Tile vs Apple – Which is better value for money?

When comparing the Tile and the AirTag value for money is a key thing to take into account especially when you are likely to buy more than one. Tile has a range of products depending on your needs starting with the Tile Sticker that costs £34.99 for 2 and going up to the Tile Pro at £30. The Tile Mate sits in the middle at £20 and is probably the best Tile choice for most users.

On the other hand Apple offer just the one product, the AirTag and it starts at £29 for 1 or £99 for a 4 pack.

This means the Tile is the better value for money however it’s incredibly close and whilst the Tile sticker works out at £17.50 each they don’t have replaceable batteries and so after 3 years you have to completely replace them.

AirTag vs Tile – Which Looks Better?

The look of something you’re going to be carrying around all the time is pretty important.

Tile have a range of designs but the Tile Mate and Tile Pro are the key ones to consider here. Both have a fairly thin square design with a space for a keychain in the top. They’re completely made of plastic and look pretty good.

The Apple AirTag on the other hand has a rounded look and whilst it is thicker than the Tile and has the same width the rounded design makes it feel smaller, it also feels much more premium to hold.

For me the Apple AirTag is better looking than the Tile.

Tile vs AirTag – The Features

In a ‘Tile vs AirTag’ match the most important aspect is the features so let’s talk about those.

Both the Tile and AirTag use the location of other devices to update the location of your tracker. The Tile uses other devices running the Tile app and this works well (especially given the many years Tile have spent making their trackers). The AirTag uses existing Apple devices which gives them an estimated 1 billion active devices to bounce off which means you’ve got a higher chance of the AirTag being found rather than your Tile.

If you want to find your AirTag or your Tile you do this within the app, you can see where it was last found and when it was found. You can also make your AirTag or Tile make a noise to help you find it (the AirTag is slightly louder) and you can put them both into Lost mode so you get an alert when it’s found.

An AirTag in lost mode also allows you to attach a telephone number to it so someone finding it can use NFC on Android to view your details or the Find My app on an Apple device to reunite you with you lost item. The Tile also has a reverse lost mode whereby you can use your Tile to locate your phone.

And that is where the similarities end because Apple’s AirTag has some extra features!

On top of being able to make a noise and having lost mode the AirTag also has some anti-tracking features which means your phone will alert you if someone else’s AirTag is travelling with you. This is one of Apple’s anti-stalker features and at the moment the alert only happens when you get to a significant location but hopefully Apple will improve this over time.

What about battery life and water-resistance?

Finally, if you care about the ins-and-outs then both Tile and AirTags are water resistant, have around a 1 year’s battery life with their replaceable batteries and use bluetooth.

In summary…

So…is the AirTag a Tile killer

I could spend a lot of time talking about the pros and cons of both (and I already have) but for Apple users there’s only one choice and that’s the AirTag. It costs a little more but with Apple’s massive infrastructure of devices you’re more likely to find your lost AirTag anywhere in the world compared to a lost Tile.

For that reason in the battle of Tile vs AirTag the AirTag wins!

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Tracking devices aren’t new…Tile have been making them for years (and credit to tile, their devices work really well) however Apple introducing tracking is a game changer and suddenly the tracker becomes an incredibly useful device.

What is an Airtag?

An AirTag is a small device that you attach to something (e.g. your keys) and your iPhone’s ‘Find My’ app then keeps track of where the AirTag is through the huge Apple device network. If you lose the item your AirTag is attached to your phone can help you find it.

Here are the reasons Apple users should be buying (at least) one on Friday when they’re released for pre-order.

How do AirTags work?

The chip inside Apple’s AirTag effectively bounces off other nearby Apple devices and with an estimated 1 billion active iPhone in the world (plus iPads, Macs, Apple Watch’s etc.) the AirTag already has a guarantee that wherever you accidentally lose your device with your AirTag attached there will be an Apple device nearby allowing you to easily find it.

Tile equally relies off other close-by devices running Tile but Apple’s network is going to be stronger straight away.

What Features Does the AirTag have?

These tiny devices from Apple weight just 11grams and have a height of just 8mm. On top of theat they’re splash, water and dust resistance, make make a noise to help you find them and have a replaceable CR2032 battery that should last for more than a year.

In addition Apple’s AirTags are ready to use with your phone without you needing another app…they just join your other devices in the excellent ‘Find My’ app!

Finally, if you stumble across a lost AirTag in the wild holding your iPhone close to it will show the owner’s name and telephone number (if they’ve enabled this feature) allowing you to reunite the item with its owner.

How good is the tracking on the AirTag?

Of course, if you lose you bag with your AirTag inside you can see on the map where it is but thanks to the U1 chip inside the AirTag those with the iPhone 11 upwards can also experience precision tracking once you’re closer to it with big full screen directions such as ’20ft to your right’ helping you easily find your item in a room!

How much does an Apple AirTag cost?

For once Apple have come up with a pretty reasonable price with AirTags costing $29 for 1 or $99 for a pack of 4. This makes them slightly more expensive than the bottom-end Tile device but incredibly affordable, you can even have them engraved with a couple of letters or your favourite emoji!

Where the price sneaks up is with the accessories. The cheapest official Apple AirTag keychain is the same cost as the AirTag but third party, cheaper options are already appearing on Amazon!

Does the AirTag respect my privacy?

Finally, let’s talk privacy. It’s no secret that Apple have basically gone to war with Facebook over believing data protection is a basic human right and in their keynote yesterday Apple were keen to echo the privacy credentials with their AirTag and have designed it to discourage unwanted tracking. Apple say that if someone else’s AirTag finds its way into your stuff and starts travelling with you it will send you an alert and these are only triggered when an AirTag is travelling separately from its owner.

Should I buy an AirTag?

In conclusion, I think Apple just killed Tile! The AirTag is an affordable, super-effective way to keep an eye on the devices that matter most to you and works with an already robust and secure infrastructure. I for one will be pre-ordering on Friday!

You can read our other reviews here or follow us on twitter.

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