TrackR Launches New 'Pixel' Bluetooth Tracker With User-Replaceable Battery

[MacRumors]

Following a debut earlier this year at CES, TrackR's new Bluetooth item tracker, called "TrackR pixel," is now available to purchase on the company's website. The pixel has a few upgraded features over the TrackR bravo, the previous iteration of the company's Bluetooth trackers, including a longer range, louder ring, an LED light for when an item is lost in the dark, more color options, and a cheaper price point at $24.99.

Similar to other Bluetooth trackers, the TrackR pixel allows users to attach the small device -- which is about the size of a quarter -- to items of value or interest that might get easily lost on a day-to-day basis, like keys, wallets, bags, or even pets. Once TrackR pixel is synced to the iOS TrackR app [Direct Link], users can ping and light up the TrackR to relocate their lost items. Conversely, a button on the TrackR itself can be pressed to make a user's smartphone ring loudly, even on silent.

"Our goal is for people to no longer need to remember where all their items are located. Instead, technology should keep track of where our things are for us and our families," said Chris Herbert, CEO and Co-Founder of TrackR.

"TrackR pixel is a step towards that future with its small and light design, built-in LED light, over one year battery life, and expansive Bluetooth range, making it one of the most versatile and easy-to-use tracking devices out there. Plus, it's backed by the TrackR Crowd Locate network, which helps our customers find more than two million items worldwide each day."

If a missing item is out of the range of the user's nearby vicinity, TrackR's Crowd Locate Network is activated, sourcing anonymous updates of their TrackR's last known location whenever another TrackR user passes within range of it. TrackR said that this Network receives more than 360,000,000 individual item updates per month. There's also a Family Sharing feature that lets family members share items with one another, using their own personal network of phones to more easily find items like car keys around the house.

Additionally, TrackR mentioned that Amazon Alexa integration will allow Echo users to easily ask TrackR to ping their missing devices. Like the company's previous Bluetooth trackers, TrackR pixel uses a replaceable coin cell battery, letting users easily replace the battery when it dies without having to purchase an all-new TrackR. The device is powered by, and can be replaced with, any CR2016 lithium coin battery.

TrackR pixel is available today in black, white, gray, navy blue, red, purple, pink, aqua, and a web exclusive TrackR green on the company's website. Prices start at $24.99 for a 1-pack, $99.99 for a 4-pack, $124.99 for an 8-pack (regular $199.99), and $149.99 for a 12-pack (regular $299.99). The company said that TrackR pixel will be launching soon in U.S. Best Buy stores as well.

Article Link: TrackR Launches New 'Pixel' Bluetooth Tracker With User-Replaceable Battery

 

[Boatboy24]

Anyone know how this compares to Tile? My wife lost her key ring just last week and we've yet to find it. Very frustrating and now she (the technophobe) says she wants something like this.

 

[unsaltedrhino]

I've tried several iterations of TrackR's products including the bravo and they've all been pretty poor. They will work as advertised for a short period after setup and then connection will drop making them useless. Avoid.

 

[Cougarcat]

How long does the battery last? I currently have a Tile and I'm not thrilled about the non-replaceable battery for one year (though you can replace the device from Tile for $12.)

 

[ginkobiloba]

I think Tile has the bigger community, and that's important for finding your lost stuff, since it depends on peer Tile users.

 

[macduke]

Prices start at $24.99 for a 1-pack, $99.99 for a 4-pack, $124.99 for an 8-pack (regular $199.99), and $149.99 for a 12-pack (regular $299.99).

Just wanted to point out that you can save three cents by buying them separately vs. the four pack. I hate when companies do this. It's like "Really, no bulk discount at all, but I have to pay slightly more?" And then they double the amount for $25 more. This pricing structure is dumb. At least the battery is replaceable. I almost bought one of these a couple years ago but I bought a key hook instead and put it by the door.

 

[johncarync]

My personal experience with TrackR devices: I did an impulse purchase of 10 (buy 4 get 6 free) of the non-bluetooth model. I attached 4 of them to various things I might lose. The batteries lasted 3 months. When the battery is dying, the device makes a clicking noise (which drives you crazy at first because you don't know what it is or where it's coming from). After the batteries died, I replaced the devices with 4 more of the 10 I had purchased. They died after around 3 months. I gave one of them away to a guy at work who never unwrapped it and I threw the other one away.

If you frequently lose your keys, smart phone, remote control, etc., AND those items are in range of a wireless network (or in this case a bluetooth network) AND you are OK with replacing a battery once a quarter, these might be right for you. I just found them to be frustrating.

