Decoding the tiny smart trackers

• 

  Tile Mate (2022)

  Small but versatile

  The Tile Mate is a general-purpose smart tracker with a 250-foot Bluetooth range, up to three years of battery life, and a convenient cutout for easy attachment. Its compact design is an easy choice for many items.

  Pros

  • Tile’s most affordable smart tracker
  • Built-in cutout
  • QR code for contact details

• 

  Tile Sticker

  Stick it and forget it

  The Tile Sticker is the company’s most compact smart tracker. It has an adhesive back for simple attachment and a valuable 250-foot Bluetooth range.

  Pros

  • Compact and durable design
  • Can stick to valuables that other smart tags can’t attach to

  Cons

  • No cutout for attachments
  • Non-replaceable battery

Tile offers smart trackers in many form factors, all boasting impressive tracking capabilities. The Tile Mate and the Tile Sticker, two of the smallest and most affordable options, are part of this lineup. Both devices are supported by Tile’s expansive tag network, but they are designed for distinct use cases. The Tile Mate, a general-purpose Bluetooth tracker, is versatile and can be used in many situations with a cutout for easy attachment. In contrast, as its name suggests, the Sticker is specifically designed for items that can only accommodate an adhesive smart tag. So, which option is the right fit for you? Let’s explore further to find out.

Price, availability, and specs

The Tile Mate, the company’s original smart tracker, has undergone multiple iterations. The latest model costs $25 for a single unit. On the other hand, the Tile Sticker has only seen two generations, and its newest version carries a price tag of $30 for one.

Both trackers have been around for a while, so you can easily buy them at your favorite online or physical store. You can also save money by purchasing multipacks, which are cheaper than buying multiple single units.

Before we jump into the details, here’s a quick look at the specifications of the Tile Mate and the Sticker.

• 	Tile Mate (2022)	Tile Sticker
  Brand	Tile	Tile
  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

Although compact, the Tile Mate and the Sticker have distinct designs. While the Mate is square with curved edges and a circular cutout, the Sticker has a circular design without cutouts but with a sticky back. The lack of a cutout highlights that the Sticker is designed to be used for different kinds of items than the Mate. For example, you can use the Mate to track items like your keys and luggage, whereas the Sticker makes the most sense for remotes, wireless earbuds, and more. That said, if you want to use Tile Sticker to track your keys, there are third-party accessories that can help you do that.

Like other Tile trackers, the two are well-built. Both are primarily plastic. However, the Sticker has a rubber bumper that adds to its durability. But both the Mate and the Stickers are rated IP67 for dust and water resistance.

Because of their size, neither the Tile Mate nor the Sticker has a user-replaceable battery. Their non-replaceable batteries are rated to last about three years. After that, the trackers will become e-waste. If a replaceable battery is important, consider other trackers in Tile’s portfolio or smart tags from other manufacturers.

Features

The Tile Mate and the Tile Sticker are almost identical in their features. Both have a 250-foot Bluetooth range for initial and close-range communication. While you’ll never get this range in the real world because of obstructions like walls, plants, and other everyday objects, you can still expect a similar Bluetooth range on both trackers. The Mate and the Sticker are also backed by the same company tag network comprised of mobile devices featuring the Tile app and Amazon’s Sidewalk network. So, when you misplace a tagged item outside the Bluetooth range, the trackers will rely on the same network to help you find it.

Beyond the tracking capabilities, the two Tile trackers have loud built-in speakers. Their speakers help locate valuables at close range. You also get support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing you to ask your smart speaker to find your smart tag.

Like other Tile trackers, the Mate and the Sticker are platform-agnostic and can be used with Android and iOS. Moreover, there is a two-way tracking function to locate your misplaced phone by pressing a button on your Tile tracker.

The one difference between the Mate and the Sticker is that the Sticker doesn’t have a printed QR Code that provides your contact details. So, if a good Samaritan finds your misplaced Tile Sticker, they’ll have no way to reach you.

Besides the features mentioned above, the Tile Mate and the Tile Sticker features can be expanded in the Tile app with the company’s premium subscription. This subscription adds separation alerts, a 30-day tracker location history, the ability to share your Tile with unlimited contacts, a replacement warranty for damaged or defective trackers, and tagged item reimbursement.

While the reimbursement costs are capped at $100 in the Premium plan, you can get up to $1,000 in the Premium Protect plan if your Tiled item is lost for any reason and Tile can’t find it. The Premium Protect is over three times more expensive than the regular Premium plan.

You don’t necessarily need a subscription plan to use a Tile, but separation alerts are an excellent feature if you tend to leave valuables behind.

Which is right for you?

There is a lot to like about both Tile trackers. But as they are pretty much the same apart from their form factor, choosing between them comes down to design and how you’ll use the Tile. The Tile Mate is perfect if you plan to use your Tile with something that needs a cutout to attach the tracker. It’ll seamlessly attach to your valuables to assist with location management. It’s also cheaper than the Tile Sticker.

However, the Tile Sticker is more suitable if you need a smart tracker to stick to your valuables. It has the same features as the Tile Mate, except for the QR code with contact details. It’s also more compact and has a slightly more durable design, thanks to the rubber bumper.