... or you could get one of the competing products which have a replaceable battery! Lapa is one such product, and I think it predates Tile - but there are several others.
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Tile's New Slim Lost-and-Found Tracker is as Thin as Two Credit Cards
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... or you could get one of the competing products which have a replaceable battery! Lapa is one such product, and I think it predates Tile - but there are several others.
Tile's business model is built on planned obsolescence.
I would frankly prefer to pay a fair subscription fee (e.g., $10/year per Tile, with discount for each subsequent Tile) if it means I can get rechargeable Tile. Having to replace it every year (even with $9-13 discount per Tile) is frankly annoying. I realize Tile's business model enables customer to upgrade to the latest model, but every frigging year?
I discovered that after they turned off my unit. Again, it was my fault for being a bad consumer, but I assumed that I would be able to replace the battery and that since I had almost never used it, that the battery would last longer than a year.
But since it is rated at one year, they shut it down and maybe the battery was close to dead, but I don't know. I just wanted to make sure that people understood that it seems like a great deal until you think of it as $30 up front and $21 a year thereafter.
If you lose things a lot, maybe it still is a good deal.
What? That's not at all what I said.
I think there is a flaw on Macrumors when someone is replying to another member, but it posts to the wrong intended individual. I have seen a few forum members commenting on this now. It creates confusion. I'm not sure what is causing it. Maybe an administrator would be able to assist.
Has anyone used both Tile and TrakR to compare the two? I've never used tile, but I have two TrakR Bravos attached to my wallet and ... my wallet again, where I put the second one after the first one fell out because they're kinda thick and don't stay in very well (they make a TrakR Wallet that I didn't know about or perhaps didn't exist yet when I got these). Anyway, I see some advantages: unlike Tile, the battery is replaceable. However, I've already gone through three batteries and I haven't even had it one year. I think the button just gets pressed on it so much inadvertently that it drains the batteries. Additionally, it takes a long time to find devices. My wallet was lost in my own closet, where I held my phone for 30-60 seconds or so with the app open to see if it found it--nope. Opened the app later that day, and then finally it reported where it was. This is probably more a Bluetooth limitation, but I'm wondering if either the software or hardware design of Tile might be faster. TrakR is also supposed to have a "comunnity GPS" (forget what they really call it) feature where other TrakR apps can report back the location of TrakRs with which they are not actually paired, which should help people who lose things while not in range. It sounds like Tile has something similar, and probably a bigger community to make the feature work better as well.
Just curious if anyone has any first-hand experience. This device seems like a good idea, but unless it works markedly better than the TrakR I have I'm not sure I'd buy it.
Just curious if anyone has any first-hand experience. This device seems like a good idea, but unless it works markedly better than the TrakR I have I'm not sure I'd buy it.
I've used Tile for two years and they're pretty useful. The replacement ones are cheaper than the first buy. I've found items I never would have found except for my Tiles. I'll look at the new slim.
I can't find our Apple TV Siri remote. Those are $79. Don't want to buy a new one. New iOS Apple TV app doesn't work as well as Siri remote. But $30 for a big white (they don't even offer color options) thing to stick on it.
AND this is 2.13" square. A Siri remote is only 1.5" wide. Wouldn't work. Not sure what else I'd use it on.
AND this is 2.13" square. A Siri remote is only 1.5" wide. Wouldn't work. Not sure what else I'd use it on.
The Tile is a great device and a bargain. I bought a box of 4 at a vending machine in San Francisco before returning home. I haven't lost my keys or my phone since.
However, getting a new Tile, or Tile Slim to Australia comes with a $USD21 shipping premium for 10-12 business day delivery!
Considering US shipping is free, a discounted international rate would be handy.
However, getting a new Tile, or Tile Slim to Australia comes with a $USD21 shipping premium for 10-12 business day delivery!
Considering US shipping is free, a discounted international rate would be handy.
It's not perfect, but you can get the Apple TV Remote Loop and loop the original tile to the loop. That's what we do.
Plus, with the attached Tile, it seems to fall less in between the cushions and the sections of the sectional.
Mine didn't fall between the couch cushions. I hid it from my youngest son to keep him from getting up on school day morning and sneaking downstairs to watch movies. Problem is I forgot where I put it. Oops.
There are a fair few BT trackers that include exactly that feature; either disconnection / proximity based, and some with the option to set a location based geofence.
I've tried out a small number, and currently have 23 different tracking apps.
It has been said before, and bears repeating; detection of trackable BT tags needs to be a built-in feature.
The "big names" like tile, trackr, xy, and lapa promote the crowd-based list item detection features, but that's only the small pool of people using the specific app - there's no sharing between or detection of other brands. If you lose something in a busy city centre; it's quite possibly helpful. But suburbs, small towns, or anything else and it's entirely up to your iPhone having recorded a location and the tag not moving from there.
If crowd data isn't sufficiently comprehensive; you may as well get the cheaper options that don't have the "subscription" model.
I love my original tiles and am just about to purchase four of the slim ones. I am notorious for putting stuff down when I get home (especially keys) and have no idea where it is when I next bolting out the door. I can also find my iPhone an iPad mini under books, blankets documents. I am even putting a tile on my beats earbuds - lost the last set.
Every morning I open my tile app and collect my car keys, house keys, handbag (that too goes walkabout).
Best thing ever! My two dogs are about to get tiled as well
Every morning I open my tile app and collect my car keys, house keys, handbag (that too goes walkabout).
Best thing ever! My two dogs are about to get tiled as well