Apple Airtags

[Ret MP]

Just now, Ret MP said:

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.

BTW, my last response toyou is awaiting review.  I don't understand why.  I just posted a link to WIKI'se  disclaimer and the fact that ANYBODY can edit it.  I don't use WIKI for anything other than to post the disclaimer and the link to it.  So, I guess we will have to wait until a moderator approves my post to you.  

[Charles4515]

37 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

BTW, my last response toyou is awaiting review.  I don't understand why.  I just posted a link to WIKI'se  disclaimer and the fact that ANYBODY can edit it.  I don't use WIKI for anything other than to post the disclaimer and the link to it.  So, I guess we will have to wait until a moderator approves my post to you.  

I can read it now. When you posted it there was a notification that you replied but I could not see your reply.  Reading your reply I don’t have a clue why they reviewed it. It all looks fine. Anyhow good that you will get the UWB enabled in the future. The way most of the phone tech happens is that when one platform has something first the other one will have it later. I am glad that there are competing platforms. They have to copy each others good ideas. 

[Ret MP]

3 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

I can read it now. When you posted it there was a notification that you replied but I could not see your reply.  Reading your reply I don’t have a clue why they reviewed it. It all looks fine. Anyhow good that you will get the UWB enabled in the future. The way most of the phone tech happens is that when one platform has something first the other one will have it later. I am glad that there are competing platforms. They have to copy each others good ideas. 

That's weird, I don't see it at all now, it's gone, at least for me.  It has a link to Wiki and a cut and paste of how it is an opensource reference and anybody can edit it.  It was a quote from you where you posted a link to Wiki.

[Amberle3]

7 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 use the Samsung Smart tags and love them.  The only issue I've had with them was when the battery in the one for my car keys died.  I've just ordered more for my luggage and my car.

[time4u2go]

1 minute ago, Amberle3 said:

I use the Samsung Smart tags and love them.  The only issue I've had with them was when the battery in the one for my car keys died.  I've just ordered more for my luggage and my car.

Is it true that you have to have a Samsung phone in order to use the Samsung Smart Tags?

[Amberle3]

5 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

Is it true that you have to have a Samsung phone in order to use the Samsung Smart Tags?

As far as I can tell, at least from the articles from 2021, you need need to have a Samsung phone.
The difference between the usage of the Tile and the Samsung SmartTag though is that apparently when you're looking for a lost item the Tile will ping off other phones but only if they have the Tile app, whereas the Smart Tag will ping off other Samsung phones (anonymously) whether or not they have the app installed.  From what I can gather at least.

 

So, assuming that's true, while the Samsung Smart Tag does rely on having other Samsung phones around, the Tile relies on having phones that have the Tile app installed.

[flamingos]

7 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

Isn't this basically every military move?

It is - but she got it fixed, it went viral,  she made the news, and got a call from DC from the main office.  

[TheMiz]

 

 

If you use Samsung I suggest using the Galaxy SmartTag+     

 

[Ret MP]

Another question:

 

Let's say I follow the advice of some and buy the "Samsung" or "Pixel" device and tags, can only a Samsung/Pixel device track the tag?  If so, doesn't that also limit the number of phones that can track an item?  

 

That's why I purchased the Tile, my thought was (right or wrong?) that it is, for lack of a better term, generic and can be used with any brand phone as long as it an Android or iPhone.  

Edited January 1, 2023 by Ret MP

[keishashadow]

On 12/30/2022 at 10:57 AM, Ret MP said:

Tile's (Mine is Android.  But, I believe they work with both iPhone and Android) have a "Strong"/"Weak" signal indicator.  Not sure how well it works, yet.  Don't know if it works well with multiple levels of a structures.  

 

 

Bought for one of my kids on a Black Friday sale in ‘21.  Still working nicely with an iPhone 

21 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?

See above re tile.  My son did say the apple appears to hone in better on ‘lost’ items in the house such as keys & wallet (where the slim tile just slips in easily).

