Apple’s personal article trackers from AirTags have long been the work (first discovered by 9to5Mac in April 2019). Tile, which dates back to September 2019, looks worried about the upcoming product. Now the news has leaked that Tile is working on a version of his popular ultra wideband (UWB) tracker instead of just Bluetooth. Maybe it can even beat Apple’s AirTags on the market?
Tile is reportedly being discovered by TechCrunch, and is reportedly set to launch the new UWB-based personal article tracker ‘this year’. We just saw a report from Kuo that Apple will eventually do the same with AirTags this year.
Until now, Tile’s trackers have worked via Bluetooth, which has limitations and obviously does not work over long distances (so Tile uses a community approach for this). UWB built into Apple’s recent iPhone 11 and 12 setups and will work with AirTags, and the new Tile tracking extends beyond Bluetooth and can record directional / spatial data that provides an enhanced experience in finding lost items.
TC got hold of early internal concepts for what the nex-gen tracker might look like (shown above):
Based on Tile’s internal concept art for the device (shown below), Tile’s UWB model will look similar to its other small trackers, such as the Tile Mate and Tile Pro. It will also have a square shape, a middle button and a flat back to secure the support with an adhesive. And like other tile dongles, it can be attached to a keychain.
Another aspect is an AR camera view to help customers find their lost items (just like AirTags):
The Tile app, meanwhile, will allow users to launch to an AR-enabled camera view that will help guide them to the location of the item using overlays, such as directional arrows and an AR view of the item ‘s place.
When Tile launches the new UWB tracker this year, there’s no word yet, but it should come with iOS and Android support.
Interestingly, third-party accessories can be integrated into the Find My app with iOS 14, allowing Tile to possibly work with Apple on it despite some rough spots between the two.
9to5Mac found evidence in iOS 14.3 code that support for article trackers in the Find My app UWB. If this may eventually be the case, usage may be restricted to iPhone 11 and 12 users (in the Find My app). It is possible that Tile can include UWB and Bluetooth for support for many devices via the Tile app.
One thing is for sure, it will be nice to see the innovation in the personal items market. For reference, the Tile Pro with removable battery costs about $ 35 or less in a multi-package. A UWB tile cutter is likely to be more expensive or in the same ballpark. And Apple may position AirTags at an even higher price point, but that’s not yet known.
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