Anyone have experience with Android trackers?
You may be aware that Google recently updated their Find My Device network in an attempt to compete with Apple's Airtags. There are currently two products using this new network: Pebblebee and Chipolo. Reading some reviews, seems the Google network is still not ready for primetime.
Then I read about SAMSUNG Galaxy SmartTag2, which uses and requires a Samsung Galaxy phone to work, and other Android phones won't be part of that network. And next, I looked up market penetration of iPhone vs Samsung. In the US, iPhone wins and in Europe Samsung wins, so worldwide, they are pretty close.
So now I'm considering the Samsung tracker. Does anyone have any experience with it?
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I don't have experience with that specific tracker (i.e. SmartTag2), but I do have a different one for my Android (Samsung) phone called TILE. It has been around for a while, and I have never had any problems with it.
We had Tile some years ago. We did not like them. I think they were available before Apple and thought they were now obsolete. We use AirTags now and they were wonderful at tracking a bag that was delayed for four days earlier in the year but so frustrating too watching my bag do the rounds of the airport halfway round the world for a couple of days before it got on a plane home.
I currently have one Tile and it's mediocre. I keep it in my suitcase when I trvel and it's never been track unless I'm near it. that's why I'm looking for alternatives.
Hi...I have 2 of the SmartTag2 and didn't have any issues w/them. I have to rely on wifi when I travel internationally, but when I was able to connect, I was able to see my bags. I've only used them on 2 trips so far.
Yes, we have 2 of the SAMSUNG Galaxy SmartTag2 devices and have used them successfully on several international trips. We have used it to identify the location of our luggage primarily in airports and were able to see when the luggage had moved from the tarmac to the terminal, etc. I can imagine that these would be very useful for land tours as well. One caveat – be sure that your version of Samsung phone is compatible with the device. At the time we bought these devices, my previous Samsung phone was in the J series (not compatible) and therefore we had to use my wife’s A52 phone. We used with wifi and international data connections.
I've use the tile and did not like it, once I left the States it stopped working. I will definitely try the SmartTag2.
Thanks all. Just ordered a few on amazon.
One thing to be aware of. There are basically two location functions with the SmartTags. The nearby and the not nearby. The not nearby function is where you are out of range and relying on the Samsung network (i.e. other peoples Samsung phones) to locate your tag. This gives you an approximate location. This is what will tell you if you made it to Paris, but your bags are still at Heathrow (purely hypothetical, not picking on Heathrow
). The nearby function actually helps direct you to your tag when you are close. The nearby function only works with Samsung phones that support Ultra-wideband. Only the most recent one or twro phones in the S series support Ultra-wideband. So, if you're like me and have an A series phone, the nearby function does not work.
There are a number of good reviews on Youtube with real world tests.
Thanks, Ken. I updated my phone about 6 months ago (previous one was 5 years old), so yes, it has UWB. I bought a new car last year which supported digital key via phone over UWB, so I didn't have that functionality initially, but now I do.
I have two Eufy Smart trackers which use the Apple “Find my” and they work very well. As mentioned above they also use other users inputs.
The SmartTag2 worked very well on the trip to Nova Scotia and PEI.
We have the Apple Airtags on just about everything of value that we own including our dog. I have one in my wallet that was designed for the Airtag. I recently dropped my wallet in our gym locker room. When I asked the two guys at the desk if anyone had turned in a wallet they said ‘no’. I could see that my wallet was in the building but did not get a lock-on until I wandered by the opposite end of the ‘same’ desk where I had inquired. I tracked it down and then told one of the guys, “My wallet is in that drawer.”. He opened it and gave me my wallet. Either a case of ‘stupid and unhelpful’, or just flat dishonest. Anyway, without the Airtags I would not have ‘found’ my wallet. We have found our luggage a couple times.
Another handy feature of the Airtags is that they can be shared with other people. I shared our dog’s Airtag with our dog sitter/boarder which accomplished two things. 1. She can also find our dog should she ‘escape’. (and) 2. Her iPhone does not continuously warn her that an “unshared” Airtag is following her around.