Apple has had the AirTag since 2021. For Android users, the closest thing has been a tracker from Samsung, Motorola or Pebblebee. They work, but none of them comes from the company that makes Android.
That changes this week. Google's Pixel Tag, first announced in August, goes on sale on November 11 for $29.99, or $99.99 for a four-pack.
If you saw reports on Tuesday saying it was already on sale, you weren't imagining it. Reviews went live that morning and some outlets said the tracker was available. But as 9to5Google pointed out, neither the Google Store nor other retailers were taking orders yet. Google's own announcement puts the date at November 11.
What is the Pixel Tag?
The Pixel Tag is Google's own Bluetooth item tracker. It's a small, coin-battery device you attach to things you don't want to lose, like your keys, wallet, bag or luggage.
It's the first tracker Google has made for its Find Hub network, the service formerly known as Find My Device. Until now, Find Hub trackers came only from other brands. Think of it as Google's answer to Apple's AirTag, built for Android phones instead of iPhones.
What the Pixel Tag does
It does what any item tracker does. You attach it to your keys, bag or luggage, then find it through Google's Find Hub app.
Up close, it uses Bluetooth and ultra-wideband (UWB) for precision finding, so Find Hub can show how far away the tag is and which way to walk. It also has a built-in speaker that reaches about 80 decibels, with three volume levels you can pick in the app.
The most useful difference is the physical button. Press it twice and your phone rings. That's handy when it's your phone, not your keys, that has gone missing. The AirTag has no button, so it can't do this.
When the tag is out of range, it relies on Google's crowdsourced network of more than a billion Android devices. Phones that pass near your tag report its location, which then shows up on a map in Find Hub.
If you mark the tag as lost, it shares your email, phone number and a short message so whoever finds it can reach you. Once it's back in range of your phone, it's automatically marked as found. You can also share a tag's location with up to 10 people, which makes sense for things like the family car keys.
Ogbonda Chivumnovu
How the Pixel Tag compares with the AirTag
The Pixel Tag is an oval rather than a disc, and it's slimmer. Here's how the two compare on size, according to TechCrunch.
It's made of stainless steel, weighs 0.4 oz and is rated IP67, so it can survive up to a metre of water for 30 minutes. It comes in silver and pale green. The battery is a standard CR2032 coin cell you can replace yourself, and Google says it lasts up to a year.
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