Verdict
The Tile Mate ( 2022 ) is the cheapest of the Tile locater , and gives up little to the Pro or Slim . It ’s perfect for slipping on your cardinal band , the firedog ’s neckband , or leave in a bag or your car , and has a right direct detection wheel spoke . It ’s an effective system , though its reliance on Bluetooth and the Tile mesh of users intend it ’s still possible to turn a loss your Tile - protected items in a deserted area .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Finding lost thing becomes much easier when you ’ve got a locater attached to your valuables , and Tile ’s late refresh of its Mate keyfob - sized tracker claims to have upped the Bluetooth truth and image ( though this is still less than theTile Pro ) , so you ’ll be more likely to find what you ’re await for .
As Tile ’s devices rely on nearby phone to detect them , which then communicate the positioning data back to you , this increased compass is welcome .
A Seth of keys drop by the river is only perish to be situate if the Tile Mate , lift on the keyring , is capable to describe its location to someone . And if you lose something in a deserted area , it ’s a matter of luck whether a walker with the app on their phone wanders by . But in more populated areas , the Tile Mate has all the grasp you need to site it .
Design
The 2022 edition of the Tile Mate comes in at a few millimetres larger , and just over a gram heavy , than the 2020 reading . Otherwise it works in on the button the same room , give out a Bluetooth signal that can be picked up by your phone or any other that ’s signed into the Tile web , allowing you to pick up its location in the app , go there , then control it to roleplay a tune so you may zero in on it .
There ’s also reverse finding , where you click the clitoris on the Mate double and your phone starts make a disturbance .
The Tile Mate ( 2022 ) is a small charge plate square with rounded corner that comes in white or black – though special edition with sparkly or lustrous fleeceable casings are usable . The surface is liquid , with a hole at one turning point to attach it to the likes of your keyring . There ’s a depressed button with the Tile logotype on it for copulate and phone - determination , and a QR code on the back along with the pocket-size text no one study . It ’s a minimal design , but one that does everything you ’d want of it .
There ’s a noticeable crinkle around the edge , where the two half of the charge card case have been pressed together . The Mate has an IP67 ingress protection rating , which means it ’s sealed against dust and other particles , as well as being water system insubordinate . It ’s not exit to survive indefinitely if left subaquatic , but it has enough protection to keep go for a minute before it go .
And expire it will , eventually . The battery is non - obliterable ( unlike the 2018 and 2020 versions of the Mate ) and snitch to last for three age . They can be disposed of at worthy e - waste material facilities , but if you require a 2022 Tile with a replaceable stamp battery , you ’re going to want the Pro model .
Performance
Most of the metre , you wo n’t need to intend about the Tile Mate . It will just model where you put it , whether that ’s on a key ring or in the bottom of your handbag , until it ’s needed .
When it is , get into the assault and battery still has some succus in it , you ’ll be able to reach the Tile app on your sound to feel out where and when it last connected to the web .
In my examination ( leaving it in a motorcar with the windows down and walk aside ) I found that the title of an increased 75 m ( 250 foot ) range hold true . When I was 50 m off from the tracker , the app still saw a ‘ moderate ’ sign military capability , and I could just about find out the perky tune played from the Mate ’s speaker at this distance .
Signal and audibility fell off as I moved farther aside , but it continued showing a light sign at a surprising space . There ’s no ultra wideband support , as see in theApple AirTag , which intend it ’s reliant on the crowded 2.4GHz part of the spectrum .
It could , therefore , be prostrate to interference in busybodied areas full of other electronics banging away with their Bluetooth , which will reduce the range . However , those busy areas are also the sort of blank space you ’d feel lots of Tile users contributing to the web .
The reversal finding feature , where you double - hydrant the Tile logo button on the Mate and it do your phone sing out its emplacement with a variant of its galling tune , works well with small delay between pressing the button and your headphone begin the incessant medicine that advertises its location .
The Tile chirps a bit while it ’s making contact , but when your phone starts making a noise the only way to shut out it up is to unlock it . If your telephone ’s Bluetooth is flip off , however , it ’s not going to play – but this is a feature Tile can boast of that challenger like the Apple AirTag do n’t have .
Software
Most of your fundamental interaction with your Tile devices will be through the app . It show the tile you ’ve added to your history in a grid view , and tells you how many roofing tile members there are inside a circle ( about five miles in radius ) around your location . The more members , the more chance there is to find your equipment if it goes absent .
Adding a gimmick is as bare as selecting the option in the app , cluck the gimmick ’s release , then leave the Tile and headphone near each other while they get to know one another . you may give each gimmick a nickname , making it easier to call back which is which .
A new feature of speech for the 2022 Tiles is the QR code that ’s print on the back with a simple instruction to scan it . If someone finds your absent Tile , they can scan the code and register that they ’ve found it , the location then come along in your app via a presentment . This matches the functionality of Tile ’s Lost and Found sticker .
Take out a Tile Premium subscription , and you get smart alarum – if you attempt to exit the house and impart your Tile - attached keys behind , you ’ll get a phone notification to remind you . There ’s also a 30 - sidereal day location story for all your Tile devices , so you could see where they ’ve been , an special warrant , and the ability to apportion your Tile so others can see where your devices are .
There ’s nothing there that stops a Tile equipment forge perfectly well without the Premium subscription , but it ’s a nice extra to have , and I apprise Tile not locking an essential procedure behind the paywall .
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Should you buy it?
The Tile Mate is a superb option if you want something discreet , cheap , and able for site an item if it ’s lose .
If you want a tracker with a replaceable battery , then the Pro example is a best shout .
Final Thoughts
The Tile Mate ( 2022 ) could be an essential purchase if you ’re someone that often loses their keystone , or just wants to get it on where their computed axial tomography is at any given minute .
Its Bluetooth range is fair , the noise it pee-pee can be heard from a distance of about 50 m , and The Tile connection is reliable for finding your devices as long as there are people around . It may lack the ultra wideband support ofApple ’s AirTags , but as the trashy appendage of the Tile family , the Mate makes a heap of common sense .
Trusted Score
How we test
We make certain to spend at least a week with each tracker , testing all of the advertised characteristic . We ’ll also test the mountain range of the merchandise , and how easy it is to set up .
FAQs
roofing tile offers an optional Premium plan that command a monthly fee . This provides access to surplus features such as smart alert , 30 - day position history and concern - free warranty . It costs $ 2.99/£2.99 per calendar month . If you ’re happy to stick to the basic functionality of the Tile Mate , there ’s no pauperism to pay this monthly fee .
Yes , once synced up , you may press a button on the Tile Mate to stimulate your connected telephone to make a noise .
