That is good. Understand though as I explained that UWB will only work with devices that have the UWB hardware chip.  A list is in the link below. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UWB-enabled_mobile_devices

I just looked, don't know why I didn't earlier, my Samsung S21+ has UWB.  Imagine that.  But, my Tiles aren't compatible, yet.