Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

AirTag Competitor Tile Getting Acquired by Location Sharing App Life360

There are times when I don't want anyone to know where I am.

I remember, out shopping for the wife, and she heard music in the background when she called me. 'I'm in the car.' You hate that kind of music! 'I'm trying to extend my tastes.' You would be retching by now, where are you? 'On the way home!' WHERE ARE YOU?

I had to think fast, and...

It's a form of control. Especially when you get a text 'Why are you there?'...
 
Not sure why people are so anti tile. The reason apple has a tracking device is because tile was the first to the market and innovated how we use trackers to find things we tend to lose. Apple made a fine product but I’m not ignorant enough to realize it needs improvements and tile is still a solid option.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: KindJamz, kevcube, SFjohn and 1 other person
Once in a while I see news articles on how people discovered being tracked unknowingly by AirTags. They found out because their iPhones warned them. Then the articles make a negative spin on the AirTags. But who knows how many have been unknowingly tracked by Tile, only that their phones did not warn them. Either this kind of tech should not be available, or it is better to be so integrated that the OS would warn when a tag that does not belong to the user is traveling with him or her. Of course, an Android user would not be warned if followed by an AirTag, but that iPhones users would be warned covers so many more people than zero people. Or does the Tile app warn someone when someone else's Tile tags is detected? I don't know. But you will still have to install the app then.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: haruhiko, SFjohn, centauratlas and 1 other person
IamTimCook said:
Teen 1: Mom I'm going to the library.
Mom: Ok hun. Have fun!
Teen 1 on the phone with Teen 2: Pick me up at the library; I've got to put my tile on the window seal. I hope you're ready for the time of your life.
Teen 2: You know I am!
Teen 1: I want to you to wreak it like you're never going to get the chance again.
Teen 2: Oh, I'll wreak it alright

At home...
Teen 1: I'm home.
Mom: How was the library?
Teen 1: Sooo fun. I love books!
Mom: I know you do my sweet little angel.
Click to expand...
Ummmmmm
 
  • Like
Reactions: kevcube
H.E. Pennypacker said:
Not sure why people are so anti tile. The reason apple has a tracking device is because tile was the first to the market and innovated how we use trackers to find things we tend to lose. Apple made a fine product but I’m not ignorant enough to realize it needs improvements and tile is still a solid option.
Click to expand...
I don't think I am being anti-tile, but my experience with their products have been fairly negative. Admittedly, this was many years ago, but their product didn't really work for me. The tile tracker drained my iPhone's battery life pretty significantly (more than 10% a day), didn't always reconnect when back within bluetooth range, the network in my country was practically non-existent, and when the (then non-replaceable) battery finally died after 9 months, I didn't bother replacing it.

Apple was able to solve most of these issues in a uniquely Apple way, by leveraging on their billion-strong iPhone install base, and their control over hardware and software. It doesn't matter that Tile was first to a novel idea if they are unable to leverage to this first-mover advantage to create a better user experience for their user base, and I think there came a point where they realised they could only do so much selling bluetooth trackers, and this is where Apple stepped in.

Apple has a genuinely superior offering in my book.
 
  • Like
  • Love
  • Disagree
Reactions: haruhiko, H.E. Pennypacker, SFjohn and 1 other person
Hammerd said:
Who use Life360??
Click to expand...
I do as do about ten million mothers (my wife) who want to keep track of their kids. Pretty obvious very few of you have kids. In fact last night my son was driving a friend home. Opened up life 360 and saw our son was driving a little too fast and texted him to slow down which he did.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
  • Wow
Reactions: Hammerd, KindJamz and PinkyMacGodess
IamTimCook said:
Teen 1: Mom I'm going to the library.
Mom: Ok hun. Have fun!
Teen 1 on the phone with Teen 2: Pick me up at the library; I've got to put my tile on the window seal. I hope you're ready for the time of your life.
Teen 2: You know I am!
Teen 1: I want to you to wreak it like you're never going to get the chance again.
Teen 2: Oh, I'll wreak it alright

At home...
Teen 1: I'm home.
Mom: How was the library?
Teen 1: Sooo fun. I love books!
Mom: I know you do my sweet little angel.
Click to expand...
Except if you have life 360 it shows every place they have been and no teen is leaving their phone at the library. Can pretty much guarantee you have no kids.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: KindJamz, DontDrinkTheAppleJuice and SFjohn
H.E. Pennypacker said:
How so? Tile is still a great product and in some areas superior to apples air tags. life360 is used by families with kids, and tile is widely used across all platforms.

One giant complaint I have with AirTags is the play sound feature is way too quite. I can hardly hear it unless I’m right next to it. Not to mention apple has no solid options for a device to put in my wallet. It’s by no means superior to tile.
Click to expand...
Funny, the AirTag sits in my wallet just fine. Has come in handy a couple of times too.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️, haruhiko and H.E. Pennypacker
H.E. Pennypacker said:
How so? Tile is still a great product and in some areas superior to apples air tags. life360 is used by families with kids, and tile is widely used across all platforms.

One giant complaint I have with AirTags is the play sound feature is way too quite. I can hardly hear it unless I’m right next to it. Not to mention apple has no solid options for a device to put in my wallet. It’s by no means superior to tile.
Click to expand...

Ecosystem? Anyone carrying an iPhone or iPad is a walking beacon for Airtags despite their drawbacks. Not so much with Tile or Life360. You need a specific app, which also need constant updates, and may or may not be installed on any smartphone.

So yeah I must agree two turkeys don’t make an eagle, Google may be the other eagle who should step up and build a Find Devices app into every single Androids and forcing every tracker OEMs to comply with it. No 3rd party app should be allowed.
 
  • Like
  • Disagree
Reactions: H.E. Pennypacker and haruhiko
H.E. Pennypacker said:
Not sure why people are so anti tile. The reason apple has a tracking device is because tile was the first to the market and innovated how we use trackers to find things we tend to lose. Apple made a fine product but I’m not ignorant enough to realize it needs improvements and tile is still a solid option.
Click to expand...

Find My predates Tile. It’s not a stretch to think Apple had ideas of extending it further.

People are also anti-Tile because of their incessant whining. They’re like a spoiled child with entitlement issues.
 
  • Haha
  • Disagree
Reactions: H.E. Pennypacker and Unregistered 4U
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back