Android Definitely Needs Something! 

I’ve been using an Android phone of some variation as my main phone for well over a year and as a Pixel 7 Pro owner, I’m well integrated into the Google ecosystem. 

I have the Pixel Watch as my main smartwatch and until very recently, the Google Pixel Buds Pro were my main earbuds. I also use a Chromebook for a wide range of tasks as well as Google Home. 

But there’s something that I seriously miss from the Apple ecosystem and that thing happens to be a reasonable alternative for the AirTag. 

I mean when I was in the Apple ecosystem, I had many AirTags for various things. I had one on my keys, I had one in my wallet and even my laptop bag. 

They are ideal for air travel. I used to put one in every bag in case one gets lost.

Believe it or not but there are other brands that existed before the AirTag, the obvious one being Tile, you also have Chipolo, Samsung and a handful of other smaller brands.

Having used most of the major options, I have yet to find a suitable alternative to use with my Google Pixel 7 Pro, and that’s when I realised that Google should bring out their own version.

What’s wrong with the other alternatives?

The best way for you to understand why I dislike the alternatives is for you to actually try an AirTag yourself and then try the other alternatives.

Based on my experience, Tile is good, but I feel the entire ecosystem needs improvement. I’m not too keen on having to pay for a subscription to have features that are already present in the AirTag either, such as notifications to say I’ve left my keys behind.

Believe it or not, I actually use Tile to track my keys at present. It’s built-in to the KeySmart Max key organiser which is highly worth the purchase! My only complaint about the KeySmart Max is that it doesn’t tell me when it’s time to recharge the battery.

I use an Ekster tracking card which is powered by Chipolo to track my wallet. I find the user interface of the Chipolo app to be very clean and user friendly and it even alerts me when I leave my wallet behind.

I have used the Samsung alternative and it was actually quite good but the biggest issue I have with it is the fact that it only works with Samsung phones, which in my opinion is a major missed opportunity.

With that being said, none of these options is a match for the Apple AirTag, not only is the App great, it can lead you directly to the product with the help of Precision Finding. The background also turns green if you are close to your air tag! 

How brilliant is that! I often find (no pun intended), that it’s the little things that make a big difference, that’s why I believe something as small as the background changing green when you’re close can really enhance the user experience.

But why should Google release one?

Google is currently hard at work building what I can only describe as a new and improved ecosystem. They’ve already done a brilliant job with the Pixel 7 Pro, the Pixel Watch as well as the new and improved Pixel Tablet which I truly believe is a game changer! 

That’s why I think this is the perfect time for Google to release a new tracker that will revolutionise tracking objects on Android. 

At the beginning of the year rumours emerged that Google was working on a new tracking tag called the G-Spot and I’m not making it up! They literally called it the G-Spot! 

By the looks of things, the rumour was definitely false as nothing has yet been mentioned about it and even if it was getting released, I seriously doubt they would call it the G-Spot.

But it got me excited as I genuinely believed that Google was working on something. 

On top of that, Google has recently released a major update to the Find My Device app, which gave the app a complete facelift. I think it gives Google another excuse to release a tracker.

Final Thoughts

Whether Google releases an alternative or not, your guess is as good as mine. But it would definitely be nice to see and I think it has the potential of being a great addition to the Google Pixel ecosystem.

In all fairness, it doesn’t even have to be Google. I want someone to release a tracker tag that will be compatible with all Android phones and maybe even iPhones. But if someone does release something, I want it to be as advanced as the AirTag with Precision Finding as well as any other useful features.

Do you use a tracking tag of some form? Let us know in the comments!