Apple AirTag
[{'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2021', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': "Got it for my cat. It's slightly on the big side (see picture) but he's handling it well; no issues so far. It's not for pinpointing his location but gives me an idea of where he is in the neighborhood so I can call him if necessary. To minimize size, get a keychain holder with just the rim"}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2021', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-4 review-rating', 'review_body': 'Pros:__________\n• No weight issues what-so-ever. There will be no problems with this on keys, bags, etc.\n• A simple compact design that doesn’t draw attention.\n• Setup took seconds to get ready as the software is already on the current IOS.\n• Waterproof with an IP67 rating. This means it can take the rain or even if it’s dropped in a deep puddle. Overall, it can hold against Mother Nature.\n• Battery replacement is quick and painless.\n• Thank you Apple for not making your own expensive battery for this. The battery inside is a CR2032. These usually last one year and are super cheap to get. You can find them at the checkout lines of a grocery store such as Walmart (and of course Amazon).\n• With Apple’s ultra wideband technology, the precision location feature is the highlight for this device. If you’re in the area of your Airtag, this feature will guide you to where the tracker is. I put my Airtag in a book, under my bed, even in the fridge and my iPhone 12 gave me visual arrows on where to go. When I got near it, the speakers on it begin the beep. This method is fantastic because you’re able to use sight and sound to find your Airtag.\n• Left my Airtag near my colleague and walked probably one block away from the location. I turned on the lost mode, which will be in the setting of Apple’s “Find My” app, and boom, showed me right where I left it. This is thanks because my colleague had an iPhone 11 and my Airtag was able to connect with it. By putting it in lost mode, it allows other your Airtag to connect with other Apple iPhones in order to help you see where it was last spotted.\n• Adding from above, my colleague was able to quickly scan my Airtag, revealing the contact info that I approved. The whole process took less than 20 seconds for him.\n• In regards to privacy, your Airtag doesn’t store your location data for public viewing. All info about your location is encrypted and anonymized.\n• No fear of being tracked because if someone puts their Airtag near/on you, your iPhone will notify you if there is an Airtag near you (the current IOS already has the software to notify you, even if you don’t have an Airtag). Just like the one ring from LOTR, it wants to be found.\n• I felt the speakers on the device are loud enough to not only grab your attention but also grab the attention of strangers, if you left it in a public location.\n• Overall, all Airtags that are separated from their owners, for a while, will play its beeping sound in order to alert anyone around.\n• You don’t need to have Bluetooth always on for your iPhone. In other words, it will not affect the battery usage of the phone itself.\n• Yes, you can have more than one Airtag on file for your iPhone to track.\n• If you borrowed your friend’s bag, which has on their own Airtag, you can choose to pause the alerts on your end so it won’t keep harassing you.\n• A neat perk I also found is when just to ask your Siri where your Airtag is, the Airtag’s beeping chime will being to play.\n• The scanning feature works on any latest android phones. Anyone with an android will be able to scan the Airtag to reveal your contact info. Cheers to that.\n\nCons and Oks:__________\n• The Airtag will scratch and you will need to accept it. My only advice is to stick with the white color because that will hide some of the worse scratches (except in the middle).\n• It’s small enough to put it on a keychain but sadly too large/bulky to put it inside your wallet.\n• The accessories cost with this can almost equal what you paid the Airtag itself, even more.\n• If you have an Android this will not work. As mentioned, you’re able to scan an Airtag to discover the contact info, but that’s it.\n• This is not a device to be put on your dog, or your child, because the device will not give you “real-time” tracking. It relies on the connections with other iPhones to help give an accurate, but not exact, location.\n• If there are no iPhones in the area, or if you travel into the world of nature, this device will not work. The good news is that there are billions of iPhones throughout the world, but still not every location will have an iPhone (with an update IOS).\n• On average I got around an 20-30ft of distance that the Airtag can connect with my iPhone, while not losing the signal. This is alright, I know for some this might be a bummer (not to me).\n• You won’t be able to share your location. It would be great to have this feature because it can no doubt help speed up tracking down your misplaced item, especially if you’re not in the area and someone you know is.\n• The Airtag doesn’t alert you if you leave it behind. You first have to realize that you don’t have the item, then proceed to use your iPhone to find it.\n• No built-in altimeter. For example, if you lose your Airtag in a 20-story building, the Airtag will tell you it’s in the building (if they’re iPhone around) but won’t be able to pinpoint the height level, or floor, it’s on.\n• Important Note: I’ve noticed a couple of times that if the Airtag was too far away for my iPhone to connect with it, and there were no other iPhones around, you’re standing in a dead spot (not connection). If this happens you just need to walk around until the Airtag can connect with your iPhone. Still, as I stated above, the Airtag only works if there are iPhones in the area.\n• Apple’s precision location is only available in the U1 chip, meaning only iPhones 11 and above will only able to use this feature.\n• There are some countries that will not work for Airtags, even if there are iPhones around. I was informed that countries such as like Russia and Indonesia, but this can be updated (something to keep an eye out, if you’re traveling).\n• The more remote you are, the less reliable the Airtag is.\n• A lot of this system relies on good Samaritans to reach out to you if they find your Airtag. Sadly, this depends on where you live.