Verdict
Tile ’s Mate is the quintessential Bluetooth tracker . It ’s fairly small , discreet , robust , and has a loop in the corner so you’re able to hook it onto your cay . It has a reasonable detection range , and the software program support is excellent ( and works on both iOS and Android).Downsides admit a deficiency of Ultra - Wideband direction determination and the non - replaceable battery offering a three - year lifespan limit ( you ’ll require to kick upstairs to the Tile Pro if you need to change the battery ) , but with its humiliated price compare to Apple AirTags and other democratic tracker , the Tile Mate is well worth a smell if you need to stop losing thing .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The old dependable Tile Mate has a subtle young look and a fresh bit of functionality for 2024 , with the newfound ability to ship an SOS substance to selected recipients .
It does n’t have a replaceable battery , is n’t as big and long - ranged as theTile Proor as discreet as theTile SlimandTile Sticker , but has a ( take ) slender growth in chain of mountains over the2022 version , and a useful lanyard mess in the case so you could attach it to things easily .
So if you ’re prone to losing your keys , your rucksack or your quat , it ’s anexcellent Bluetooth trackerfor finding it again . And while there are drawback to using a Bluetooth - only locator with no GPS , particularly with other locators on the market which have additional capability , the Tile Mate remains one of the most price - effective style to find suffer items again .
Design
The 2024 Mate retains the basic designing cues of the compass but gives them a more New gimmick . It ’s still rough square , with rounded corners , a depressed button in the kernel and a hole at the top to bond it to things ( now eye - mold rather than circular ) .
However , now the pickle is slightly larger and the Mate I was transport does n’t have the same lighter - coloured bound as the Tile Pro or the Pro ’s replaceable battery , so there ’s nothing to break up the casing ’s smooth finishing .
As Tile is now part of Life360 , that company ’s swirly logo is now present alongside the Tile wordmark , while on the back is a small speaker grille and a QR codification that can be scanned by anyone prosperous enough to find your lost detail , just like the Tile Lost & Found recording label .
In flyspeck print under that is a web address , but it does n’t contribute to anything utilitarian , only a sound statement about patents that is n’t go away to help anyone get in touch with you .
Compared to the Tile Pro , the Mate is extremely plasticky feeling , but also light . It ’s not that much smaller than the Pro , though they have a slimly unlike shape , with the Mate shorter and slightly productive at 7.4 millimeter thick . It carries anIP68 ingress auspices evaluation , so will be capable to stand up to a dunk shot in water or sand without immediately go bad .
On the black framework provided for review , the edging is the same colour as the rest of the body , but more brightly coloured simulation are available ( and these may aid with situate them visually when lost ) including a dark blue with an orangish sharpness or cyan and sensationalistic . The plain smutty and white schemes are cheaper than the other colours , however .
Performance
The 2024 Tile Mate pretend just like any other Tile twist . You connect it to your Tile account using the app on a phone or tablet , and then it will broadcast its location to the Tile meshing . This entail that , if it ’s lost outside of the Bluetooth range of your earpiece , the Mate can habituate any other nearby phone that ’s also connected to the Tile connection to get a message through .
As it ’s Bluetooth - only , it ’s less precise than trackers that use Ultra - broadband or GPS , but it ’s good enough to get you into the universal orbit so you may gear up off its interior speaker and hone in by strait , even if it ’s in a pelage sac or a different room .
It does , however , rely on having Bluetooth devices with the right app on board being nearby , so if you lose your Mate - attached Francis Scott Key in a city you ’re in with a becoming chance of finding them , but drop them on a wild cliffside walk and they will be heavy to find due to the lower footfall .
Life360 claims over 70 million users of the connection , but the right somebody still needs to be in the right place for it to work . For comparison , Apple and Samsung claim higher numbers of substance abuser enrolled in their various finding networks .
The claimed range for the Mate is 100 m , an improvement on the previous model . In examination , however , it would n’t connect at anything like this . At 30 MiB it would connect and could be heard , but by 35 K it was struggling and at 40 m the app could n’t site the Tile Mate , though when I triggered the locating tune and walked away , it could still be find out by 40 m and even 50 m.
aloofness , wall and background noise are the Mate ’s enemies , as it does its good to manoeuvre you toward it by making a sound rather than with any direction - finding . This is good enough if you ’re in an open expanse or quite close , but with wall , fences , tree or any variety of noise from vehicles it can melt away .
Software
You ’ll have to put in a earphone or tablet app to use the Tile Mate , though it does exploit with both Android and iOS devices . You have a selection between the Tile app and the Life360 app , though the SOS alert functionality is only available with the latter . The app will take you through pair your new Tile with your chronicle and gives you a nimble slideshow of tips on how to utilize it .
Despite the necessary of having a compatible twist in range , when the Tile Mate work , it works well . A unmarried chink of the button is used to lead up apparatus to twin the Mate to your news report . From the phone or lozenge app you’re able to then get the boisterous location of the twist ( or its last reported status ) and get it to play a jolly tune through its built - in speaker to aid locating it once you ’re in reach or to attract nearby dog walkers if you ’re not .
Two clink of the button locates in the other direction , so you’re able to employ the Tile Mate to find your phone – it plays a strain even with the ringer prepare to silent musical mode . Three mouse click touch off the new SOS content servicing , which ( if in range of a compatible Bluetooth gadget ) sends an emergency qui vive to pre - selected contacts via the Life360 app rather than the basic Tile one . Life360 now owns Tile , so this may be the start of a migration of substance abuser to the new app .
While the Mate can be used without a subscription , one is uncommitted and unlocks a location account for the gadget so you could see where it has been rather than just where it is right now .
Getting a sub also unlock Tile ’s reimbursement scheme , which gives you up to £ 73/$100 / AUS$150 back if you lose an item with a Tile attached for good ( and set it up beforehand , including post a picture of the object / Tile combo ) , an amount which rises by ten time if you take out a Premium Protect design .
It ’s expensive , at £ 99.99/$99.99 / AUS$164.99 , but can be deserving it if you ’re carrying something precious ( but not unreplaceable ) into rough terrain .
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Should you buy it?
The fact that the Tile Mate works with both iOS and Android forthwith give it more attractive than program - locked alternatives like the Apple AirTag .
As able as the Tile Mate is , it does n’t offer up the UWB tech you ’ll find on alternatives like the AirTag that allow for precise finding when nearby .
Final Thoughts
Of all the varied Tile range , the Mate is probably the ‘ basic ’ model . It ’s diminished , but not like the Slim and Sticker are . It can attach to things like the Pro , but does n’t offer quite as not bad a detection stove and you ca n’t replace the battery , so will have to fling it and purchase a replacement after three years .
It is , however , reasonably priced against competitors , and despite not offering precision location information ( you ’ll have to use your ear to find it once you ’re in the general locality ) stay a good value agency to locate and protect your possessions .
Trusted Score
How we test
We ensure to spend at least a week with each tracker , test all of the advertised features . We ’ll also test the stove of the Cartesian product , and how light it is to limit up .
FAQs
Yes , it ’s both water- and dust - tolerant with an IP68 valuation .
Unfortunately not . While it ’ll last for three years , once it does run compressed , you ’ll have to ( responsibly ) dispose of the tracker .
