Chipolo announces ONE Spot tracking tag with Find My support

Posted:
in General Discussion
Chipolo has announced the ONE Spot, its first tracking tag that works with Apple's Find My app and one of the first devices to take advantage of the third-party tracking support.

Credit: Chipolo
Credit: Chipolo


Apple on Wednesday debuted a new Find My network feature that allows third-party devices to be tracked through the app on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Some of the first companies to take advantage of the feature include Belkin, VanMoof, and Chipolo.

The Chipolo ONE Spot is a small, round tracking tag that can be attached with various personal belongings. The company says that it's both lightweight and water-resistant, and it sports a replaceable battery rated to last up to 12 months.

Once attached to an item, Apple users will be able to add the Chipolo ONE Spot to the Items tab on the Find My app. The tracking device will be discoverable on a map with the last known location if it's out of range. Users will also be able to play a sound or put the device into Lost Mode if it's missing or misplaced.

If a user switches the Chipolo tag into Lost Mode, they'll be able to locate the device using the Find My network that allows offline tracking via millions of iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices. Should another person find the Chipolo ONE Spot, they'll be able to identify and contact the owner. The device, like all accessories on the Find My network, will use encryption to protect user privacy and security.

"We are extremely excited to announce the Find My-enabled Chipolo ONE Spot, which enables users to find more than just misplaced items and offers a solution for those which are truly lost -- all while maintaining privacy using advanced encryption so user data and information is protected. This introduces a new level of peace of mind when it comes to keeping your valuables safe and accounted for," said Primoz Zelensek, Chipolo's CEO.

While the Find My app is now open to third-party manufacturers like Chipolo, Apple is rumored to be working on its own first-party "
AirTags" trackers. "AirTags," compared to other products on the market, will feature Ultra Wideband support for more precise locating and deep integration with Apple's ARKit.

The Chipolo ONE Spot will require iOS 14.3, iPadOS 14.3, and macOS Big Sur 11.1 or later. It'll become available to pre-order in May before launching in June. Interested users can join the waitlist for more information and pre-order access.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 12
    hmlongcohmlongco Posts: 533member
    "Should another person find the Chipolo ONE Spot, they'll be able to identify and contact the owner."

    Ummm.... does that mean a 
    thief with an iPhone can "find" the Spot just as soon as it's reported lost?
    Vermelho
  • Reply 2 of 12
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Odd....
    If Apple is rolling out AirTags in just a few weeks why would there even be a new Apple-endorsed third-party tracker announced now? 
    ramanpfaff
  • Reply 3 of 12
    If this means the Chipolo-tags out there will finally start doing their job, it would be great news for owners, but I doubt it. Used mine four months, got about a thousend falls alarms when both my tagged keys and my iPhone were in my coat pocket, and never once an alarm when it was needed. After those four months the battery was dead and that finally bought me peace. And all that for only 25 euro's. Not even going to invest in a new battery. Come on Apple, start shipping some tags that just work. Can't wait. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 12
    ramanpfafframanpfaff Posts: 132member
    I'm getting a feeling AirTags are going the way of AirPower.
  • Reply 5 of 12
    barthrhbarthrh Posts: 137member
    hmlongco said:
    "Should another person find the Chipolo ONE Spot, they'll be able to identify and contact the owner."

    Ummm.... does that mean a thief with an iPhone can "find" the Spot just as soon as it's reported lost?
    I don't believe that this marks it as "found" and resolves the issue. It probably notifies that owner that something was located. It would remain "lost" until the owner cleared that status.
  • Reply 6 of 12
    hmlongco said:
    "Should another person find the Chipolo ONE Spot, they'll be able to identify and contact the owner."

    Ummm.... does that mean a thief with an iPhone can "find" the Spot just as soon as it's reported lost?
    What "Should another person find the [lost] Chipolo" is likely referring to is this (from Chipolo website):
    "When one of the Chipolo community members passes by your lost item, their phone will record your lost Chipolo’s new location. You will then receive an anonymous notification of your Chipolo’s new location. It will be sent to the Chipolo app on your phone and to your email."

    So, another person doesn't actually "find" the lost Chipolo; If a passerby belongs to the Chipolo community, then their device will send an updated location, anonymously,  to the person who lost the Chipolo Spot.
    muthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 7 of 12
    Apple_BarApple_Bar Posts: 134member
    gatorguy said:
    Odd....
    If Apple is rolling out AirTags in just a few weeks why would there even be a new Apple-endorsed third-party tracker announced now? 
    because AirTags only exists in the blogosphere. 
    beowulfschmidt
  • Reply 8 of 12
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    hmlongco said:
    "Should another person find the Chipolo ONE Spot, they'll be able to identify and contact the owner."

    Ummm.... does that mean a thief with an iPhone can "find" the Spot just as soon as it's reported lost?

    No, that's not how any of this works.  Reporting a missing wallet does not pop up a message on every iPhone in the country telling folk to look out for it.

    You report that the wallet is missing, and then any Apple device that is in Bluetooth range of it will pick up the location and ping an encrypted package back to Apple's FindMy servers. 

    Your Apple devices can then download this info from the servers which will tell you the last location of the wallet.

    There is no publicly-viewable internet-wide broadcast of everyone's missing stuff.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 12
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    Hold the front page!

    Your top man in AppleTech, Rene Ritchie, has answered THE biggest question concerning the stalker problem:



    However, this leads to another question: does this mean that any third-party device must be able to make a sound if it's being used to stalk you?
    edited April 2021 watto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 12
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    Oh, hang on!



    Starting to see why this stuff has taken so long.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 12
    michelb76michelb76 Posts: 612member
    gatorguy said:
    Odd....
    If Apple is rolling out AirTags in just a few weeks why would there even be a new Apple-endorsed third-party tracker announced now? 
    Maybe the 'AirTags' are just an internal product for use in stores.
  • Reply 12 of 12
    fred1fred1 Posts: 1,112member
    What I care about with this or AirTags is this: can I put one in a checked suitcase and know where it is once I land?
    watto_cobra
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