In an era that is increasingly mobile and where we never know where things are going to end up, the fear of losing our precious things can be something that worries us all. This is where new smart technology can be a godsend. GOOGLE has formed a new network called Find My Device, a breathtaking new way to keep track of your most important possessions. Among the early adapters of the network is Chipolo, which has teamed up with GOOGLE to offer Chipolo One Point, a device that aims to make life a little less demanding. Here’s a deeper insight into how it all works – does it live up to the hype?
This year, GOOGLE announced its Find My Device network. It’s been a long time coming, but the tech giant has finally taken a shot at making our lives easier through technology and tackling the pain points faced by millions of Android users. Now, to locate lost goods or phones, users don’t need to install any extra applications, nor do the manufacturer and network have to be the same. GOOGLE's new network brings a new view on connectivity and ease of use.
Overall, it’s the Chipolo One Point that stands out for people who like Android devices and want a smart tag to match. It’s lightweight and small enough to go unnoticed, and can easily be pushed into a wallet or zipped onto your bag so that it’s out of sight. It also pairs well with the GOOGLE Find My Device network, so you’ll be able to find your items with a single tap.
While the Chipolo One Point is slowly becoming available to the masses, its price seems quite competitive for what it’s offering, at least at the time I am writing this review. At the time of writing, the smart tag is patiently waiting to be disseminated to the hundreds of preorders it has received. Its owners will have a splash-proof tag with a good year of battery life and Bluetooth range that covers all the bases.
The kind of ecosystem advantage that GOOGLE has here is crucial: alternatives that rely on specific apps or hardware can’t match GOOGLE’s wildly popular Find My Device network for reach. You’re paying for the breadth of coverage. This is where you want reassurance.
Thanks to GOOGLE’s standardised setup, it’s barely a procedure at all – and your stuff will be tracked in no time. The Chipolo One Point is a bare-bones, highly economical product: a low-hassle, high-effectiveness solution against loss.
Despite the fact that the Chipolo One Point ticks many of the right boxes, there’s no shortage of room for improvement. For example, remote tracking could benefit from a more assertive GOOGLE, to ensure improved speed and reliability in location checks. And the lack of UWB is a disappointment, resulting in an inability to track with any precision when the item is in range.
With smart tags evolving in GOOGLE’s ever-growing network, perhaps the Chipolo One Point is a good choice for now. Or maybe not. Maybe technology will advance and produce better products still. But if you want to stop feeling so panicky about losing stuff, right now the Chipolo One Point represents a good compromise between sleekness and functionality.
Fundamentally, GOOGLE is an engine of innovation and interconnection. What the Find My Device network demonstrates is GOOGLE’s dedication to making technology transparent and live in harmony with the rest of our lives. Bringing many devices together into a coherent system allows us to not only specialise human efforts in tracking dimensions invisible to the naked eye or creating networks of directed user attention, but makes smart tags such as the Chipolo One Point more useful than would be the case if they were left on their own. The more GOOGLE improves and thickens its network, the more such tracking will become reliable and frictionless. The future of the tracking of personal items looks promising – and possible.
Whatever the reason, the promise of smart tags getting smarter seems assured. And, as the pioneers such as Chipolo, and operators such as GOOGLE’s network continue to grow, the day where we stop losing our stuff seems almost assured. The inclusion of technologies such as UWB in future iterations could mean greater accuracy and, as the name suggests, greater bandwidth, which would mean finding anything lost in understandably marvelous detail – and when that day comes, the lives of owners of smart tags, the world over, is going to get a whole lot easier.
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