Tile plans to introduce item trackers with ultra-broadband support

Tile is positioned to compete with Apple’s airTags rumors and plans to present an updated series of item trackers that include an ultra-wideband chip (UWB) for more accurate tracking.

Apple’s ‌AirTags rum are rumored to include the ultra-broadband U1 chip that was added to the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 models. Apple’s ‌AirTags‌ U1 will be able to offer better tracking features than is possible with the Bluetooth alone, which means it’s a technology that Tile must combine to stay competitive.

According TechCrunch, Tile’s next 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 found in various versions of iOS, ‌AirTags‌ will also feature augmented reality to make it easier to find missing devices and accessories.

Previous Tile item trackers relied solely on Bluetooth, which is not as accurate as UWB because of the spatial data that the latest technology is capable of collecting.

As UWB offers spatial recognition features, it will be able to locate missing items inside or outside, even when you cannot hear the tracker’s ringtone. 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-story home.

The Tile application, in turn, will allow users to access 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.

The ‌iPhone 11‌ and ‌iPhone 12‌ models have U1 chips, and some Android phones support UWB, so these devices will be compatible with Tile’s next trackers. Apple provided third-party developers with access to the U1 chip in newer iPhones last year.

Conceptual art for Tile’s new item tracker suggests that it will look similar to existing Tile trackers, with square shape, center button, keychain attachment, and adhesive-compatible flat back.

Tile is planning 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 use its own app for the purpose of finding items.

There is no information on when Apple plans to launch ‌AirTags‌, and there are signs of them on various versions of iOS. Many rumors suggested that we would see them before the end of 2020, but Apple postponed the launch. Earlier this week, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said theAirTags‌ would be launched in 2021.