Why You Should Get a Chipolo Tracker Over an Apple AirTag for Cyber Monday
My apartment isn’t big enough for me to lose my keys and wallet all the time. But surprise – I can never find them after I put them away. Maybe my wallet is in my jacket pocket. My keys might be deep in the couch cushions. who knows Not me. It’s endlessly frustrating, especially when I’m in a rush to leave the house and can’t find any of the things I need to start my day.
Thanks to bluetooth trackers, I really don’t know I’m losing something more. Or if I lose track of something, I can now easily find it.
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The One Point ($28)which Chipolo released earlier this year is a Bluetooth tracker that uses Google’s relatively new Find My Device network of over 1 billion Android devices to help you easily find your tagged keys, wallet, luggage, backpack, car, and other items you might lose track of.
Right now you can get a three-tracker pack for 15% off the price of buying two key fobs and one card separately or four packs of One Point trackers with a 20% discountor $60, for Cyber Monday.
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Taking advantage of the Google tracking network means that in addition to using your own phone to locate the One Point tracker – with the Find My Device app – you can tap into all the other Android devices around you, both from friends and and from strangers (completely private), to better track your item no matter where it is or how far away you are from the item.
For more, here why you shouldn’t AirTag a pet and five unexpected places to use a tracker. If you are looking for Apple trackers, AirTags are also on sale for Cyber Monday.
Make your Cyber Monday shopping easier and upgrade your iPhone with these 11 accessories
How does the Chipolo One Point tracker work?
The little plastic tracker, which weighs relatively nothing, is about an inch and a half in diameter, about the size of those old Eisenhower dollar coins (I’m showing my age). Unlike the Apple AirTag, the One Point also has a built-in hole for a key ring, so you don’t need to buy an accessory to attach the tracker to your item – all you need is a key ring.
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Once your One Point connects to your phone, you can check the location of your tracked item with Google’s Find My Device app. You can easily see where the tracker is on the map and your distance from it. If you can’t find the tracker with your eyes, you can always make it make a pretty loud sound (120db) so you can easily hear where it is, even if it’s under a pile of clothes.
Battery life is about a year, but you can easily open the tracker (there is a small hole on the side) to replace the CR2032 battery. You can buy a pack of 10 CR2032 batteries for under $6and apparently that should last you a decade.
If you’re putting your tracker on something shared, like a large piece of checked luggage for you and your family, you can share the information with a loved one so you can both track the tracker from separate Android devices.
Why should you get Chipolo One Point via AirTag?
There’s really only one reason why you should get the Chipolo One Point tracker, and that’s if you own an Android device. Chipolo One Point is made specifically for Android phones and tablets and works with Google’s Find My Device app. If you own an Android, you definitely don’t want AirTag, mainly because there is no way to connect the AirTag to an Android device.
If you have both an Apple and an Android device, there are a few other reasons to choose the Chipolo One over the AirTag:
- Chipolo One is cheaper than AirTag. Only with a dollar, but still.
- The Chipolo One has a built-in hole for a key ring. The AirTag doesn’t have a key fob slot, so you’ll need to purchase an accessory, which ultimately makes the AirTag a more expensive purchase.
- There is a Chipolo card version. Card Point is a card tracking tool that is specially designed for your wallet. There is currently no tracking of AirTag cards.
How to set up your Chipolo One Point tracker
Right out of the box, all you have to do is press your Chipolo One Point (you’ll hear a pretty loud sound coming from the little device) and then place the tracker next to your phone. Your Android device will automatically detect the tracker as long as you have the Find My Device app downloaded.
A pop-up window on your screen will walk you through all the setup instructions, which includes connecting the device to your email account, agreeing to be part of Google’s Find My Device network, and enabling recent locations for offline devices.
All in all, setup takes less than a minute. And then you can track your item from the convenience of your phone.
Just don’t lose your phone.
Why a Chipolo tracker would make a great gift
I have enough underwear and socks for several lifetimes. I would love to find the Chipolo tracker hanging from the mantelpiece this holiday season. And not just because I could easily find my Christmas stocking with the tracker inside.
While you’re here, check it out AirTag vs. Tile and SmartTag and Apple and Google have ways to find your lost devices, but here’s the winner. And here they are the best phone deals right now for Cyber Monday.