If you had asked me ten years ago what would be the most controversial devices I would test, I don’t think I would have answered with “Bluetooth trackers.”
It turns out that small devices meant to help you keep track of your wallet or child can also be used by abusers to stalk their victims. So when I got the chance to test Chipolo’s newest tracker, the Card Spot, I had to give it a go. At this year’s CES, Chipolo announced that the Card Spot is now compatible with Apple’s Find My app, which uses all 1 billion reported Apple users in Apple’s Find My network to locate your lost or stolen devices.
I slipped it into my husband’s wallet when he left for work one morning. Like me, my husband is an iPhone user, but he didn’t receive any security alerts that he had a tracker on him for two days. I also repeatedly checked the Find My app and saw that the Card Spot was still marking its last known presence as my home, just as my husband left that morning.
Like a tile, the Card Spot does not have ultra-wideband (UWB) capabilities. It is limited to the 200-foot Bluetooth range. If you’re an Apple user who finds the AirTag’s awesome locating powers a little scary — or if you’re having a hard time attaching them to your wallet — the Card Spot is the natural choice, and it’s much more secure.
teamwork
Photo: Chipolo
The Card Spot is a sleek, attractive little tracker that looks like a credit card. It’s 2.5mm thick, about the same size as the Tile Slim and looks almost the same. It also has about the same Bluetooth range, and the battery is said to not last as long: two years, compared to the Slim’s three. I even had to take my Tile Slim out of my wallet to replace it with the Card Spot.
The other specifications are also similar. The Card Spot is IPX5 rated, which means it can withstand water splashes; the Slim has a slightly better water resistance rating, at IP67. The main difference – and the reason you should get the Card Spot over the Tile Slim, if you have an iPhone – is the seamless integration with the Find My app.
This post Chipolo Card Spot Review: Apple AirTags Alternative
was original published at “https://www.wired.com/review/chipolo-card-spot”
