Portable trackers have had a bit of a rollercoaster of existence. Understandable concerns of privacy and real usage case, caused them to struggle to catch on in the market. Apple finally made them commonplace with the AirTag and has caused a resurgence in Bluetooth tracking devices. Tile has been here for some time, and you could argue they pretty much created the segment. With a renewed network and updated hardware, Tile trackers have become one of the best options for Android faithful.
New Hardware and Pro Models
The new refresh from this year has brought Tile an updated Sticker, Mate, Slim, and Pro. Each one of these offers a flexible lineup for users to use a Tile Tracker for multiple devices and scenarios. Each allows you to make sure your valuables have Bluetooth tracking capabilities.
The Tile Sticker is the smallest of the family, but still allows for up to 250 feet of tracking coverage. As the name implies, the Sticker has a adhesive strip on the back of each unit to be attached to the desired item for tracking. It’s a great way to add Tile tracking to something like a laptop or TV remote that may have limited ways for attaching the Tile.
The second refreshed model of 2024 is the Tile Slim. This Tile variant is positioned to be tossed into almost any item you want to track, but let’s be honest, it’s a wallet device. The unit is the same length and width and height of a credit card and extends the tracking Bluetooth radius to 350 feet. It’s almost not much thicker, with a thickness of around two cards stacked together.
- Purchase the Tile Slim from Tile $30 for black/$35 for colors
- Purchase the Tile Slim from Amazon $30 for black/$35 for colors
Next up is the slightly larger Tile Mate. This rounded-square Tile has a dedicated loop to easily attach this tracker to luggage, bags, or a purse. It’s available in a multitude of new colors to match your personality, has an internal battery capable of three years, and is sealed with IPX8 waterproof rating. It shares the same 350 feet of tracking as the Slim.
- Purchase the Tile Mate from Tile $25 for black/$28 for colors
- Purchase the Tile Mate from Amazon $25 for black/$28 for colors
Finally, we have the new “flagship” tracker of the Tile Pro. This is the most robust built, longest range, and honestly the best tracker in the lineup. You get IPX68 water resistance, 500 feet of radius, and the unit just feels slightly more premium than the rest. Like the Mate, you have a dedicated clip ring in the top left, making it a breeze to attach and go to any bag or item.
Fun Colors
Gone are the bland previous, single black models of the Tile lineup. The 2024 refresh sees the Slim, Mate, and Pro get multiple options for extending your personality to your tracker. While the Tile Pro only gets a black or white option, this is where the Mate and Slim shine.
The Mate is available in six variants, and the Slim with five. These are slightly muted neon colors and trim for the most part including pinks, blues, and greens. It’s a fun alternative to the single option of most trackers like the AirTag or many of the Android options.
Life360 and Universal Support
Let’s be real, unless these new Tile trackers to the main feature it’s built for, they are a massive fail. Thankfully, the OG of the portable tracker market still has tracking for your personal items covered with ease. Not only, does it do a great job, now being owned by Life30 extends it even further.
For those that may not know, Life360 is a family monitoring and safety app I’ve been using for years. You create a “circle” of those individuals most important to you and create checkpoints, or common locations, to track for the other family members to make sure you made it there OK. It comes with SOS features, roadside assistance, and driver monitoring.
Adding this network to the existing Tile network makes the 2024 iteration of these trackers the best option for a family with iOS and Android users. Unlike most options, the Tile app, and network, are available to use on both platforms. Honestly, it might be the best option period if you already have Life360. You can link the two platforms together and for, with a slight bump in cost, extend the functionality.
This new functionality allows for you to also see your valuables in the Life360 app and track them there. The new Tile lineup out of the box now offers an SOS feature by triple pressing the Life360 logo. Upgrading your subscription to the additional $2.99 per month/$29.99 per year up to $99.99 per year depending on Premium or Premium Protect plans detailed below.
Both of these plans get you Smart Alerts for when you leave the house and forget an item. You can share Tiles to have the family also see them and get a priority customer support if something does go wrong. Finally, the regular Premium tier gets you up to $100 for a lost item that can’t be recovered via tracking and the Premium Protect raises this insurance to $1000.
No-brainer?
The partnership of Tile hardware and Life360 makes the new Tile trackers one of the most feature-rich and largest networks available to monitor the location of your valuables. The new colors, better hardware with water resistance, and expanded features make it compelling for any user. If you are in the market for a personal tracker and already subscribe to Life360, it’s a no-brainer.
If this sounds good to you and your family, hit our links above to snag a new Tile by Life360 now. You can’t go wrong with any of the models, or if you need multiple, you have a flexible lineup to pair with the exact device needed.
