AirTag rival Chipolo One Spot with keyring hole now available for preorder

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion
The Chipolo ONE Spot is now available to pre-order, offering a small price benefit, and a built-in keyring hole, over AirTag, its fellow Find My device from Apple.

New new Chipolo ONE Spot
New new Chipolo ONE Spot


Announced ahead of Apple's launch of the AirTag, the similar Chipolo ONE Spot device tracker is now available for pre-order. It's the first third-party tracking device to use Apple's Find My network, and it offers similar functions to the AirTag, but with advantages.

The first is that built right into the tracker is a hole so that it can be fitted to a keyring. Apple's AirTags require the separate purchase of an accessory in order to be attached to a ring.

Then Chipolo is selling the new tracker for slightly less than Apple. A single Chipolo ONE Spot costs $28, instead of Apple's $29.

More significantly, a four-pack of Chipolo ONE Spots is currently slated to sell for $90. That's a nine-dollar saving over Apple, but Chipolo's site suggests that at some point the four-pack may go up to $112.

AirTags are more water resistant, being rated at IP67 -- meaning they can be submerged in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. The Chipolo ONE Spot is rated IPX5, which means it can resist splashes.

The Chipolo ONE Spot is louder, however, Unofficial tests suggest that the AirTag speaker can go up to 64dB. Chipolo states its new device can achieve 120dB. AirTags can also use the iPhone's ultra wideband for precise finding, where the ONE Spot cannot.






Chipolo currently states that its pre-orders for June are sold out. Ordering now will see devices shipped in August.

AirTags and the new Chipolo ONE Spot are currently the only tracking devices that are compatible with Apple's Find My network. Tile offers alternatives that use its own proprietary network, and AppleInsider has extensively compared the three devices.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 19
    mr lizardmr lizard Posts: 354member
    It would be good if the article could mention something about whether the battery is replaceable, and expected battery life. 
    ArianneFeldrywatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 19
    XedXed Posts: 2,543member
    This is a solid option over Tile since it works with Find My, but the lower IP rating and the lack of UWB makes this something I'm not likely to recommend over AirTag.
    mr lizard said:
    It would be good if the article could mention something about whether the battery is replaceable, and expected battery life. 
    It's a replaceable 2032 and expected to last a year.


    gregoriusmSoliwatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 19
    AppleZuluAppleZulu Posts: 2,006member
    What is Chipolo doing to prevent stalkers and abusers from using this device to track their victims? Will it alert someone that a device not registered to them has been following them? If so, do you have to install a Chipolo app and register an account in order to be notified, even if you don't have any Chipolo tags yourself? Will the Chipolo tag start making a noise after some period of time if its owner isn't nearby? I'm just asking because Apple's AirTags have some anti-stalker features, but a bunch of people on these forums seemed to think they hadn't done enough in that area. Now we have this Chipolo announcement, and I can't find a thing on their website about any measures whatsoever that they've taken to thwart misuse of their devices, other than the potential that there might not be enough Chipolo users out there for their phones to usefully relay a victim's location back to the stalker.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 19
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    AppleZulu said:
    What is Chipolo doing to prevent stalkers and abusers from using this device to track their victims? Will it alert someone that a device not registered to them has been following them? If so, do you have to install a Chipolo app and register an account in order to be notified, even if you don't have any Chipolo tags yourself? Will the Chipolo tag start making a noise after some period of time if its owner isn't nearby? I'm just asking because Apple's AirTags have some anti-stalker features, but a bunch of people on these forums seemed to think they hadn't done enough in that area. Now we have this Chipolo announcement, and I can't find a thing on their website about any measures whatsoever that they've taken to thwart misuse of their devices, other than the potential that there might not be enough Chipolo users out there for their phones to usefully relay a victim's location back to the stalker.
    1) It's funny how trackers have been around for years without any mention of trying to prevent illicit use, but as soon as Apple announces one with that safety feature all of a sudden it's not good enough.

    2) I do wonder how the Find My network is set up for these other trackers. Hopefully that will be able to piggyback on Apple's OSes and back end for the anti-stalker feature instead of only being a centralized place to see 3rd-party trackers.
    Xedtokyojimuwatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 19
    AppleZuluAppleZulu Posts: 2,006member
    Soli said:
    AppleZulu said:
    What is Chipolo doing to prevent stalkers and abusers from using this device to track their victims? Will it alert someone that a device not registered to them has been following them? If so, do you have to install a Chipolo app and register an account in order to be notified, even if you don't have any Chipolo tags yourself? Will the Chipolo tag start making a noise after some period of time if its owner isn't nearby? I'm just asking because Apple's AirTags have some anti-stalker features, but a bunch of people on these forums seemed to think they hadn't done enough in that area. Now we have this Chipolo announcement, and I can't find a thing on their website about any measures whatsoever that they've taken to thwart misuse of their devices, other than the potential that there might not be enough Chipolo users out there for their phones to usefully relay a victim's location back to the stalker.
    1) It's funny how trackers have been around for years without any mention of trying to prevent illicit use, but as soon as Apple announces one with that safety feature all of a sudden it's not good enough.

    2) I do wonder how the Find My network is set up for these other trackers. Hopefully that will be able to piggyback on Apple's OSes and back end for the anti-stalker feature instead of only being a centralized place to see 3rd-party trackers.

