The IT Nerd

Clearly Tile is feeling the pressure from Apple AirTag. So much so that according to CNBC, Tile has cut a deal with Amazon:

Amazon’s partnership will allow it beef up its tracking network, called Sidewalk, by letting Tile and Level devices tap into the Bluetooth networks created by millions of its Echo products. Tile will start working with Amazon’s network beginning June 14.

It needs the help because from what I can tell, Tile has a network of roughly has sold 30 million users Tile trackers, but their actual network size isn’t known. Compared to the billion or so Apple devices out there, it leaves Tile at a significant disadvantage. Amazon will sort of help with that. I say sort of because:

Amazon said Sidewalk will also strengthen Tile’s existing in-home finding experience with Alexa. Customers can say, “Alexa, find my keys” and their Tile tracker will start ringing from a coat pocket or from under the bed signaling where to find their lost item.

Amazon also said users with multiple Echo devices connected to Sidewalk will be able to find misplaced items around their homes even faster. Alexa can tell users which Echo device their Tiled item is closer to, whether it is the kitchen speaker or their bedroom speaker and the day and time it was last seen near that device.

In other words, this won’t help you find your keys in Downtown Toronto. Which means Apple likely still has the advantage here. But I guess Tile had to do something to stay in the game. And this qualifies as something. So let’s see how far this deal gets them.

This entry was posted on May 8, 2021 at 4:18 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Amazon, Tile. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.