If I put this in my ex’s car trunk, it’s not practical to have to get back into it every 7 days just to replace the battery.
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T-Mobile Launches $60 LTE 'SyncUP' Item Tracker
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To T-Mobile's credit, SyncUP Tracker's $5/month plan includes international roaming. The battery life will probably take a significant toll, however, as roaming reroutes traffic to United States before it is sent back. When roaming internationally, my iPhone typically lasts about 6-7 hours before needing a charge.That's where the international roaming fee comes in
People can't keep "track" of their things?? I personally won't be buying AirTag or T-Mobiles version, or Tile, or any of them. Do people really need so much "help" from Corporations to know where their own items are?
Seems good for recovering stolen items like bikes. Doesn't have BT which causes even your average phone user to notice any AirTag in lost mode within vicinity. Too easy for thieves.
But of course, leave it up to MacRumors users to dismiss it with insults.
But of course, leave it up to MacRumors users to dismiss it with insults.
T-Mobile execs have lost their mind if they hope I will sign up for this tracking plan. lol
Depends. I use T-Mobile low speed data and text at no additional cost in Europe, the Middle East and parts of Africa. It would seem this device would do the same.
Network providers always find new ways to lock customers in... these trackers are nothing new Vodafone has been selling a similar thing for years.
Weird. It's so odd when Apple comes out with something, then everybody else wants to copy them and/or feels the need to hyper-compete with them.
I don't need trackers. I can usually find things without them.
I don't need trackers. I can usually find things without them.
They actually already have a pet tracker. I tried it, Its HUGE and it does a check in every 5 minutes so it could be 5 minutes before you found out your dog is out. Not to mention having to charge it all the time.
It’s an interesting concept which has been available in product form for many years already. A quick Google search for dog trackers gives you this list of trackers using various radio technologies, among them also trackers that use the mobile phone network.
Different products, different markets. Can your AirTag track your lost pet if you attach it to Fido's collar? It's no different than people poopoo an F-150 because it gets crappy gas milage and the regular cab version can only seat 3. "My Pre-Ass can seat 5 and gets 100 MPG." Try hauling a sofa in your Prius. Suddenly an F-150 ain't such a stupid product.
Anyhow, we all know this ain't gonna be used a pet/kid tracker. It'll be use to track that cheating bastard lying about working late again this week.😓 7 day battery life is enough to track his movements for the week.👀👀👀
Try hauling a sofa in your Prius. Suddenly an F-150 ain't such a stupid product.Anyhow, we all know this ain't gonna be used a pet/kid tracker. It'll be use to track that cheating bastard lying about working late again this week.😓 7 day battery life is enough to track his movements for the week.👀👀👀
I would buy just one AirTag to slip on checked-in luggage when air traveling, this way you can ping it when waiting for it at the airport’s band/carousel or if the airline looses it.
That’s it really, I don’t regularly loose stuff, I might have lost my keys once or twice in my 35 years on this planet, and haven’t lost them in at least 10 years now, so not a need for me but a convenience.
When traveling abroad missing luggage is quite common, specially with connections, so that’s one very useful scenario I think, specially with AirTags depending not on cellular but on simple bluetooth pinging devices all over the world.
Thats “huge”?!? I thought everything thing in the USA was supposed to be bigger. That’s a small town here!
I can see a use for these for international travel, allowing you to track your lost luggage. Though I suspect this would be pulled out of your luggage when scanned by security as it would appear to be a suspicious device!!
Not exactly a great time to launch either, during a global pandemic when international travel is somewhat limited!!
For something that uses data that can be measured in kilobytes every month, I agree.
Given that there are probably dozens of different kind of trackers using various data connection methods, there is bound to be a new product announcement every other month or so. For example, here is an article about a dog tracker with cellular connectivity from 2012.
This is just the first time that Macrumors has reported on such a product beyond the Bluetooth-based ones like Tile (on which it has reported on since at least 2016).
Whoever approved this at the senior management level is seriously high on their own supply. A giant tracker that costs 2x the competition, has 1/50th the battery life, and requires a $5/mo subscription?
Okay, I’m all for competition but this thing straight up does not compete with AirTags.
It’s twice the price, and yes while it does have built in LTE and a loop for hanging into things, those benefits are negated when you factor in that you have to pay $5 a month for a single tag.
And 1-week battery life is atrocious for an item tracker. Yes it can be recharged, but now you have to remember to charge this thing every 7 or so days else it becomes useless.
Oh, and it’s an outdated, ugly design which definitely doesn’t help either.
The only target market I can think of for this tracker is the international business traveler.
It’s twice the price, and yes while it does have built in LTE and a loop for hanging into things, those benefits are negated when you factor in that you have to pay $5 a month for a single tag.
And 1-week battery life is atrocious for an item tracker. Yes it can be recharged, but now you have to remember to charge this thing every 7 or so days else it becomes useless.
Oh, and it’s an outdated, ugly design which definitely doesn’t help either.
The only target market I can think of for this tracker is the international business traveler.
Everyone on this forum is so small minded. This is not a competitor to AirTags it was designed for tracking things like pets or other items like a bike. It is not meant for your keys like Airtags would.
This isn't the first product like this. Samsung has SmartThings Tracker which uses AT&T and Verizon has their own version called the Smart Locator. Although Verizon includes the fist 12 months of service for free, then it is $3 a month.
This isn't the first product like this. Samsung has SmartThings Tracker which uses AT&T and Verizon has their own version called the Smart Locator. Although Verizon includes the fist 12 months of service for free, then it is $3 a month.
I would prefer a cellular based tracker than a Bluetooth one for tracking expensive camera equipment in case it’s stolen. It can be hidden or stitched in to a compartment. The boundary warning is a great feature. But the need to recharge every week is a deal breaker. I wish they had used an accelerometer to trigger position updates. It might have been able to extend the battery life…
Iridium releases a new handheld satellite phone. Commenters on the internet complain that it costs 2x the price of (high-end) smartphones and requires a costly plan.