As those who know me may already have noticed, I'm not blessed with the best of memories. This isn't just limited to the names of colleagues or superiors, but also to vital things, like the parent's birthdays, or whatever the hell it is that I originally wanted to write to finish this sentence. This has also cost me a number of items that were pretty dear to me, like my trusty old Motorola V3i Razr *sniffle*. In these days of iCloud, Apple Watch, and "Find my iPhone", the risk of losing those has diminished, however there are still items that I tend to forget, and they usually tend to be pretty important. Like my apartment keys, for example. Or my company ID badge. So, how can that issue be sorted out, or at least reduced?
The answer came to me at a space not usually associated with memory issues: Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. I was on my way back to Ireland after a week of shore leave with the parents in Speyer. My new job pays rather well, so I ended up at the airport with a five hour transfer window, and a nice amount of money to spend. A dangerous combination for my bank account. Alas, I gave the Parrot Bebop 2.0 a pass for the moment when I came across something else, something that I had seen on the odd internet ad that my adblocker hadn't been able to filter, or that appeared on a site that I had whitelisted. Tile, as the little device is called, is not much to look at. Just a white plastic, well, tile, with the company name on the front and a small "speaker" on the back. The really interesting stuff happens on the inside, though. You see, Tile is a Bluetooth tracker, and in combination with a paired iPhone or Android device (Sorry, Windows Phone, you're not invited yet!), should enable you to always find your keys, wallet, or other crucial items. And even when you're not nearby, the Tile community will be able to look for any lost items as well. But more on that a little later in the review.
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| (Source: Tile Press Kit) |
Tile comes in two varieties, the "classic" Tile, which can be attached to key rings, bags, or ID badges, and Tile Slim. As the name implies, this is much thinner, only as thick as two credit cards, but also a bit wider, and is designed to easily fit into wallets, passport holders and generally anything that you don't want to bulge out. Both are available for the same price, 29€ per piece. They are equipped with a built in battery that will last you about a year, but that cannot be replaced. Not the best solution, but given the price, it's hardly a dealbreaker for me, especially as the manufacturers offer a replacement service that can easily be triggered right from the companion app.
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| (Source: Tile Press Kit) |
Pairing a Tile is pretty straightforward, as the "e" in the company name on a Tile "classic" is a hardware button. On the Tile Slim, the Tile logo in the centre takes over that job. Just press it until you hear a tone, and then hold it close to your smartphone. Done. Now, as long as the Tile app is running in the background on your phone, it will track the position of all tiles in range. While in range, you can also ping the tile from your phone, triggering a distinct audio signal. Quite handy if your keys are buried under a mountain of clothes, an incident that may or may not have happened to me already.
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| Tile Slim not only differs from its predecessor in size and design, but also in packaging. |
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| What's in the box, you ask? Not much. |
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| Tile Slim differs markedly from the previous incarnations. It is much thinner, but larger in other dimensions, and cannot be attached to key rings, etc. |
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| It is about half as big, and twice as thick, as a regular credit card, as illustrated by this image. |
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| The regular Tile is much thicker, but can easily be attached to key rings. |
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| The "e" on the Tile "Classic" is the only button on the device. The company logo takes over that job in the Tile Slim. |
Once a Tile leaves detection range, its last known position is logged within the app, and can be used to navigate back to it, if needed. If you have retraced your steps back to the last known location, and CAN'T find the missing object, you can mark it as lost in the Tile app. Now, the ingenious part about that is that any lost tile gets automatically flagged on the Tile servers. Any smartphone running the tile app will detect such a lost tile, and immediately, and anonymously report the position back to you. You can then navigate to that position just like you would when going back to the last known position.
The Tile app on your smartphone or tablet is not only a nice touch, it is essential for the whole system to work. It needs to be running in the background to continually log the position of your nearby tiles, although I have not yet noticed any adverse effects on battery life. Apart from viewing and finding your Tiles, you can also edit details, such as names, a "profile picture" for each Tile, and even order a new one if your old one is approaching the end of its battery life. A special feature for the Tile Slim is that you can change the ringtone the tracker plays when you ping it.
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| I personally love the map overview in the Tile App. |
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| The Green Button is what it's all about. |
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| The list overview is good to get a quick status overview of your Tiles. |
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| Yep, setting up a Tile really is THAT simple. |
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| Tile Slim offers some advanced functions that should make it easier to find it. |
Now, how does the whole system work in real life? Well, to be honest, this is one of those devices you buy but hope you'll never have to use, at least as far as the "mark as lost" function is concerned. Pinging your keys when you can't find them has however already come in handy several times. There is also a secondary function, that might come in handy for some people. By double pressing the "e" or company logo, you can use your Tile to ring your phone, even when it is on silent. That is not so much a crucial function for me, as can simply ping my phone from my Apple Watch. However, if you don't have a smartwatch, this could be pretty handy for you.
I can definitely understand the accolades both the "classic" Tile, and Tile Slim have received. These two devices prove that you don't have to have tons of features to produce a great device. You just need a good idea and a clear benefit for customers. Tile and Tile Slim have both in spades!
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