 

when I’m not traveling, the AirTags come out of the luggage and do double duty as keychains.  Figure might as well get all the use out of the batteries.

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, Ret MP said:

Another question:

 

Let's say I follow the advice of some and buy the "Samsung" or "Pixel" device and tags, can only a Samsung/Pixel device track the tag?  If so, doesn't that also limit the number of phones that can track an item?  

 

That's why I purchased the Tile, my thought was (right or wrong?) that it is, for lack of a better term, generic and can be used with any brand phone as long as it an Android or iPhone.  

Tile can be used with any brand. Apple tags and Samsung tags  can only be used with their own brand,  

 

So Apple and Samsung hvae the advantage of how many devices can track their tags. Each has 1 billion. Tile only has 35 million who have installed Tile.

 

Tile has the advantage if you don't want to be locked in  but Apple nd Samsung will have better tag tracking. 

 

I am unlikely to switch brands but I don't worry about being locked in because if iI did switch I can sell or give away the AirTags. 

 

It seems likely that competing against Apple and Samsung will be difficult for Tile so i expect that either Amazon or Google will buy Tile. Google could use a device of their Pixel phones to compete  or  Amazon as Amazon  like to buy companies for tracking info to get data on consumers. 

[publicpersona]

I have AirTags in each piece of luggage. It came in very handy last trip when someone in my family left a carry-on at the check-in counter and we got a notification after we'd gone through security. We knew not to waste time asking security if it was there.

 

It isn't as useful once on ship at sea, of course. And sometimes knowledge of where your bag is can induce stress. We boarded at 11 AM and became concerned that our bags were showing still in the terminal (and updating frequently) at 4 PM. But the bags got loaded.

 

As to Tile vs. Airtag .. With Tile you are dependent on someone also having the Tile app on their device nearby and there are about 40 million of them in the world. With AirTag, you have over 2 billion devices that can report location on behalf of the AirTag.

[Ret MP]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending one brand or the other, although I dislike Apple products.  I'm really just concerned about capabilities or compatibility, I should say.  A couple of you have two separate and differing statistics, 1 billion vs 2 billion.  But, that's not my concern.  I'm more interested in compatibility.  Chances are that if I'm looking for my "whatever", there is going to be either an iPhone or an Android somewhere close by, market share in this case doesn't matter, especially if it is in an airport, cruise terminal, on the corner of Broad and Main, wherever there is human movement going on.  I don't think that there are any public places that prohibit one brand of mobile device or another.  But, I change phones a lot, I bounce from Moto to Samsung to LG (although I don't think LG is in the phone business anymore)....... I hate buying an accessory for one thing and then find out that I can't change because of compatibility issues.

 

Just a side note, Apple lost it's market share (I believe it is just their phones but as usual, I could be wrong) form ~65% to <55% not long ago.  Don't know if it has gone up or down since that reported statistic, I believe it was one or two of last year's quarters.  

Edited January 1, 2023 by Ret MP

[Charles4515]

2 hours ago, Ret MP said:

But, I change phones a lot, I bounce from Moto to Samsung to LG (although I don't think LG is in the phone business anymore)....... I hate buying an accessory for one thing and then find out that I can't change because of compatibility issues.

 

Just a side note, Apple lost it's market share (I believe it is just their phones but as usual, I could be wrong) form ~65% to <55% not long ago.  Don't know if it has gone up or down since that reported statistic, I believe it was one or two of last year's quarters.  

Edited 2 hours ago by Ret MP

if you change Android phones a lot then Tile makes sense.

 

I don't know why you are bringing up marketshare but the iPhone was never 65%.  It just passed Android to be over 50% in the last quarter for the first time. Does it matter? No. And quarter figure vary because companies issue their new products in different quarters.  Buy what you like. You dislike Apple. I don't like Android phones mainly because Android is not as secure as iOS  but I don't tell anyone to switch. Somehow they decide to switch on their own and all of sudden I see blue message bubbles....... LOL. I hope though that neither Apple or Google ever get a monopoly. That would be bad. I don't dislike Samsung, I even have a Samsung TV which is great but it does not run Android. 

