5 ways Google's upcoming trackers could dethrone Apple's AirTags

Everything we want to hear about Google's new tracker tag at I/O 2023

Tracker tags have been around for a while, but nothing could disrupt the market like the Apple AirTag did. The AirTag is phenomenally easy to set up with just a few taps on an iPhone. Plus, it seamlessly integrates with the larger Apple ecosystem so that it remains trackable even when it's left behind. People have long wanted an AirTag alternative from Google that "just works" with Android. And now, it looks like Google may have something to share about its location tracker — allegedly called the Nest Locator Tag — at the Google I/O 2023 announcement.

While Google prepares to announce its first Bluetooth tracker, there are a few things that we want Google to learn from AirTag's strengths and weaknesses to offer a safer and more versatile tracker to Android users.

The Apple AirTag looks cute with its circular design, but the problem starts when you want to hook it up to your valuables like keys. Since a lanyard port isn't built into the device, in typical Apple fashion, you'll rely on accessories to attach it to your keychain or pet's collar. If Google wants to make a better tracker than the AirTag, it can start by fixing this design screw-up. Many people will appreciate a tag that depends less on accessories for its basic job.

As for the tracker's battery, Google will likely have to stick to the coin cell to avoid getting flak like many Tile tags that are useless once their battery runs out after a couple of years of use. Switching to a rechargeable battery for such a tiny device poses challenges, ranging from heat management to battery replacement once its health deteriorates. Plus, going the rechargeable way will shoot up the tracker's price, making Google's offering far less competitive.

Apple presents itself as the custodian of user privacy. Still, the AirTag has been a disaster on that front ever since it came out, with several reported instances of stalking and theft. You know it's bad when a few U.S. states step in to propose legislation for location trackers to curb non-consensual tracking. But neither such laws nor Apple's meek warning can deter perpetrators from doing what they want to do.

Google could develop an improved logic system that doesn't take as long as the AirTag to tell a tracker that is near you, say in a café, apart from a rogue tag to alert the victim if they are being stalked, and at the same time, make its system fool-proof to minimize false alarms. Considering not all Android phones support the more reliable ultra-wideband, Google will have to depend on the existing, erratic Bluetooth tracking tech. But Google could at least let the Bluetooth antenna stay on in the background so that it can continuously pick up any signal from such beacons, much like what Apple has been doing with iPhones for years.

And it sure looks like Google and Apple are taking the matter into their own hands to address the growing privacy concerns around tracking tags. The two companies have teamed up to develop an industry standard for Bluetooth trackers to identify any rogue trackers around you and send you an alert on Android and iOS devices. Google will share more on how this standard will work at I/O 2023.

The 2022 Apple TV 4K launched with a refreshed remote that charges over USB-C, but it still doesn't get AirTag-like precision tracking built-in, which we think is a missed opportunity. TV remotes are perhaps the most misplaced items in our homes and make the perfect candidates for tracking features. We hope the next Chromecast has a remote controller with Google's tracker built in. Google could also take a page from AirPods Pro 2's book and bake a tracker into the Pixel Buds.

Why limit the tracking tech to Google's first-party devices when it can be put inside about anything that's nonstationary? A tracker could be built into a tablet stylus, smart bike, car, or any device you regularly need. Think of it as Chromecast built-in but for trackers. Google can license it to other companies to allow your third-party devices and accessories to be a part of your Find My Device network without each of them needing a dangling tag. This increases the tracker's scope beyond tracking keys and wallets.

Apple started its Find My Network Accessory program a couple of years back to allow other manufacturers to include the U1 chip inside their products like bikes and bags, making them trackable like an AirTag. However, its adoption hasn't picked up since then, with only a handful of third-party products supporting the feature. Google can potentially make its tracking tech more widespread by partnering with brands to bake its tracker into more products of different shapes and sizes.

Most of the features discussed above won't matter until more Android phones support ultra-wideband. UWB on recent iPhones with the U1 chip enables the AirTag's most enticing feature: precision tracking.

But on this side of the fence, only a handful of top-end Android phones (like the Google Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 7 Pro, and the Samsung Galaxy S21+ and up) come with a UWB chip, as not many brands are keen on adding the band to their mid-range and budget phones.

Even though Google has an extensive network of active phones for its Find My Device network, rumor is tracker's adoption cannot pick up the pace until UWB makes its way to most mid-range handsets. If your phone has UWB, you can utilize it for several things, like using your phone as the key for your (supported) car or your smart door lock. Even Bluetooth came out with its own indoor precision positioning solution, and recent Bluetooth versions can tell the direction the signal is coming from. However, it still relies on the 2.4GHz band that is prone to congestion and interference, which isn't ideal for such applications.

Google I/O has become a space for some of Google's most exciting product launches of the year, and the 2023 keynote will perhaps be the biggest one yet. The reason it's going to be momentous is that Google is expected to unveil its first foldable, the Pixel Fold, along with the Pixel Tablet, its first tablet in several years. We're also looking forward to the Pixel 7a making an appearance at the event beside the rumored Nest Locator Tag.

You can watch Google I/O 2023 live on May 10 while also keeping an eye out for AP's in-depth coverage of Android 14 and everything else that Google will announce during the week.

Karandeep has been with Android Police as a freelance writer since 2019, covering reviews for India, buyer’s guides for the US, and handy tutorials for everyone. He cares more about the impact of technology on people’s everyday lives than the superfluous features companies keep adding each year, which is central to his reviews and product recommendations.In his previous life, he worked with Android Headlines to cover everything Android. He also wrote and edited for a handful of publications in India during his writing journey, which started in 2014. Ever since his first Symbian phone that had the iconic Ovi store to download apps, he has stuck to Android phones and is currently using a OnePlus 11. In his free time, he’s usually busy clearing his ever-growing backlog of movies and TV shows or tracking down an eatery he hasn’t been to yet. Chats about food go to Twitter DM and everything tech to karandeep (at) androidpolice (dot) com.