Google has announced its first bluetooth tracker dubbed the Pixel Tag, which will integrate directly within the company’s Find Hub app for keeping tabs on belongings and people.
Google has been facilitating third-party trackers through the Android Find Hub for quite some time – including cross-compatibility with Apple’s AirTag – but now the company is going for a first-party option.
The $29 (or $99 for four) Pixel Tag offers a pill-shaped design and a slim 5.4mm profile. Elsewhere, the Tag is 1.8-inches by 1.1-inches. There’s a large circular button to help you locate an errant phone. That differs from the circular AirTag design, while Google’s model is barely lighter (0.39oz vs 0.4oz)
Pixel Tag, which was announced at the Made by Google event that spawned the Pixel 11 series, includes support for Ultra Wideband Bluetooth technology, just like AirTag, with Bluetooth Channel Sounding. That means you’ll be guided to the precise location of your lost item, facilitating easy discovery when the device is out of view.
There’s also a little speaker to help with locating a nearby tracked item, and you can get alerts on your phone if you leave an item behind entirely, with help from “a massive network over over one billion Android devices.” If you don’t have your phone with you, you can also summon the Pixel Tag from a Pixel Watch, Pixel Buds or from the Find Hub on a web browser. Again these are all very familiar features to AirTag users.
Google is also offering unknown tag alerts when someone else’s Pixel Tag is believed to be travelling with you. That’s akin to a valuable AirTag feature that has been an effective anti-stalking measure.
As with the AirTag, it’s powered by an easily-replaceable CR2303 cell battery that’ll last for a year. If you want to attach it to keys, you’ll need a sleeve as there’s no physical loop. Another familiar story.
The Pixel Tag is constructed from stainless steel, which Google says is resistant to flexing and cracking, while the IP67 water and dust resistant means if should be safe for a dip. Apple’s AirTag offers the same rating.
The Pixel Tag goes on sale on November 11.
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