Tile is set to compete with Apple’s rumored AirTags and plans to introduce an updated series of item trackers that include an ultra broadband (UWB) chip for more accurate tracking.
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Conceptual tile art for the UWB crawler, using TechCrunch
Apple’s “AirTags” are said to include the ultra U1 broadband chip that has been added to the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 models. Apple’s “AirTags” will be able to offer better tracking capabilities that aren’t possible with just Bluetooth , which means that the technology that Tile has to match to remain competitive.
Seconds TechCrunchUpcoming Tile item trackers will also use augmented reality features to guide users to the location of a lost item using the Tile mobile app. Apple is working on a similar solution and, based on the code we have found in several versions of iOS, the “AirTags” will also rely on augmented reality to facilitate the search for missing devices and accessories.
Previous tile element trackers have relied solely on Bluetooth, which is not as accurate as UWB due to the spatial data that new technology is able to collect.
Because UWB offers spatial awareness features, you’ll be able to locate missing items inside or outside, even when you don’t hear the tracker’s bell. This can help when the missing item is buried under something (like a sofa cushion) or inside something like a dresser drawer, for example. It can also help you find items more easily in a larger space, such as a multi-storey house.
Meanwhile, the Tile app will allow users to start an AR-enabled camera view that will help guide them to the item’s location using overlays, such as directional arrows and an AR view of the item’s location. .
IPhone 11 and iPhone 12 models have U1 chips and some Android phones support UWB, so these devices will be compatible with upcoming Tile fans. Apple provided third-party developers access to the U1 chip in last year’s new iPhones.
The conceptual art of Tile’s new item tracker suggests that it will look similar to existing Tile trackers with a square shape, a center button, a keychain accessory, and a sticker-compatible flat back.
Tile plans to launch the new item trackers later this year and they will be compatible with iOS and Android devices. Apple has implemented a new system that allows item trackers to work within the Find My app, but it looks like Tile will take advantage of its own app for item location.
It is not known when Apple plans to release “AirTags” and there have been signs in several versions of iOS. Many rumors suggested we would see them before the end of 2020, but Apple has put up with the launch. Earlier this week, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the “AirTags” would be released sometime in 2021.