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The Tile ultra key finder was supposed to launch this year, so what happened?
The ultra-wideband AirTag competitor was supposed to launch in early 2022, but it’s still not here
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A year ago, the tech world was in a state of frenzy over ultra-wideband key finders. Unlike your bog-standard Bluetooth key finder, ones built with ultra-wideband (UWB) tech would help you locate your stuff with even more precision, by guiding you directly to your item in an augmented-reality overlay.
Samsung was the first to roll out an ultra-wideband key finder, with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy smart tag plus in January 2021, then Apple got involved and made key finders a big deal with the launch of the AirTag in May that year.
But before there was Samsung and Apple, there was Tile. The absolute market leader in item-finding gadgetry announced a suite of new products towards the back end of 2021, when it launched a new Tile pro (£29.95, Amazon.co.uk), Tile mate (£14.99, Amazon.co.uk), Tile sticker (£24.99, Amazon.co.uk) and Tile slim (£29.99, Currys.co.uk). While they all received improvements in range and design, the real star of the show was the Tile ultra.
The company’s first key finder to utilise ultra-wideband technology, the Tile ultra would enable the godfather of key finding tech to take on Apple’s AirTag and Samsung’s Galaxy smart tag+. More importantly, It would be the first UWB tracker to work with both Android and iOS devices equally. In addition to Bluetooth, Tile’s integration of ultra-wideband would help you locate your item more precisely with turn-by-turn directions. It looked like a game-changing device for the company, except it’s still not here.
While Tile didn’t reveal a release date or a price for the Tile ultra when it announced the device last year, it said it would be coming in early 2022. Well, we’re almost at the end of 2022 now and the Tile ultra still isn’t here. So, what’s going on?
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To find the Tile ultra, we need to wind back the clock to its initial announcement. On 22 November 2021 – a month after Tile revealed the new UWB device to the world – self-described “family safety” company Life360 announced it was acquiring the popular key-finding brand in a deal worth $205m (£187m).
Life360 is a family-focused location-based platform that enables you to view family members’ real-time whereabouts; receive notifications when someone enters or leaves a specific location, and navigate directly to a member. With Tile on board, you’ll be able to track items, pets (following its Jiobit acquisition), as well as people, all on one platform.
While Tile’s parent company has found itself marred by controversy since its acquisition – after a December 2021 report from The Markup claimed Life360 had been selling location data of its users (to up to a dozen data brokers) since 2016 – it’s probably not the reason why the Tile ultra hasn’t yet launched.
In an August earnings report, Life360 hinted it was going to reposition its hardware strategy ahead of the holiday period, with the company indicating it would focus on memberships and subscriptions, but also that it would start to bundle together Life360 with Tile key finder products, something it has already started doing with the Tile mate.
While Life360 busies itself integrating Tile into its ecosystem, it seems the Tile takeover has also meant the launch of the revolutionary Tile ultra has been delayed. “Following the acquisition by Life360, we are reviewing the timing of our collective product launches,” a Tile spokesperson told The Independent.
The earnings report does imply the company is gearing up for a product and subscription push ahead of Christmas, but we don’t know if that means the Tile ultra is part of that package.
Tile says the device is still coming, just not yet, which isn’t a surprise, considering it missed its “early 2022” schedule. “We prioritise our product development and launches based on what we believe will provide the best value to our customers. Right now, our focus is on delivering our vision of a cross-platform solution that enables location-based finding of people, pets and things through the integration of Tile and Jiobit,” the spokesperson added. “We continue to have the Tile Ultra product with UWB technology in our product pipeline.”
If you’ve grown tired waiting for Tile to launch the Tile ultra and want an ultra-wideband key finder, we’d recommend picking up one of Apple’s AirTags or the Samsung Galaxy smart tag plus. If you’d prefer to stick with Tile, the Tile pro and Tile mate are still both capable Bluetooth item trackers, just without the precision.
Apple AirTag: £29, Amazon.co.uk
The AirTag is Apple’s first key finder aimed at iOS users. It uses Bluetooth to help you track down your item when its out of range and ultra-wideband when it’s close by, helping you more precisely locate your stuff. “Precision tracking works wonderfully well when you can get a signal, and the fact it’s powered by removable batteries is a real bonus,” our writer said in their review. “As with many things Find My, there’s strength in numbers. There are just so many devices connected to the Find My network that you’ll always be able to locate your AirTag if it goes awol.”
Samsung Galaxy smart tag plus: £29.89, Amazon.co.uk
Samsung has been in the key-finding game for a while, but the Samsung Galaxy smart tag plus is the company’s first UWB tracker for Samsung Galaxy owners, helping you get more precise directions to your item. Finding a lost smart tag is quick and easy, provided you’re in an area with a lot of fellow Samsung Galaxy users, but there’s also a button on this device for added functionality. “Being able to control smart home devices, like lighting, with the tag’s button is a really neat touch that is convenient and works well,” our writer said in their review of the tracker. “It works well, and is ideally suited to Samsung Galaxy users who are already invested in the company’s SmartThings ecosystem.”
Tile pro: £29.99, Amazon.co.uk
The Tile pro is a well-rounded Bluetooth tracker that does one job very well, and it’s handy because it works with both Android and iOS devices, and has the biggest range of all Tile’s trackers. That said, there’s no UWB tech. “It is smartly designed, will hook onto your keys and slip into a pocket with minimal fuss, then offers a lifeline if those keys are misplaced,” our writer said in their review. “The Tile pro still works perfectly when in Bluetooth range, and its speaker is especially loud. But, when lost in the real world, its ability to be found depends as much on population density, and therefore the number of nearby Tile users, as luck.”
Tile mate: £14.99, Amazon.co.uk
If you’re looking for a non-UWB budget option that works with your device – iOS or Android – look no further than the Tile mate. It’s a little quieter than the Tile pro, has a shorter Bluetooth range and has no replaceable battery, but it’s cheap, cheerful and gets the job done. “Everyone can benefit from attaching a Tile mate to their keys or bag, and especially Android users, as the AirTag only works with iPhones,” our writer said in their review. “The Tile mate is cheaper than Apple’s version, and the integrated hole means it can be attached to keys without needing to buy a case.”
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