 

[Kabeyun]

How long does the battery last? I currently have a Tile and I'm not thrilled about the non-replaceable battery for one year (though you can replace the device from Tile for $12.)

+1
User replaceable battery is only a good thing if it's not dead in a few months.

 

[RMo]

How long does the battery last? I currently have a Tile and I'm not thrilled about the non-replaceable battery for one year (though you can replace the device from Tile for $12.)

I can't speak for the TrackR Pixel, but with the TrackR Bravo, my battery seems to only last a couple months. I thought it was because I was using one of them in my wallet and kept pressing the button and draining the battery, but a new one I use on my keys does the same. At least it's replaceable; too bad the app doesn't seem to warn you when this happens (not sure if it's supposed to but it definitely doesn't for me) and I usually forget about it by the time I actually want to use the app.

I've tried several iterations of TrackR's products including the bravo and they've all been pretty poor. They will work as advertised for a short period after setup and then connection will drop making them useless. Avoid.

That's sort of been my experience too, but for me it was really just the battery (see above).

 

[imola.zhp]

Upcoming Kiwi looks great for wallets but no user replaceable batteries and a yearly fee. We almost left a phone in an airport after a recent vacation because apple watch does not alert you natively (have since downloaded an app that will) when you phone goes out of range. This near-miss has us on high alert lately about wallets and key's. On that same vacation the condo keys had a tile on them, seemed bulky and if it was less than a year old, it was looking pretty dirty, kind of an eyesore.

 

[Bradleym1978]

Anyone know how this compares to Tile? My wife lost her key ring just last week and we've yet to find it. Very frustrating and now she (the technophobe) says she wants something like this.

Terrible product, I had 8 and they all failed customer service is the worst. Tile is a much better option. I love my Tiles

 

[TrackR Support]

Anyone know how this compares to Tile? My wife lost her key ring just last week and we've yet to find it. Very frustrating and now she (the technophobe) says she wants something like this.

TrackR pixel has a replaceable battery. It is the lightest Bluetooth tracker on the market and it comes in 9 different color options. TrackR pixel is also the first Bluetooth tracker on the market that has LED lights, so finding lost times in the dark is even easier!
[doublepost=1496855746][/doublepost]

How long does the battery last? I currently have a Tile and I'm not thrilled about the non-replaceable battery for one year (though you can replace the device from Tile for $12.)

Under normal use, the battery will last up to one year. The TrackR app will alert you when your battery is running low and allow you to order replacement batteries.
[doublepost=1496855900][/doublepost]

My personal experience with TrackR devices: I did an impulse purchase of 10 (buy 4 get 6 free) of the non-bluetooth model. I attached 4 of them to various things I might lose. The batteries lasted 3 months. When the battery is dying, the device makes a clicking noise (which drives you crazy at first because you don't know what it is or where it's coming from). After the batteries died, I replaced the devices with 4 more of the 10 I had purchased. They died after around 3 months. I gave one of them away to a guy at work who never unwrapped it and I threw the other one away.

If you frequently lose your keys, smart phone, remote control, etc., AND those items are in range of a wireless network (or in this case a bluetooth network) AND you are OK with replacing a battery once a quarter, these might be right for you. I just found them to be frustrating.

We are so sorry to hear you did not have a positive experience with TrackR. The poor battery life and clicking are issues we have resolved in recent updates to the device. Please email vipsupport@thetrackr.com and we are happy to send you a new, improved TrackR device.
[doublepost=1496856009][/doublepost]

I can't speak for the TrackR Pixel, but with the TrackR Bravo, my battery seems to only last a couple months. I thought it was because I was using one of them in my wallet and kept pressing the button and draining the battery, but a new one I use on my keys does the same. At least it's replaceable; too bad the app doesn't seem to warn you when this happens (not sure if it's supposed to but it definitely doesn't for me) and I usually forget about it by the time I actually want to use the app.



That's sort of been my experience too, but for me it was really just the battery (see above).

We are so sorry to hear you are experiencing issues with the battery life of your TrackR devices. Please email vipsupport@thetrackr.com and we are happy to help resolve the issues.
[doublepost=1496856542][/doublepost]

I think Tile has the bigger community, and that's important for finding your lost stuff, since it depends on peer Tile users.

TrackR also has a very large Crowd Locate community and helps find over 1 million items every day! You can use the interactive map on our website to see the coverage in your area. TrackR has recently partnered with Ruckus Wireless to enable their public access points to detect TrackR devices and provide Crowd Locate updates.
[doublepost=1496856606][/doublepost]

I've tried several iterations of TrackR's products including the bravo and they've all been pretty poor. They will work as advertised for a short period after setup and then connection will drop making them useless. Avoid.

