Choosing the perfect Tile tracker

• 

  Tile Sticker

  Tile’s most compact smart tag

  $24 $30 Save $6

  The Tile Sticker is a Bluetooth tracker with an adhesive backing that attaches to any flat surface. It has a long Bluetooth range, a durable build, and a compact profile.

  Pros

  • Well-built and durable
  • Tile’s smallest smart tracker

  Cons

  • Battery is not replaceable

• 

  Tile Slim (2022)

  Thinnest in Tile’s portfolio

  The Tile Slim is a credit card-sized tracker designed to slip into places other smart trackers won’t. It shares most of the Tile’s Sticker and Mate trackers’ features.

  Pros

  • Slim and lightweight design
  • Durable

  Cons

  • Battery is not replaceable

Tile is a well-known name in the smart tracker world, and its portfolio includes some intriguing options like the Tile Sticker and the Tile Slim. They are not your typical key or luggage trackers. So, if the Tile Mate and the Tile Pro don’t quite suit your needs, let’s dive deep into the Sticker and Slim to discover what sets them apart and how they compare.

Price, availability, and specifications

The Tile Sticker is one of the company’s most affordable smart trackers with a list price of $30. Even though it has been around for a couple of years, it’s still widely available. But you can only buy one color option. On the other hand, the Slim costs $35, and like the Sticker, it’s also sold across all major online and physical retailers. It comes in multiple colors, including select limited-edition variants.

Apart from the regular versions of the Sticker and the Slim, Tile offers a Tile for Cats bundle featuring the Sticker and a Tile for Electronics bundle featuring the Slim. These bundles have extra accessories to help you track pets and keep an eye on your laptop or other gadgets. Both bundles cost $40 and are exclusive to the company’s online store.

Here’s a look at the raw specifications of the two smart trackers.

• 	Tile Sticker	Tile Slim (2022)
  Connectivity	Bluetooth LE	Bluetooth LE
  Battery	Up to 3 years, non-replaceable	Up to 3 years, non-replaceable
  Range	Up to 76m	Up to 76m
  Water Resistance	IP67	IP67

Design, build, and battery

The Tile Sticker and the Slim have unique designs. The Sticker has a circular shape with an adhesive back and a rubber bumper, and the Slim resembles a thick credit card. Both smart trackers are constructed from plastic but are still reasonably durable and rated IP67 for dust and water resistance. Neither tacker has cutouts for use on keys or luggage, but you can buy an accessory for this accommodation.

The Tile trackers may have varying designs but are evenly stacked on the battery front. Both have built-in permanent batteries that will last about three years. After the battery dies, you’ll have to replace the smart tracker.

Features

Despite their different form factors, the Tile Sticker and the Tile Slim essentially have the same functionality and features. For example, both have built-in Bluetooth connectivity, which is used for initial and short-range communication between the tracker and your phone. Tile claims the Sticker and the Slim have a 250-foot Bluetooth range. Unfortunately, this range is unlikely to be achieved in real life because of various obstructions, such as walls, plants, and household items.

Once the Sticker and the Slim leave the Bluetooth range, they rely on the Tile tag network for tracking. Once lost, you have an equal chance of finding either tracker. The Tile network may not be as impressive as Apple or Google’s networks. However, it’s still reasonably capable and consists of mobile devices with the Tile app installed and the Amazon Sidewalk network.

Tile has also installed a loud speaker in both trackers to help you locate them at close range, as there is no UWB technology for precision tracking. Like other Tile trackers, the Sticker and the Slim are platform-agnostic and can work with Android phones and iPhones. The trackers also support voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant.

The one feature in the Slim you don’t get with the Sticker is the printed QR Code that offers contact details. So, if a good Samaritan finds your misplaced Tile Sticker, they’ll have no way to contact you.

Besides various free-to-use features, Tile provides some extras as a part of its premium subscriptions. A subscription will unlock useful features like separation alerts (called Smart Alerts by Tile), a 30-day tracker location history, unlimited sharing with contacts, a replacement warranty, and more.

Alternate use cases

The Tile Sticker and Slim’s design and form factors truly set them apart. The Tile Sticker makes the most sense for tracking items with flat surfaces that can’t accommodate the general-purpose key chain-style trackers. It will easily accommodate a remote and wireless earbuds. If you have the company’s Tile for Cats bundle or its Sticker Cat Coller, it can function as a pet tracker.

Similarly, the Tile Slim’s flat and thin design makes it perfect as a wallet or passport tracker. However, it’s suitable for any item that’ll fit a slim tracker like a handbag or backpack, and its lightweight design ensures you aren’t adding unnecessary extra weight.

Remember, using an accessory, you can track far more than the typical items for either tracker. But given that Tile’s portfolio has excellent general-purpose trackers, there is little reason to do so.

Which should you buy?

With hardly any feature differences between the Tile Sticker and the Tile Slim, choosing between the two smart trackers comes down to design. The Tile Sticker is most suitable for items that need an adhesive-backed and compact tracker. Most people use it to track household remotes, wireless earbuds, wireless game controllers, and eyewear cases.

On the other hand, the Tile Slim’s thin profile makes it perfect for sliding into your wallet, passport cover, binders, or files without creating an unsightly bulge. You can also attach the Slim to your laptop or a spot in your car with the company’s Tile for Electronics bundle for seamless tracking