The Bluetooth tracker “Tile for Cats” needs to be updated

You may not be aware that Tile sells Bluetooth trackers for cats. Why not simply attach a tiny tracker to an inexpensive item and fasten it to your cat’s collar, you ask? That’s what Tile actually did. A Tile Sticker slapped on a cheap collar attachment feels like a missed opportunity at a time when Bluetooth-tracking firms should be reconsidering their strategy and reputation among consumers.

After a fairly long wait, Tile finally released Tile for Cats on Wednesday for $40, which is $10 more than the Cost of a single Tile Sticker. The product is referred to in Tile’s release as the straightforward answer that it is. Only “Tile Sticker with a silicone collar attachment” is combined.

And for the first time, Tile for Cats doesn’t feel like a novel, exciting product—nor does it appear to be one. Someone would probably create a DIY pet tracker if they wanted something that looked like one. Additionally, the device would likely have a more adorable name than “Tile” written on it, similar to this GPS pet tracker on Hackaday that reads “Squeak.”

Although Tile’s cat tracker was described as “comfortable,” “safe,” and “low-profile” in its announcement, the product’s bulkiness in online pictures doesn’t exactly scream cozy.

Although, according to Tile, the product has “dual attachment points and a special coating to prevent fur, dirt, and dust from sticking to it,” it is still intended to stay in place.

However, Tile for Cats doesn’t add any exciting features that you can’t get by putting your own DIY solution together. The 2022 tracker collection from Tile featured novel features like ultra-wideband radio technology and greater battery life, but Tile for Cats isn’t really revolutionary.

A missed chance to do better AirTags

It would have been a great opportunity for Tile to make an announcement that would have raised awareness of Bluetooth trackers. Growing competition is one of the causes. Despite Apple’s warning against the practice (dogs have eaten them and some have died), AirTags are frequently used for pet tracking. However, because AirTags do not support multiple Apple IDs, they are insufficient for pets with multiple owners. For Tile to fill, there are some pretty significant holes left, but it fell short.

By allowing Life360 customers to link Tile for Cat’s Tile Sticker so that people in their “Circle” of family and friends may view it, Tile almost succeeded. But, doing so required paying extra money for a Life360 subscription with services that some people may not need.

Additionally, Tile for Cats only focuses on cats, who frequently engage in impromptu games of hide and seek. The Tile Sticker’s standard 250-foot maximum range is greater than AirTags’ (around 33 feet). However, AirTags can tap Apple’s enormous Find My network when you are out of range of an AirTag you are looking for, giving it a much greater reach, which is crucial when tracking something with multiple legs. Even though the Tile Mate is also meant for general Bluetooth tracking, Tile still suggests it as a tracker for non-feline pets.

Chipolo, a company that began selling trackers in 2013, has been willing to working with Apple to incorporate Find My into its product.

The simple question is: Will the client be satisfied with the larger network? Chipolo co-founder Domen Barovic stated earlier this year to TechCrunch, “We concluded this is better. The initial finding network of Chipolo can be replaced more easily, he continued, “than trying to establish a vast network,” which is “extremely hard to achieve.”

We’re not advocating that Tile and Apple work together exclusively. Given the companies’ contentious past, that might be a little unsettling. However, Tile needs to create something because even the smallest players are figuring out how to grow the networks of their trackers. Even more urgently, there are indications that Google-branded Bluetooth trackers may be on the way shortly, with the potential to tap into a vast network of Android-based devices.