Father’s Day is just around the corner, and while kids and partners have a couple of days to snap up last-minute gifts tech fans may be drawn to a nifty £16 gadget. And with high-spec tracking features that rival an AirTag, it’s a chance to give an Apple-like gift for less.
A fraction of the price compared to a £35 individual AirTag or £99 pack of four, the Tile Mate is £15, reduced from a previous £19.99 in a small Amazon sale. But depsite the cheaper rate there’s no major differences, the Bluetooth tracker has a strong connection and is compatible with both iOS and Android phones.
Apple AirTags, Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTag, the Tile Mate, and even a lesser-known wallet card tracker from Chipolo are becoming increasingly popular with shoppers, especially travellers. So, if your dad or kids’ dad is flying anytime soon it may be worth a buy.
Tech trackers can be attached to any personal item, like a handbag, suitcase, or even around a pet’s collar to keep an eye on when not in sight. The tracker uses Bluetooth to connect to your chosen paired device (like a phone) and if lost, a simple tap of a screen will activate pings and notifications of its last known location.
The affordable Tile Mate can also be synced up with an Alexa device or Google Home, so say you’d misplaced your car keys you could simply say ‘Alexa’ or ‘Hey Google’ find my keys, and you’ll get a ping of its location – as long as it’s within its 60m range.
And Amazon shoppers have raced to the reviews section to share how the tiny piece of tech was the ‘best money they’d ever spent’. Sharing a comment titled “Husband loses things….not anymore” one recent buyer said this was their partner’s favourite gift.
They said: “I bought my husband this set for valentines day and still he says this was his greatest gift ever! He is constantly losing his wallet, keys and phone. This listing is for 2 items but helps you find all 3.
“So easy to use and accurate. Saves my husband stress time as when you open the app it tells you when and where it last found your keys and wallet” while another shopper shared how they had ‘binned their AirTags’ for it.
The Manchester Evening News have recently tested an Apple AirTag with the cheaper Tile Tag to see if it matches up to shoppers’ comments. You can read the full comparison, here, but in short there are some notable differences and the main one being Tile’s discreet subscription plan.
As we said in our review: “Both Apple’s penny-sized AirTag and Tile’s tiny square tracker can locate any gadget thanks to Bluetooth. The devices let off a personal network which can be found by the user or any other Tile or AirTag user within a close proximity to the tag.
“The biggest difference between the two, and likely a huge selling point for many, is compatibility. Tile is miles ahead when it comes to working on a bigger range of smartphones, including Android, whilst Apple is not surprisingly restricted to its own iPhone.
“Another huge factor is price. Once you’ve paid for a pack or individual AirTag you won’t face any other costs; free app and no cost to look at the history. Tile however, charge an extra £2.99 a month or £29.99 a year for features which can be done for free on the AirTag. “
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#tracking #gadget #rivals #Apple #AirTags #perfect #tech #gift #Fathers #Day
