106
people found this helpful, as of 2023
ranked #248,033 most helpful
out of 571,544,897 reviews
★★☆☆☆
Compare AirTag to Tile. Disappointed.
I was so excited to get one! I have Tiles on everything - in the car, wallet, keys, backpack. The Tile is not perfect, but it's packed with features that put AirTag to shame (see bullet points below). I give 2 ⭐️'s overall. It would be unreasonable to ignore the vast FindMe network and hopefully a pretty reliable experience. Why only 1 extra ⭐️ you may ask? Because Apple had a chance to learn from all the costly mistakes others have made in the tracking gadget business. Instead, we got something that is worse than the competition in almost any way.
There are plenty of reviews online that compare Tile and AirTag. I felt like a few points were missing. For instance, some respectful YouTubers simply say the range is not reported by Apple. Really? you have one in your pocket, you can measure the range! Guess what, It's not that good. In my testing, just a few walls make AirTag blind. You kind of have to be in the same room. Tile has no problems connecting even outside of the house.
For some, the only function they need is how to find (car keys) using a phone.
However, I found that I'm leaving behind my phone most of the time: If I'm driving, I certainly have my keys with me, but I might forget my phone. That's where the Tile has a huge advantage. All Tiles have a button you can press to make your phone ring. No button on AirTag is a bummer, and it cannot be fixed by a software update...
The last absolute bummer is that the AirTag is not usable with a wallet. I don't know about you, but I don't want a dongle on my wallet.
HERE WE GO:
Tile is better than AirTag:
- Much louder sound. Doesn't stop after 3 beeps.
- Much longer range. 100+ feet vs about 30 from an AirTag.
- Slimmer, even better - have different shapes.
- Can be attached to a key chainring.
- Can be used inside a wallet. No dangling (Tile slim).
- Has a button. Allowing two-way communication!!
- Sturdier. Tile pro has some serious metal framing going on.
- Has history.
- Sharing: you can share with anyone, not just members of your apple account. Do you have all you family and friends under the same iCloud? I don't. Can't share.
- Premium features (you have to pay for, though) like the phone separation alarm, unlimited sharing, and even item reimbursement.
Debatable:
- Size. Airtag is smaller than tile pro... Until you put it inside of a cover.
- Looks. I like how AirTag looks, my friends didn't like it.
AirtTg is better than Tile:
- user network. Yeah, it's huge. (But if you think about it, there is no credit for the AirTag developers)
Both have:
- replaceable battery
- accuracy: both have precision finder mode. The recent Tile app upgrade does the nearly the same job with locating the Tile. Including a handy vibration feature.
- value for money: about the same price.
Here is my solution. 😎 No doubt, the FindMe network is waaaaaay bigger than the Tile's. So, I will choose the most sensitive item and try to attach an AirTag to it. And for the rest, I will keep using Tile as it is more convenient.
Hope this help
P.s. I see some reviews talk about Tile vs AirTag, and give 5-star reviews... It seems like they have not been using the updated Tile products (judging by the complaints). Tiles now have a replaceable battery, much-improved software, and more. Those reviews are quite misleading, unfortunately.
May 2021 · Electronics · verified purchase
the product in question
Apple AirTag
4.7★ · 135,845 ratings, as of 2023