The digital tracker market seems to be picking up, with new entrants joining the segment with their products. The latest is the Xiaomi Tag, the first tracker released by the company. Already released in Malaysia and official launch in Barcelona, it joins the Apple AirTag, MotoTag, TilePro and others in the tracker market.
A tracker is a digital, often expensive product for the benefit of the habitually forgetful, and those of us with poor memories for personal belongings. It is a tiny tracker the size of a keychain (comes in the shape of keycards as well), enabled with precision GPS and an alarm system, which allows the owner to keep track of things such as luggage, handbags, wallets, keys and other belongings. This Xiaomi product is meant to be released at a price point of 17.99 euros, which is almost Rs 2,000 per tracker.
These trackers serve two primary purposes — the first, finding objects in the vicinity and to locate belongings in faraway locations. In both cases, these trackers display the exact location of the object, in some trackers with more precision than others, while also emitting an alarm to better pinpoint its location.
Cross-Platform Edge
The Xiaomi tag, unlike most other trackers in the market, is compatible with both Apple Find My and Google Find Hub services, and can be utilised with any phone ecosystem.
This release has come after Apple improved and released a latest version of their AirTag just last month, priced at Rs 3,790. The new version has come with important upgrades related to location precision, Apple watch compatibility, and a longer Bluetooth network range.
The new AirTag has a two times louder speaker than the last generation model, and also has a distinctive chime that sets it apart.
Safety, Stalking, and the Price of Precision
The AirTags, with their feature of being able to connect to any iOS device or system’s network, is not without its problems. Just last year, reports in the UK and Wales found that the number of stalking incidents using AirTags had significantly increased, with individuals using the devices to track and stalk ex-colleagues, partners, etc. with some victims reporting fleeing from their homes in fear. The Apple AirTag has built in safety features in their most recent version to avoid this safety risk in the future.
The Tile trackers were among the first to hit the market, over ten years ago, the first generation models of which are now obsolete and no longer in the market. Tile’s latest tracking products include the TilePro, Tile Slim and Tile Sticker. Notably, all of the trackers currently in the market, across brands, are equipped with IP (ingress protection) rating, which means that they are dust and waterproof.
A significant feature common to the TilePro, Xiaomi Tag and AirTag is that they use replaceable batteries which last about a year, whereas most other trackers including the other Tile models have non-replaceable batteries which last about three years, give or take. The standout feature, however, remains the same —iOS falls behind due to its lack of compatibility with other mobile ecosystems. True to brand, Apple also offers accessories like keychain fobs and attachers for their AirTags.
Apart from these three brands that are leading the tracker market, there are other trackers as well, for other mobile ecosystems and sometimes even at cheaper prices. The Samsung Galaxy SmarTag 2 is one that is compatible with only Samsung phones. Motorola also released their MotoTag 2 this January, standing very much on a par with the AirTag.
The MotoTag 2’s battery duration is 35% longer than its 2024 predecessor, with improved bluetooth network as well as water resistance. The MotoTag 2 has been called the best Bluetooth tracker in the Android game so far.
Other brands with trackers available in India include the Amazon Basics Jio Tag Go, Portronics World Tag, the LetsTrack Tag, Zebronics One Tag, and the Noise Bluetooth Tag among others, priced between Rs 500 and Rs 3500 approximately. Chipolo, UGreen and pTron are also lesser known brands that make AirTags for Android. The Amazon and Jio tags are available only for iOS.
The Amazon Basics tag priced at Rs 699 appears to be among the most popular in India, with over 3,000 purchases in India in the last months, with the Jio Tag costing Rs 749 having sold just over 1000 units in the same time. The Portronics tag shows a similar demand, priced at Rs 579, and the Samsung Galaxy tag, costing Rs 2799, saw just over 400 takers from on Amazon this past month.
While not currently a necessity, much like most other affordable new electronic innovations, it is easy to imagine that in a few years, tracker tags will be hanging from every second backpack, child’s pram, bicycle, and pet’s collar. If the major tech players like Samsung, Apple, and Motorola’s frequent innovations in this area are not indication enough, one need only look at the volume of cheaper, less durable and less reliable alternatives also making their way into the market and seeing demand.