 

https://www.engadget.com/iphone-overtakes-android-us-market-share-223251196.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGxFWwdAz_MiLFRx8PRBXj7r1tA8jd7AiE5wDY2pLfX__rvRQjQOpmaeyXcxR-qETslRIpHYHawNUn_0phlgZdqdZHbWeVmtzAvPHPukezWUC-dahUDJlD5eAv9pdfzQoHlHroRBDIsmLH_Hbb1ZCDscmMkgocLvxCxrPBlIFRxI

 

 

[Ret MP]

32 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

if you change Android phones a lot then Tile makes sense.

 

I don't know why you are bringing up marketshare but the iPhone was never 65%.  It just passed Android to be over 50% in the last quarter for the first time. Does it matter? No. And quarter figure vary because companies issue their new products in different quarters.  Buy what you like. You dislike Apple. I don't like Android phones mainly because Android is not as secure as iOS  but I don't tell anyone to switch. Somehow they decide to switch on their own and all of sudden I see blue message bubbles....... LOL. I hope though that neither Apple or Google ever get a monopoly. That would be bad. I don't dislike Samsung, I even have a Samsung TV which is great but it does not run Android. 

 

https://www.engadget.com/iphone-overtakes-android-us-market-share-223251196.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGxFWwdAz_MiLFRx8PRBXj7r1tA8jd7AiE5wDY2pLfX__rvRQjQOpmaeyXcxR-qETslRIpHYHawNUn_0phlgZdqdZHbWeVmtzAvPHPukezWUC-dahUDJlD5eAv9pdfzQoHlHroRBDIsmLH_Hbb1ZCDscmMkgocLvxCxrPBlIFRxI

 

 

Once again, I didn't bookmark the site that I got the 65% figure from.  But, here is another site that says it is/was 65%.  The site I quoted from in the earlier post (I believe it was STATISTA) also said that it did drop to about 55%.  It was at 65% for a relatively short period of time.  Even your link above says it reached 57%, last paragraph. 

 

https://backlinko.com/iphone-users

 

iPhone Key Stats

• More than 1 billion consumers currently use iPhones.
• Since its initial launch, more than 1.9 billion iPhones have been sold.
• Apple shipped 206.1 million iPhones in 2020.
• iPhones have a 65% share of smartphone sales in the US.
• 6 of the top 10 most sold smartphone models in January 2021 were designed by Apple.

 

I bring up the market share because one of my first posts in here, I mentioned that 
Android is the dominant mobile device (ie, Tile users) world wide and I also said that I believe that as Tile gets to be more of a household name, their market share will increase, too. I also believe that Tile has much more flexibility for users and their options to use different brands of phones.  

 

So, I've seen this 65% number in two sources.  Are they completely reliable?  I think Statista is, not sure about backlinko.  That's the problem with discussing statistics, it depends on where you get them, who is presenting them, and so on.

 

I have not said why I dislike Apple.  There are many reasons, one of which is their use of soooo much proprietary things, at least the last time I checked and that was a few years back.   

 

[Ret MP]

1 hour ago, Charles4515 said:

if you change Android phones a lot then Tile makes sense.

 

I don't know why you are bringing up marketshare but the iPhone was never 65%.  It just passed Android to be over 50% in the last quarter for the first time. Does it matter? No. And quarter figure vary because companies issue their new products in different quarters.  Buy what you like. You dislike Apple. I don't like Android phones mainly because Android is not as secure as iOS  but I don't tell anyone to switch. Somehow they decide to switch on their own and all of sudden I see blue message bubbles....... LOL. I hope though that neither Apple or Google ever get a monopoly. That would be bad. I don't dislike Samsung, I even have a Samsung TV which is great but it does not run Android. 

