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Can someone explain to me (because I cannot work it myself) why everyone is suddenly worried about AirTags yet these kinds of devices have been around for a whi

Can someone explain to me (because I cannot work it myself) why everyone is suddenly worried about AirTags yet these kinds of devices have been around for a while (eg the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag was released last year and little was talked about it). And GPS tracking isn't even a new thing either. So why is it most conversations focus on the AirTag? What is it that the AirTag does better/worse/differently to the other options out there?

xondono 5y ago
Because there is vibrant a market for content hating on Apple, from forums, to magazines, podcasts,…
orev 5y ago
AirTags do sort of change the tracking game. GPS trackers need a relatively large power supply and some kind of data connection. Tile devices are not ubiquitous, and their tracking network is limited to other Tile users. AirTags have a huge advantage in that they use ALL iPhones as part of the tracking network, regardless of whether the iPhone owner has an AirTag themself. This allows them to work over short ranges with a tiny battery as they only need to be close enough to any iPhone for them to be trackable.
darkwizard42 5y ago
- Massively improved battery life vs. price - No network connectivity required, simply being near an iPhone creates location accuracy (so instantly a bigger network than any competitor) Probably the two biggest things right there.
andrewaylett 5y ago
Apple may not have invented the technology, but they've definitely popularised it. Sounds familiar :P. AirTags are (at least as far as I can tell) maybe a bit easier to use for this purpose than other tech, but that's not quite the point: we didn't have these discussions earlier because people didn't realise they were discussions we needed to have. As another data point, I've met several people who put AirTags on their dogs, and have been disappointed by how poorly they've worked: if the dog runs off and there's no-one with an iPhone around, the AirTag is no help. I have a battery-powered GPS and GPRS tracker on my dog, which works just about anywhere. The AirTag-using dog owners just don't know these things exist.
xeromal 5y ago
Because Samsung or Tile is a subset of a subset compared to Apple. When apple does something, hundreds of millions of people are instantly involved. The scale is what matters.
- apetrovic 5y ago
  So, basically, the argument is that is ok to make shitty tracker.
babypuncher 5y ago
Any time an iPhone, iPad, or newer MacBook sees an AirTag, its location is reported back to the owner. Apple devices are so ubiquitous that you can effectively get real time tracking anywhere in the developed world where there are people. Similar products like Tile have existed for years, but their real-time tracking abilities are poor because they rely on a network of devices that have their app installed and running in the background.
tqi 5y ago
Well, I think that no one talked about it until now doesn't mean these concerns are invalid. That said, I think these concerns are way overblown and coverage/conversation is largely driven by a larger narrative pushed by news outlets.
- hnlmorg 5y ago
  You're arguing a completely different point. I didn't ask if the concerns are valid, I asked why the argument is a hot topic right now with Apple at the centre of it when Apple are not the only ones (nor even the first) to make such technology. The other comments (eg about Apple popularising the tech and discussing how AirTags differs from existing solutions) explains this situation.

xondono 5y ago

Because there is vibrant a market for content hating on Apple, from forums, to magazines, podcasts,…

orev 5y ago

AirTags do sort of change the tracking game. GPS trackers need a relatively large power supply and some kind of data connection. Tile devices are not ubiquitous, and their tracking network is limited to other Tile users. AirTags have a huge advantage in that they use ALL iPhones as part of the tracking network, regardless of whether the iPhone owner has an AirTag themself. This allows them to work over short ranges with a tiny battery as they only need to be close enough to any iPhone for them to be trackable.

darkwizard42 5y ago

- Massively improved battery life vs. price - No network connectivity required, simply being near an iPhone creates location accuracy (so instantly a bigger network than any competitor) Probably the two biggest things right there.

andrewaylett 5y ago

Apple may not have invented the technology, but they've definitely popularised it. Sounds familiar :P. AirTags are (at least as far as I can tell) maybe a bit easier to use for this purpose than other tech, but that's not quite the point: we didn't have these discussions earlier because people didn't realise they were discussions we needed to have. As another data point, I've met several people who put AirTags on their dogs, and have been disappointed by how poorly they've worked: if the dog runs off and there's no-one with an iPhone around, the AirTag is no help. I have a battery-powered GPS and GPRS tracker on my dog, which works just about anywhere. The AirTag-using dog owners just don't know these things exist.

xeromal 5y ago

Because Samsung or Tile is a subset of a subset compared to Apple. When apple does something, hundreds of millions of people are instantly involved. The scale is what matters.

apetrovic 5y ago
So, basically, the argument is that is ok to make shitty tracker.

babypuncher 5y ago

Any time an iPhone, iPad, or newer MacBook sees an AirTag, its location is reported back to the owner. Apple devices are so ubiquitous that you can effectively get real time tracking anywhere in the developed world where there are people. Similar products like Tile have existed for years, but their real-time tracking abilities are poor because they rely on a network of devices that have their app installed and running in the background.

tqi 5y ago

Well, I think that no one talked about it until now doesn't mean these concerns are invalid. That said, I think these concerns are way overblown and coverage/conversation is largely driven by a larger narrative pushed by news outlets.

hnlmorg 5y ago
You're arguing a completely different point. I didn't ask if the concerns are valid, I asked why the argument is a hot topic right now with Apple at the centre of it when Apple are not the only ones (nor even the first) to make such technology. The other comments (eg about Apple popularising the tech and discussing how AirTags differs from existing solutions) explains this situation.