Tiny Bluetooth-enabled item tracker Tile shipped two years ago and was praised for its seamless and no-frills solution to finding misplaced items. Now the company is rolling out Tile Mate, a much thinner and lighter version of the original product.
In August, Tile unveiled Tile Slim, the same product but much thinner to fit in a person's wallet. The newly released Tile Mate, while not as thin as the Tile Slim, is still 25 percent thinner than the original Tile the company released two years ago, and it has a hole on the upper left corner so users can readily chain it along with keys or attach it to bags. It's also $5 cheaper than the Tile Slim at $25.
Tile Mate works pretty much the same as the ones before it. You can attach the tiny device to valuables such as gadgets, backpacks, luggage and more. It syncs with a mobile app to help you track your valuables if it goes missing. If the lost item is within a 100-foot Bluetooth range, Tile will emit a loud, continuous tune until you find the item. It also works both ways: if you've lost your phone, you can double press the device, and the phone will ring even on silent mode.
For some users, the 100-foot Bluetooth range may not be useful for situations where the item had been lost for quite some time, lapsing the maximum feasible proximity. The Tile functionality extends beyond the limited range since it boasts a community of 6 million Tile owners who can help find other people's items even if they're not within proximity. Tile claims that its devices have infiltrated over 200 countries, and its own network finds half a million lost items daily, making it the largest and fastest lost-and-found community in the world.
Tile Mate will cost $25 apiece, but a bundle is also available for $90, which includes two of each aforementioned products, the Slim and the Mate. There's also an option to get a Tile Mate combo pack, which includes four devices for $70. Tile products have gained popularity over the years because of its simplicity and its much durable build than other trackers. Tile Mate is also water resistant up to IP5 standards, so it can amble along just fine during minor water-related mishaps.
Previous Tile owners are also eligible for the reTile program, enabling customers to upgrade their Tiles in exchange for the newer products at a discounted price. The company assures users that their products will run for a full year, so any battery-related or charging woes can be discarded. Tile sends out a notification before users reach a full year of owning the device so they can get upgrades as per the retile program.
Tile Mate is available online today over at Tile's own store but will appear at major third-party retail stores shortly.
