Apple AirTag is a new product introduced during the Apple event, allowing you to easily track and find everyday items. The only problem is that it is in the Apple ecosystem. Android users also have some equally appealing AirTag alternatives.
These simple Bluetooth enabled devices can be attached to anything, and you can track their location using the app. Android users may not be able to use Apple’s AirTag, but they are not without alternatives.
Best choice: Tile Mate
Tile is definitely the name most people think of when it comes to Bluetooth trackers, for good reason. The company has been around for a while and offers a number of different models for you to choose from. The option I think is best for most people is Tile Mate.
Like AirTag, Tile Mate is the best AirTag alternative available today. The device uses Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) to connect to your Android phone or tablet. The Tile Mate range is advertised as 200 feet (about 61m), but this figure will be a bit less in practice. But don’t worry, 50m is still enough for most types of real-world situations.
What if you’re not in that range? The Tile application will show you the location of the tag when it was last connected. If that is not enough, you can report it as “lost” in the application and ask other community of Tile users to find it for you.
The older Tile models were essentially disposable because the batteries could not be replaced, but that is no longer the case. The Tile Mate uses a standard CR1632 lithium battery that is easily replaceable and they are very cheap.
The Tile Mate is slightly larger than the Apple AirTag, but it has a key hole, so you don’t need to add any accessories. Unfortunately, Tile Mate is only white, but you can still customize it.
For $3 per month, you can subscribe to “Tile Premium” for some additional features. These include free battery replacement (a pack of 5 costs about $6), a longer warranty (1 to 3 years), 30-day location history, unlimited location sharing, more Choose more alerts and text assistants.
Overall, the Tile Mate is a very solid counterweight to AirTag and it is more flexible with more products than just Apple. The Tile Mate costs $24.99 for one piece or $47.99 for a pack of two. $5 less than AirTag.
Chipolo ONE
The tile is popular, has different products to choose from and a large network of users. However, if for some reason you do not want to buy Tile, then Chipolo One is another extremely good choice.
Chipolo One offers all the same features as Tile Mate for the same price. It is round instead of square, but about the same size and also has a eyelet. Chipolo has more beautiful color options than Tile Mate.
Chipolo advertises a Bluetooth range of up to 200 feet (about 61m) the same as the Tile Mate, but the actual number will be less. The CR2032 battery is also replaceable and very affordable on Amazon.
The only benefit you’ll get with Chipolo One over any other tracking device is an alert when you’re out of range. You must purchase Premium to get that feature on Tile. I don’t think that’s enough to choose Chipolo One, but it also depends on your use case.
In general, Chipolo One is a good alternative to AirTag if you use Android. This is a very good Bluetooth tracker, but hard to beat Tile’s massive user base when you need help.
Samsung Galaxy SmartTag
If you are an Android user using a Samsung Galaxy phone, you might be interested in Samsung’s own Bluetooth tracker. But the Galaxy SmartTag doesn’t have many benefits.
Although they have the same functionality as AirTag and Tiles and are nearly the same price, but the Galaxy SmartTag is very limited. First, they only work with Samsung devices, and not with other Android devices. It also lacks some of the sensors included in the Tile.
Unless you get a free Galaxy SmartTag when you buy a Samsung phone, otherwise I think you should buy a Tile Mate or Chipolo One.
