If “Tile” doesn’t ring a bell, don’t fret. For the past few years, it’s been crickets from the Bluetooth tracking technology company. While AirTags have stolen the lost-item-tracking thunder, Tile is coming back swinging with four renewed devices which double as personal safety devices.
Tile’s New Trackers Can Call For Help
In addition to helping you find lost items, Tile’s upgraded trackers will also incorporate an SOS alert feature. This is courtesy of Life360, a location safety app that acquired Tile in 2021. According to Tile’s press release, clicking your Tile device three times will trigger a silent alert to your emergency contacts. Of course, it’s easy to see how this could be vital in dangerous situations where you might not be able to make a call.
Tile announced that its four new trackers are now available for purchase. Their price tags depend on features like Bluetooth range and size:
While the Mate and Pro models are designed to attach to keys, backpacks and other bulkier items, the Slim and Sticker can slide into wallets and adhere to “loseables,” respectively. All are water-resistant and produce a ringing sound to help you locate your lost items when in range. Tile trackers are all integrated with the Life360 app, which operates like Apple’s Find My Friends, so you can spot your missing stuff on a digital map. The Tile Pro also boasts the longest Bluetooth range at 500 feet. That’s a 100-foot jump from its older version, earning it the highest dollar amount on the menu.
Additional Safety Comes at a Price?
While all new Tile models feature the SOS alert capable of reaching your friends and family, you can also pay for a subscription with Life360 for that alert to go to a third-party dispatcher. This dispatcher will then coordinate with local medical and law enforcement personnel to get you efficient help. That subscription is tiered:
So, if you’re a Platinum member, do you receive your emergency care faster than a Gold member? It’s not quite as simple as that. According to Life360’s website, a Platinum subscription may offer higher reimbursements for stolen assets, but the same emergency dispatch services appear to be included in both tiers.
The Future of Tracking and Safety Services
Putting a price tag on emergency care seems a little dystopian to me, but perhaps I’m overthinking. It is, after all, a specialty service to supplement existing national or regional emergency systems. Still, you’d hope everyone would have equal access to emergency care regardless of income. But this is not necessarily Tile’s societal problem to solve.
Despite the capitalism rant, the release does deliver wider access to location tracking technology. When comparing Apple’s AirTag with Tile, a key difference is that the latter is compatible with both iOS and Android devices, democratizing location and SOS services. Maybe, the release will even inspire some evolution to Apple’s AirTags in the future. Tile’s discreet safety feature could be a truly life-changing upgrade—as long as you don’t lose your tile that’s attached to, you know, that thing you always lose.
