I found a lost-item tracker that's better than AirTags AND Tile

And it's on sale right now for just $16.89. Maybe the single best gift item of 2024?

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I thought I was crazy.

Jury’s still out on that, but in this particular area I think I’m sane: SwitchBot just rolled out an item-tracker that’s better (I think) than both AirTags and Tile — for reasons I’ll explain below — and there’s a ridiculously good Black Friday deal right now: The SwitchBot Wallet Finder Card is just $16.89 (reg. $24.99). Note: This deal is for Amazon Prime subscribers only.

Gift of the year, here, folks…

The SwitchBot Wallet Card works with both Apple Find My AND the SwitchBot app. That’s a big deal.

Let me note that I’ve just started testing this. So far it’s working as promised, but I don’t have weeks’ worth of real-world data to share. There could always be a gotcha lurking.

Anyway, a bit of tech-splanation to justify my excitement…

AirTags are probably the best-known trackers out there, and they’re great except for one thing: They’re one-way. You can use your phone to locate an AirTag, but you can’t use an AirTag to locate your phone.

That’s something Tile trackers can do, and it’s an incredibly useful feature for anyone who’s constantly putting her phone down in the house and then forgetting where she left it. (What? No, I’m not referring to anyone in particular. [Walks away whistling.])

All you do is double-press the Tile button and your phone — if it’s in Bluetooth range (about 30 feet) — rings loudly, even if set to silent. Again: incredibly useful.

Alas, Tiles don’t support Apple’s Find My network, which is helpful when your item gets lost out in the world.

Yeah, it’s really, really thin.

Although Apple allows other trackers to work with Find My, that usually hobbles any Tile-like two-way tracking that might be baked in. Usually it’s “use the native app or use Find My, you can’t have both.”

I know: It’s a little confusing.

But let me simplify: The SwitchBot Wallet Card is the first tracker I’ve seen that supports both. It allows two-way tracking — double-press the button to find your phone — and it works with Find My. Best of both worlds.

Quick note: The card does work with Android phones, despite the large product-page headline indicating “Not Supports Android” 🙄. Just note that while you can still enjoy two-way tracking, there’s no outside-world network available to assist you beyond Bluetooth range. Consequently, I’d probably still recommend a Tile, if not something like the new Pebblebee Clip Universal.)

Also worth noting: The SwitchBot Wallet Card has a non-rechargeable, non-replaceable battery that’s good for up to three years, according to the company. So you’ll be contributing to a bit of e-waste, here. (Do take it to a recycling center, at least.)

I’ll be doing a much more comprehensive review of this in the weeks to come. But I didn’t want you to miss the amazing Black Friday deal.

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