\n\nBottom Line:__________\n\nI see this device helping three types of people. One, the one that keeps losing their stuff in public places such as subways, buses, places where people are. Two, the ones that keep losing their stuff at home every day such as keys, purses, stuff you can’t leave the house with. Three, a mix of both.\n\nIt’s important to note that the Airtag isn’t a “real-time” tracker. It only works if iPhones are in the area, so don’t attach this to your dog. You will also get scratches on it, so accept that as well. Other than the precision location feature, it’s the similar tracking technology that’s out there. This also means it has the same flaws as well.\n\nIn the end, the Airtag is an effective tracking device, requiring nothing more than an iPhone, which most already own. I found the layout responsive, accurate, and overall a useful tool. What I loved most was the precision location feature, as I can see that as a lifesaver if you need to find something in a hurry. On top of all this, my thumbs up to Apple in regards to the privacy issue. The fear of someone knowing your location, or worse being tracked, is dead in the water. For a device like this, privacy is essential, and Apple understood it.\n\nOverall: An excellent tracking device, but only built exclusively for the Apple community.\n\nHope I was a help to you.\nLove,\nHonest Reviewer'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2021', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-4 review-rating', 'review_body': 'I absolutely love these Airtags (I have 6). For anyone already in the Apple ecosystem, they’re outstanding at helping to find lost items.\n\nHowever, for anyone with children, you need to be aware that the battery compartment is too easily accessed. There are some cases that are more difficult to open, that I would strongly urge parents to look into before investing in these. The batteries are easily swallowed and a toddler in my city, swallowed one a couple of months ago, and sadly died when the battery’s acid leaked through her stomach. Parents beware.'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2021', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-4 review-rating', 'review_body': " *Note- Video shows the sound the Airtag makes when you select 'Play Sound' from your iPhone*\n\nAirtags are Apple's entry in the smart tag market; an accessory to help locate devices you might lose. Tile and Samsung have similar products, but the big advantage that Airtags have over other smart tag devices is the connection to the FindMy network, which allows any nearby Apple devices to help locate your Airtag. This is a big deal for iPhone users.\n\nSo the idea is, you attach the Airtag to something like your keys for example, and then if you lose your keys you can find them in three ways: you can use your phone to make the Airtag beep, you can use Precision Finding to have your phone point you to where the Airtag is, or if it is really far away, it will use the FindMy network to locate the Airtag based on signals received from other iPhone users that are near your Airtag.\n\nHere are my thoughts so far:\n\nPROS:\n\nSETUP: Setup for these Airtags is incredibly easy. Just pull the tab off of the battery shield, hold the Airtag near your iPhone, and it will be detected and prompt you to name the Airtag. Then you associate it with your Apple account, and you're done.\nNETWORK: This is the biggest advantage Apple has, because being connected to the FindMy network increases the odds that there will be someone nearby your device if you lose it. Tile uses their mesh network to help you find lost devices, but there are nowhere near as many Tile app users as there are Apple users on the FindMy network. For iPhone users, this means you are much more likely to find a lost Airtag than a lost Tile.\nPRECISION FINDING: (This feature requires an iPhone 11 or 12) If you are within about 30 feet, you can use the Precision Finding option that points you in the direction of the Airtag from your phone, telling you about how far away it is and what direction it is in. This is super useful around the house to find a nearby Airtag.\nNFC TAG: You can set a phone number and message for anyone that might find your Airtag, so even Android users can scan the Airtag with NFC, and get that information about who it belongs to, so they can contact you to return it. Apple users can also report a found device through the FindyMy network.\nIP67 WATERPROOF: IP67 means the unit can be dropped into a body of water up to a meter deep, for up to half an hour. I haven't tested this out, but it is nice to know that the Airtags have this protection.\n\nCONS:\n\nDURABILITY: The Airtag seems to scratch pretty easily on the metal side. Even within 24 hours of test use, the metal side already has a few scratches on it. This might not be a big deal if it is just cosmetic damage, hopefully it won't affect the device's functionality in the long run, but I still would've rather had it be just plastic on both sides to avoid these scratches.\nNO LOCATE PHONE OPTION: Having used Tile devices for years, I have found it to be super useful to be able to have two-way location ability; being able to push a button on the Tile device to locate my phone in case I misplace it. You can't do that with the Airtags.\nNO KEY RING LOOP: Users of Tile or Samsung Smart Tags are probably accustomed to being able to attach their smart tag devices directly to a key chain via a built in small loop, without having to buy another accessory. These Airtags don't have a loop, and you have to buy an accessory, which Apple currently sells for about $35. There are less expensive options from 3rd party vendors like Belkin for around $12, but still I was a little bit annoyed to have to spend more money to attach the Airtag to a keychain.\n\nOVERALL:\n\nSo, at first I wanted to compare these Airtags to the other smart tag devices from Tile and Samsung. But actually, if you primarily use an iPhone, there really isn't much of a choice. The fact that these are connected to the FindMy network, the ease of setup, and the Precision Finding option for newer iPhones, makes it hard to chose anything else. Again, I personally love Tile's ability to also locate my phone from my keys, but if you mainly use an iPhone, then technically you have the FindMy network to try to locate your phone anyway.