Article for context:https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/12/23870522/iphone-15-pro-max-thread-smartphones (Ik that I am talking about multiple companies when I refer to android companies but many singular companies make more innovations in the phone space compared to apple)
Iphone does have some cool, closed garden things, eg, airtags.
Yes. Android has alternatives, none of which are nearly as good as airtags.
Android literally came out with a universal air tag system. Works the same as air tags, but you can go with any brand you want.
Plus the fact there’s more Android devices out there, it’s more useful.
And they backported the tracking feature in Google services, so old devices that don’t get updates anymore will be able to use the new system.
Really? Because the only ones I’ve seen have been based on the “Tile” system.
At last check: Requires everyone to have the system on the phone and turned on (Opt in vs opt out), and don’t have user replaceable batteries (manufactured ewaste).
And your implied claim that Android is an open system and lets any developers in while Apple do not is also false, for example: https://www.momax.net/en-us/products/br5
Yes, they announced it at Google IO. They also added the ability for your phone to automatically notify you if an air tag is following you.
https://www.androidauthority.com/android-find-my-device-network-upgrade-3323214/
Here’s one of the many products that you can buy, that automatically work with the new Android tracker system.
https://chipolo.net/en-us/products/chipolo-one-point
They aren’t out yet (so there’s no word on if they’re good or not), but pebblebee is making trackers that are rechargeable.
Not quite “user replaceable batteries”, but in my opinion it’s a better execution better than a purely disposable device – so long as the battery life isn’t garbage.
The chipolo has a replaceable battery.
Tile was around for years before “airtags”
Yes, but tile doesnt work on the mesh network of iPhones everywhere. If I lose my wallet on the bus, I can find that bus or the person who stole my wallet thanks to other people owning Apple phones reporting it to mine over the internet.
Tile has a mesh network, it just isn’t as big as Apples. It also isn’t enabled by default: you have to mark your tile as “lost” – which sidesteps the stalking issues airtags have.
Honestly, I doubted this, and looked it up.
Why do you think in only a few years AirTags have become so ubiquitous, while tile has had nearly a decade on them, and are so barely known?
That’s pretty easy, because they’re marketed by apple and support is built into all ios devices.
Whereas Tile is a third party company and had to hoist their network onto iphones.
It’s a common pattern in big tech and part of why it’s near impossible for any independent company to get anywhere in the industry
Marketing