Cheap as Chips AIRTAG Solution

Grumpy_chap

I mentioned in a recent thread about success my Brother had using AIRTAGS.
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/79984505#Comment_79984505

We don't have any APPLE products in our house, only Android and there is no equivalent to AIRTAG.  Certainly not with the same automatic coverage.

Chaos in our house again today as Mrs G-C lost her house keys and sunglasses resulting in an undue amount of needless stress as she is setting off to work and I am 60 miles away just about to turn into the carpark for a meeting at Client's site.  Somehow, I am meant to solve the lost house keys from 60 miles away - even though I offered a totally workable solution, Mrs G-C still ended up locked out.

Truly, she would forget her head if it was not screwed on.

Anyway, I was wondering what is the cheapest way to get an AIRTAG (or bulk pack of AIRTAGs) to reduce this stress?

Can I buy any cheapo APPLE device from one of the high-street second hand stores?  I saw a £40 iPAD mini.  That would mean I can set up an APPLE account.

Once I have that, what is the cheapest way to get the AIRTAGs?  Is the APPLE £35 each the price?  Or, is there a cheaper way? 
I assume I just link them to the cheapo iPAD.

Once set up with an account, can I log in from any device (Android or PC) and see where the house keys (or whatever Mrs G-C lost this time) are?
That would mean I can leave the cheapo iPAD mini in a draw at home.
OR, do I need to carry the APPLE device in anticipation of Mrs G-C misplacing something?

Am I missing a trick?
Should I spend more but then get a solution that actually offers enhanced or additional benefits?

MikeJXE

As long as you don't need to trace anything long distance there are plenty of trackers cheap as chips you can use with Android 

Grumpy_chap

Thanks Mike,

I have looked at the Android options and none of them seem to have the coverage of an AIRTAG, quite simply because any APPLE device will tell me the AIRTAG is nearby whereas the Android equivalents only work for those devices where the individual has installed the same Play Store App and (in some cases) has the App open.

What do you call "long distance"?
Today, for example, I would want to be able to tell my wife at home that her house keys are at home while I was 60 miles away.
Is that "long distance"?

flaneurs_lobster

Google are said to be close to announcing their own version of the AirTag (codename Grogu) which will have the same distance finding/sharing capability but for Android devices. 

Samsung have SmartTag, again similar functionality but needs Samsung devices.

As you say, these devices rely on individuals signing up for "I'll help you find your stuff if you help me find mine" data sharing and are only viable if a critical mass of users is present in a population.

MikeJXE

60 miles is not a long distance and nothing to do with it anyway

Long distance for an AirTag is it can be picked up anywhere in the world no matter where you are, Long distance is from where the AirTag is located to where the alert is received 

What I meant by close by is if your wife couldn't find the keys rather than actually lost them you wouldn't need AirTag as something cheaper would do.

have you looked at Tile ?

MikeJXE

Tile works on Apple and Android 

MikeJXE

Lol Just noticed the OP 

Grumpy_chap, seen you a lot on here but not so much this last couple of weeks

Surely 60 miles in your super new car wouldn't take may minutes 

Grumpy_chap

Thanks f_l,
If Android bring out Grogu (or whatever the market name is), and it works like AIRTAG - i.e. ANY Android device, that will be fantastic.

The only thing with the alternative sign up options "I'll help you find your stuff if you help me find mine" is that, as I understand it, that critical mass is very hard to achieve.
Android are around half of all smart phones.
BUT, you need individuals to have the same tags, not the split between many - Samsung, Tile, Chipolo, Cube, Eufy, Pebblebee, etc.
Not every one with a device will have any tracker software at all - unlike the AIRTAG which just needs to see an Apple phone.

MikeJXE

Grumpy_chap said:

Thanks f_l,
If Android bring out Grogu (or whatever the market name is), and it works like AIRTAG - i.e. ANY Android device, that will be fantastic.

The only thing with the alternative sign up options "I'll help you find your stuff if you help me find mine" is that, as I understand it, that critical mass is very hard to achieve.
Android are around half of all smart phones.
BUT, you need individuals to have the same tags, not the split between many - Samsung, Tile, Chipolo, Cube, Eufy, Pebblebee, etc.
Not every one with a device will have any tracker software at all - unlike the AIRTAG which just needs to see an Apple phone.

Thats because Apple control the hardware and the software

I'm not against Android they can be cheap and have biggest market share by far but more than a few manufactures that makes it complicated 

Plus there are not regular software update, not backwards compatible in any meaningful way 

victor2

flaneurs_lobster said:

...
As you say, these devices rely on individuals signing up for "I'll help you find your stuff if you help me find mine" data sharing and are only viable if a critical mass of users is present in a population.

This is probably what makes the AirTag so good. As I understand it, any Apple device with Bluetooth and an iCloud account (which they all seem to have) will report the location of an AirTag within range.

My brother recently flew from Heathrow to the US and due to flight cancellations, ended up going via Madrid. Upon arrival in the US, he checked on his iPhone and could see his luggage was in Madrid. He didn't even wait for the luggage not to appear on the carousel, but just went to Lost Luggage with his evidence, which they accepted. He was reunited with his luggage a few days later.

Of course an AirTag will be no use attached to a dog that runs away across fields, but for stuff that could be lost in heavily populated areas, it really works.

oldernonethewiser

victor2 said:

flaneurs_lobster said:

...
As you say, these devices rely on individuals signing up for "I'll help you find your stuff if you help me find mine" data sharing and are only viable if a critical mass of users is present in a population.

This is probably what makes the AirTag so good. As I understand it, any Apple device with Bluetooth and an iCloud account (which they all seem to have) will report the location of an AirTag within range.

My brother recently flew from Heathrow to the US and due to flight cancellations, ended up going via Madrid. Upon arrival in the US, he checked on his iPhone and could see his luggage was in Madrid. He didn't even wait for the luggage not to appear on the carousel, but just went to Lost Luggage with his evidence, which they accepted. He was reunited with his luggage a few days later.

Of course an AirTag will be no use attached to a dog that runs away across fields, but for stuff that could be lost in heavily populated areas, it really works.

AirTags will get detected if an iphone has the "Find my Phone" feature turned on. If not the iphone won't know anything about any AirTag.

I bought my sister a Tile years ago which was fine until the battery ran out then she went back to losing her keys.