\n\nSo in summary, most Android users will probably stick with Tile, Samsung S20/21 users should try Samsung SmartTags because the AR find is pretty cool and the smart device integration is nice, but all iPhone users should go with Airtags. Hopefully they will add new features in the future.\n\n*Pictures show Airtag next to a quarter for size reference, and then 'connect' screen that pops up when you put Airtag near your phone for the first time*"}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2021', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-1 review-rating', 'review_body': "I bought this for my IPhone XR was extremely dissapointed that Precision Tracking won't work with it. The page is unclear and doesn't mention compatibility for IPhones. It should at least say it would for for IPhone 11 and up."}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2021', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': ' This is the best product ever! Before that, I used different devices to find things. But Apple airtag exceeded my expectations !!!'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2021', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-4 review-rating', 'review_body': 'If you have had tile products in the past I promise you that this is much better! I think It’s funny how Tile is complaining about Apple getting into this line of technology. Tile is only had 5 to 10 years to make their products better and they haven’t. This is payback for me buying a tile that you could not replace the battery in.\n\nAlso it does not come with a holder so it’s pretty much unusable until you can get one if you’re using it on your keys highly suggest buying one right away.'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2021', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-5 review-rating', 'review_body': 'SUMMARY: I used the airtag in checked luggage on flight, it started telling me distance when ~ 20 feet away and counted down the distance as it came up to me on the moving conveyer.\n\nADDITIONAL DETAILS: I got this before an airplane trip with two layovers and a borrowed piece of luggage. I put it in my luggage and when I changed planes it was able to confirm that the luggage was on (or near) my new aircraft. During the layover in Atlanta, it also gave me an additional location that was in between my arrival and departure gates and not near me.\n\nWhen I arrived at my destination, I stood back and waited for the airtag to let me know the luggage was near. When it alerted for a distance, I walked up to the circular conveyor and it counted down the distance. I was a little way away from the ramp that brought luggage from overhead to the circular conveyor and initially thought the luggage was on the ramp so was watching that ramp for it. However, the distance counted down and when it got to "2 feet" from me I finally looked down at the circular conveyor and there was the bag right next to me.\n\nI was using an iphone 12, so had the U1 chip for precise location tracking.'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2021', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-1 review-rating', 'review_body': 'First of all, I bought this as a tracker for my autistic son. I put it in his shoe. If you want to know if it works for location, it does. However I think the most important issue is the fact that it pops up on every single iPhone that’s around. Not only that it tells that iPhone what your previous locations were. Meaning it can tell you where your home address is and it allows any other iPhone to Bing your air tag to find out exactly where it is. My son is in high school so there are a lot of bullies around. All they have to do is press a couple buttons on their phone, and my son shoe goes off? Because that’s where I have it? This is a serious flaw !!!! this is completely dangerous!!!\napple really missed the mark here. Why would any woman wanna have this on her keychain or anywhere knowing that any person surrounding her can literally track her location and see where she just came from?!?!?!?!\n\nNEGATIVE STARS!!!!'}, {'review_meta': 'Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2021', 'review_star': 'a-icon a-icon-star a-star-1 review-rating', 'review_body': "I used the competitor (Tile) for this product a few years back but at the time they were expensive and after a year the batteries died and didn't want to buy another 4 pack even though I did like the product. When I saw this new Apple key finder I thought this would be great since it allows you to replace the battery yourself when it dies (I think you can do that on Tiles now, but check that for yourself). So I like that you can easily change the battery but that that is the only thing I like. One of the best functions of the Tile (no, really, I don't work for Tile) was that if you could not find your phone, but had your Tile on your keys, backpack whatever, you could just squeeze your tile and it would make your phone chirp loudly. So, basically, with Tile you use it to find your keys with your phone, or find your phone with your keys. The Air Tag doesn't do that. I just assumed since they are both Apple products it would do it. It's kind of a no brainer... and their leading competitor has done it for years. Then I found the chirp on the airtag is very low, and it only chirps 3 times. Also, there is only 1 Airtag model and it is thick. Tile has one that is really thin. So thin I had it in my wallet.\nBut the thing that I really don't like about the Airtag and why I'm going to return it, is because it forces you to turn on 2 step Authentication for your Apple account - permanently! (you have 2 weeks after you turn it on to turn it off. But then you never can turn it off) Everyone is different but personally, I'm more worried about 2 Step locking me out of my phone because I don't have another Apple device with me while on vacation if I for some reason need to resign in (like after an update) than I am of someone hacking into my ICloud to steal my vacation pictures. And the fact that after 2 weeks you can never turn it off really annoys me. Apple really tries every trick in the book to get you to turn on 2 step Authentication and since the AirTag really is a sub par product, I'm wondering if the only reason they came out with it was to get more people to turn on 2 Step."}]