We are so sorry to hear your TrackR devices have not worked properly. Please email vipsupport@thetrackr.com and we can assist you.
[doublepost=1496856684][/doublepost]

Terrible product, I had 8 and they all failed customer service is the worst. Tile is a much better option. I love my Tiles

We are so sorry to hear your TrackR devices have stopped working. Please email vipsupport@thetrackr.com and we are happy to get your TrackR devices working properly.

 

[nick42983]

Upcoming Kiwi looks great for wallets but no user replaceable batteries and a yearly fee. We almost left a phone in an airport after a recent vacation because apple watch does not alert you natively (have since downloaded an app that will) when you phone goes out of range. This near-miss has us on high alert lately about wallets and key's. On that same vacation the condo keys had a tile on them, seemed bulky and if it was less than a year old, it was looking pretty dirty, kind of an eyesore.

Which app did you download? Apple should definitely do this natively, but I'm interested in what you mentioned.

 

[MTShipp]

I've got 10 bravos laying in a drawer unused for months. The batteries last a month or two at most. I bought more batteries and they too died rapidly. The original 10 I initially purchased required 4 to be replaced DOA. I will comment that they did replace them quickly but no improvements over the working ones. I never had BT issues, just quickly dying batteries. I can not recommend. I had not gotten around to throwing them in the trash. This article reminded me.

 

[ZipZap]

Isn't this from the company that failed to deliver on Kickstarter?

 

[The Mad Mule]

Conversely, a button on the TrackR itself can be pressed to make a user's smartphone ring loudly, even on silent.

Hopefully it's a button that will only accept a firm indented press for several seconds.

 

[Tumbleweed666]

I've tried several iterations of TrackR's products including the bravo and they've all been pretty poor. They will work as advertised for a short period after setup and then connection will drop making them useless. Avoid.

Exactly my experience, the app in particular was very poor, with a lot of difficulty connecting or retaining a connection, geofencing also rarely worked, and there were various other niggles that made it unusable. I was a subscriber in the original kickstarter and unfortunately it didnt live up to the promise.

Maybe its better now and this release on the face of it seems to fix many of the issues that lead me to throw my devices away but I'll certainly be waiting for reviews before spending.

One thing I would say is that the support was pretty good, they would send replacement devices and respond quickly but when the basic product is c**p that doesn't really compensate.

 

[imola.zhp]

Which app did you download? Apple should definitely do this natively, but I'm interested in what you mentioned.

Lookout, I have only used it for a day now, it is ok, kinda meh; needs refinement. We have two buildings at work, if I leave my phone in my office and walk next door for something it is kind of annoying to get notified, but that is what it is for. When I was looking at trackers I watched a promo video from Kiwi, their app had some cool features, you will be able to set up safe-zones that would eliminate this type of annoyance. I might see if there are other apps out there. Another annoyance, the app has to be on on the iPhone, all the time, running in the background. I hated this with my Kwikset Kevo and I hate it with this app too.

 

[nick42983]

Lookout, I have only used it for a day now, it is ok, kinda meh; needs refinement. We have two buildings at work, if I leave my phone in my office and walk next door for something it is kind of annoying to get notified, but that is what it is for. When I was looking at trackers I watched a promo video from Kiwi, their app had some cool features, you will be able to set up safe-zones that would eliminate this type of annoyance. I might see if there are other apps out there. Another annoyance, the app has to be on on the iPhone, all the time, running in the background. I hated this with my Kwikset Kevo and I hate it with this app too.

Sounds annoying, I read some reviews on the App Store and many complained of repeated false alarms or no notification when you actually were out of range. I wish the Watch would just natively buzz you when you lose your connection with the iPhone, doesn't seem like it would be that hard. A handful of times I've noticed the red "lost connection" symbol when leaving home to go to the gym, but not always

 

[imola.zhp]

Sounds annoying, I read some reviews on the App Store and many complained of repeated false alarms or no notification when you actually were out of range. I wish the Watch would just natively buzz you when you lose your connection with the iPhone, doesn't seem like it would be that hard. A handful of times I've noticed the red "lost connection" symbol when leaving home to go to the gym, but not always

I have used it for the weekend now, the trick is when the first false alarm comes in (because you are at home, or at work, or whatever) is to bring it up and tell it to "mute for an hour." Still annoying, but kind of working? I dont mind the annoyance, but I don't think I will install it on my better half's devices. I did go to Apple's feedback/suggestion page and told the the story of how we almost left a phone in the airport because this feature does not exist.