5 ms·

On Amazon I see them as low as 5 for $13 {GPS tracking tags. No need to buy Apple}

minhazm 4y ago
I'm not sure what you're seeing but you're definitely not seeing genuine AirTags 5 for $13. More likely you're seeing the AirTag holders for that price.
- linooma_ 4y ago
  >> No need to buy Apple > you're definitely not seeing genuine AirTags 5 for $13 I didn't see anything in the comment which suggested they were. It is specifically points out there are devices not produced by Apple. Third parties can create compatible devices: https://developer.apple.com/find-my/ https://developer.apple.com/find-my/
  - matthewdgreen 4y ago
    The advantage of AirTags is the large phone tracking network: every recent iPhone defaults to tracking them. That's hundreds of millions of devices globally, with probably even more density in the US. The main competitors (Tile and Samsung) have much smaller networks. I'm not sure what network you'd get with generic "Bluetooth Tracker" tags: technically it could be Apple but I can't find any evidence for such products online.
    - devmor 4y ago
      I am convinced you are not reading the things you reply to. That person specifically noted and gave you a reference to how those 3rd party tags use Apple's own network.
      - matthewdgreen 4y ago
        > That person specifically noted and gave you a reference to how those 3rd party tags use Apple's own network. What is the clear reference? One person said they searched GPS tracker tags on Amazon and the other gave a link to Apple’s licensing program which in turn links to NDAs and contractual agreements as well a multi-step design and approval process. There seem to be some knock-offs claiming they work with Find My, but there’s all sorts of weird counterfeit crap on Amazon. Do you have links to a product that’s actually licensed/supported by Apple (ie works and will keep working), because that’s what surprised me.
        MVorlm 4y ago
        https://chipolo.net/en-us/products/category/chipolo-spot https://chipolo.net/en-us/products/category/chipolo-spot https://www.apple.com/shop/product/HQF72ZM/A/chipolo-card-spot-wallet-finder https://www.apple.com/shop/product/HQF72ZM/A/chipolo-card-sp... I own one, and it works just like an airtag and appears in the find my app. It doesn't have precision feature but everything else works(like using the apple/iphone network to find it)
        deleted 4y ago
        [deleted]
        dotancohen 4y ago
        Is a Apple device required to actually find the tag? Is there an Android app?
  - sgtnoodle 4y ago
    The off-brand ones lack a sufficiently large network to be used for tracking. They're only good for finding stuff in range of your own phone.
    - imp0cat 4y ago
      What do you mean? They can use the same network of Apple devices.
      - sgtnoodle 4y ago
        How? Airtags only work because Apple uses any iPhone with BLE support as a detector, whether or not an app is installed. An off-brand BLE beacon would require an app to work at all, and I highly doubt Apple would make it easy for a third party app to run all the time in the background.
        mrb 4y ago
        According to https://developer.apple.com/find-my/ https://developer.apple.com/find-my/ manufacturers of third party hardware CAN leverage the iPhone BLE network to connect to the FindMy network.
        sgtnoodle 4y ago
        That's pretty neat. I wonder, is the user experience any worse than using airtags? Or is it functionally the same?
tomcam 4y ago
Link plz?
Tyr42 4y ago
Yeah I investigated a few. The ones I checked were Bluetooth and used your phones GPS to mark their location. So like, if you left your keys somewhere, you'd know where they were when you walked away, but not where they are afterwards.
- notatoad 4y ago
  I've been using atuvos tags, which work on the find my network (no third-party app required) and appear to work exactly the same as airtags with the exception of the LF radio for precise location finding - you just don't get the radar mode in the find my app. They cost half as much as legit airtags

I'm not sure what you're seeing but you're definitely not seeing genuine AirTags 5 for $13. More likely you're seeing the AirTag holders for that price.

linooma_ 4y ago
>> No need to buy Apple > you're definitely not seeing genuine AirTags 5 for $13 I didn't see anything in the comment which suggested they were. It is specifically points out there are devices not produced by Apple. Third parties can create compatible devices: https://developer.apple.com/find-my/ https://developer.apple.com/find-my/
- matthewdgreen 4y ago
  The advantage of AirTags is the large phone tracking network: every recent iPhone defaults to tracking them. That's hundreds of millions of devices globally, with probably even more density in the US. The main competitors (Tile and Samsung) have much smaller networks. I'm not sure what network you'd get with generic "Bluetooth Tracker" tags: technically it could be Apple but I can't find any evidence for such products online.
  - devmor 4y ago
    I am convinced you are not reading the things you reply to. That person specifically noted and gave you a reference to how those 3rd party tags use Apple's own network.
    - matthewdgreen 4y ago
      > That person specifically noted and gave you a reference to how those 3rd party tags use Apple's own network. What is the clear reference? One person said they searched GPS tracker tags on Amazon and the other gave a link to Apple’s licensing program which in turn links to NDAs and contractual agreements as well a multi-step design and approval process. There seem to be some knock-offs claiming they work with Find My, but there’s all sorts of weird counterfeit crap on Amazon. Do you have links to a product that’s actually licensed/supported by Apple (ie works and will keep working), because that’s what surprised me.
      - MVorlm 4y ago
        https://chipolo.net/en-us/products/category/chipolo-spot https://chipolo.net/en-us/products/category/chipolo-spot https://www.apple.com/shop/product/HQF72ZM/A/chipolo-card-spot-wallet-finder https://www.apple.com/shop/product/HQF72ZM/A/chipolo-card-sp... I own one, and it works just like an airtag and appears in the find my app. It doesn't have precision feature but everything else works(like using the apple/iphone network to find it)
        deleted 4y ago
        [deleted]
        dotancohen 4y ago
        Is a Apple device required to actually find the tag? Is there an Android app?
- sgtnoodle 4y ago
  The off-brand ones lack a sufficiently large network to be used for tracking. They're only good for finding stuff in range of your own phone.
  - imp0cat 4y ago
    What do you mean? They can use the same network of Apple devices.
    - sgtnoodle 4y ago
      How? Airtags only work because Apple uses any iPhone with BLE support as a detector, whether or not an app is installed. An off-brand BLE beacon would require an app to work at all, and I highly doubt Apple would make it easy for a third party app to run all the time in the background.
      - mrb 4y ago
        According to https://developer.apple.com/find-my/ https://developer.apple.com/find-my/ manufacturers of third party hardware CAN leverage the iPhone BLE network to connect to the FindMy network.
        sgtnoodle 4y ago
        That's pretty neat. I wonder, is the user experience any worse than using airtags? Or is it functionally the same?

tomcam 4y ago

Link plz?

Tyr42 4y ago

Yeah I investigated a few. The ones I checked were Bluetooth and used your phones GPS to mark their location. So like, if you left your keys somewhere, you'd know where they were when you walked away, but not where they are afterwards.

notatoad 4y ago
I've been using atuvos tags, which work on the find my network (no third-party app required) and appear to work exactly the same as airtags with the exception of the LF radio for precise location finding - you just don't get the radar mode in the find my app. They cost half as much as legit airtags