 

https://www.engadget.com/iphone-overtakes-android-us-market-share-223251196.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGxFWwdAz_MiLFRx8PRBXj7r1tA8jd7AiE5wDY2pLfX__rvRQjQOpmaeyXcxR-qETslRIpHYHawNUn_0phlgZdqdZHbWeVmtzAvPHPukezWUC-dahUDJlD5eAv9pdfzQoHlHroRBDIsmLH_Hbb1ZCDscmMkgocLvxCxrPBlIFRxI

 

 

https://www.phonearena.com/news/apple-iphone-record-sales-us-december-2020_id129957

[Ret MP]

Okay, I think we have beat this dead horse enough.  No matter what you think, I appreciate the info you have presented and in many cases, made me do a little quick research, which is a good thing.  Until this thread, I had no idea what UWB was.  I knew something about it by Ultra-Wideband, but never as UWB and I also had no idea what API was in any form.  So, thanks for the educational experience.  I do mean that, BTW.  

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, Ret MP said:

https://www.phonearena.com/news/apple-iphone-record-sales-us-december-2020_id129957

I see where the confusion lies. That article is reporting sales for one month. December 2020 and comparing to December 2019. So it was 64% of sales in December but if you look at the whole year. iPhone sale were 45% in 2020. IPhone yearly sales were not 64%. It was not until June of this this year that yearly iPhone sales were over 50%. Here is an article from one of the premier Android websites that explains that  iPhone sales reached 50% this year. Cherry picking one quarter can mislead because iPhone sales are always strongest at the end of the year when traditionaly Apple releases  new product. Apple market share continues to increase yearly in the US and did not reach 50% until June. It may be higher now. 

 

https://www.androidpolice.com/more-people-use-iphone-than-android-us/

 

Anyhow whether it is AirTags, Tile or Samsung Smartags I think that travelers will find them useful.

Edited January 2, 2023 by Charles4515

[Ret MP]

2 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

I see where the confusion lies. That article is reporting sales for one month. December 2020 and comparing to December 2019. So it was 64% of sales in December but if you look at the whole year. iPhone sale were 45% in 2020. IPhone yearly sales were not 64%. It was not until June of this this year that yearly iPhone sales were over 50%. Here is an article from one of the premier Android websites that explains that  iPhone sales reached 50% this year. Cherry picking one quarter can mislead because iPhone sales are always strongest at the end of the year when traditionaly Apple releases  new product. Apple market share continues to increase yearly in the US and did not reach 50% until June. It may be higher now. 

 

https://www.androidpolice.com/more-people-use-iphone-than-android-us/

I'm not confused, at all.  I may have misread the Quarter vs. Month and originally I didn't remember exactly what quarter/month I got the stat from.  But, the market share was at ~65% at one time, which you said that it was never reached 65%.    I said it was at 65% and went down, which it did.  

 

Look, I can shoot holes in every reported statistic posted in this thread, all of them, mine, yours, anyone's.  I've already researched many of them and I just decided to leave them alone.  My last post was an attempt to throw out my right hand, shake, and say, "well done".  It is still out there.  

 

 

 

 

 

[Charles4515]

18 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

But, the market share was at ~65% at one time, which you said that it was never reached 65%.    I said it was at 65% and went down, which it did.  

 

You are too funny. Facts don't matter to you only your pre concieved notion. It never reached 65% or higher in the US and went down. The all time high was reached this year and that was going over 50%. 

[Ret MP]

1 minute ago, Charles4515 said:

You are too funny. Facts don't matter to you only your pre concieved notion. It never reached 65% or higher in the US and went down. The all time high was reached this year and that was going over 50%. 

Wrong.  I provide site after site, I can provide graph after graph and I'm the one that "Facts don't matter to".  Now that is toooooo rich.   But, I'm out.    

[Cruise5life]

Well here ya go. https://simpleflying.com/united-airlines-passenger-finds-bags-by-apartment-complex-dumpster/ 

Edited January 3, 2023 by Cruise5life

[HappyTexan44]

That was funny and horrible.   

[TPKeller]

Just FYI, there is a generic thread on the Ask A Cruise Question forum about luggage trackers.  I've posted a summary there of all the current options available, with a very brief description of each.

 

Theron