    Apple’s Find My network now offers new third-party finding experiences

    "The Find My network is a crowdsourced network of hundreds of millions of Apple devices that use Bluetooth wireless technology to detect missing devices or items nearby, and report their approximate location back to the owner. The entire process is end-to-end encrypted and anonymous, so no one else, not even Apple or the third-party manufacturer, can view a device’s location or information."
    gregoriusmwatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 19
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,093member
    AppleZulu said:
    What is Chipolo doing to prevent stalkers and abusers from using this device to track their victims? Will it alert someone that a device not registered to them has been following them? If so, do you have to install a Chipolo app and register an account in order to be notified, even if you don't have any Chipolo tags yourself? Will the Chipolo tag start making a noise after some period of time if its owner isn't nearby? I'm just asking because Apple's AirTags have some anti-stalker features, but a bunch of people on these forums seemed to think they hadn't done enough in that area. Now we have this Chipolo announcement, and I can't find a thing on their website about any measures whatsoever that they've taken to thwart misuse of their devices, other than the potential that there might not be enough Chipolo users out there for their phones to usefully relay a victim's location back to the stalker.
    The media and iHaters only care about Apple.  It's irrelevant that the entire GPS industry has had this problem since forever... but HEY APPLE!
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 19
    CloudTalkinCloudTalkin Posts: 916member
    sflocal said:
    AppleZulu said:
    What is Chipolo doing to prevent stalkers and abusers from using this device to track their victims? Will it alert someone that a device not registered to them has been following them? If so, do you have to install a Chipolo app and register an account in order to be notified, even if you don't have any Chipolo tags yourself? Will the Chipolo tag start making a noise after some period of time if its owner isn't nearby? I'm just asking because Apple's AirTags have some anti-stalker features, but a bunch of people on these forums seemed to think they hadn't done enough in that area. Now we have this Chipolo announcement, and I can't find a thing on their website about any measures whatsoever that they've taken to thwart misuse of their devices, other than the potential that there might not be enough Chipolo users out there for their phones to usefully relay a victim's location back to the stalker.
    The media and iHaters only care about Apple.  It's irrelevant that the entire GPS industry has had this problem since forever... but HEY APPLE!
    Is it the media or did Apple create the issue themselves?  You rightly point out the potential for electronic stalking existed long before Apple introduced AirTags.  You're also right that it was never really an issue that was at the forefront of media coverage until AirTags.  The scrutiny came when Apple, not the media, decided to use an edge case possibility -stalking- as a tool for marketing the safety of their product relative to the other trackers on the market.  

    Afaik, neither Tile nor any of the other device tracking companies used the scary specter of stalking as a marketing talking point.  I'd be willing to bet stalking wouldn't even be a point of discussion surrounding AirTags if Apple hadn't used it as a way to bring attention to their product.


    muthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 8 of 19
    XedXed Posts: 2,543member
    sflocal said:
    AppleZulu said:
    What is Chipolo doing to prevent stalkers and abusers from using this device to track their victims? Will it alert someone that a device not registered to them has been following them? If so, do you have to install a Chipolo app and register an account in order to be notified, even if you don't have any Chipolo tags yourself? Will the Chipolo tag start making a noise after some period of time if its owner isn't nearby? I'm just asking because Apple's AirTags have some anti-stalker features, but a bunch of people on these forums seemed to think they hadn't done enough in that area. Now we have this Chipolo announcement, and I can't find a thing on their website about any measures whatsoever that they've taken to thwart misuse of their devices, other than the potential that there might not be enough Chipolo users out there for their phones to usefully relay a victim's location back to the stalker.
    The media and iHaters only care about Apple.  It's irrelevant that the entire GPS industry has had this problem since forever... but HEY APPLE!
    Is it the media or did Apple create the issue themselves?  You rightly point out the potential for electronic stalking existed long before Apple introduced AirTags.  You're also right that it was never really an issue that was at the forefront of media coverage until AirTags.  The scrutiny came when Apple, not the media, decided to use an edge case possibility -stalking- as a tool for marketing the safety of their product relative to the other trackers on the market.  

    Afaik, neither Tile nor any of the other device tracking companies used the scary specter of stalking as a marketing talking point.  I'd be willing to bet stalking wouldn't even be a point of discussion surrounding AirTags if Apple hadn't used it as a way to bring attention to their product.


    Your idiotic post reminds of a scene in Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988) where someone tried to talk Tucker out of including seatbelts in his car because it would give the public the perception the car was unsafe, instead of the perception that the car was safer because of the safety feature. Do I need to tell you how common seatbelts and other safety features are today? 

    First you'll ridicule Apple for this feature, eventually others will add it and you'll then say it was an obvious inclusion this whole time.

    PS:     New Hampshire is the only state that doesn't have a seatbelt law.
    edited May 2021 watto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 19
    bageljoeybageljoey Posts: 2,004member
    CloudTalkin said:
    sflocal said:
    AppleZulu said:
    What is Chipolo doing to prevent stalkers and abusers from using this device to track their victims? Will it alert someone that a device not registered to them has been following them? If so, do you have to install a Chipolo app and register an account in order to be notified, even if you don't have any Chipolo tags yourself? Will the Chipolo tag start making a noise after some period of time if its owner isn't nearby? I'm just asking because Apple's AirTags have some anti-stalker features, but a bunch of people on these forums seemed to think they hadn't done enough in that area. Now we have this Chipolo announcement, and I can't find a thing on their website about any measures whatsoever that they've taken to thwart misuse of their devices, other than the potential that there might not be enough Chipolo users out there for their phones to usefully relay a victim's location back to the stalker.
    The media and iHaters only care about Apple.  It's irrelevant that the entire GPS industry has had this problem since forever... but HEY APPLE!
    Is it the media or did Apple create the issue themselves? 

    Really?  Are you new here?
    Any news story that can put Apple in the headline automatically gets the clicks.  If you look, you would find just about everything you buy that is manufactured overseas has components that are sourced unethically or connected to bad labor practices. But will you ever read about your child labor making components for your iron or your coffee maker?  Ever read a story about Dell component supplier issues?  I’m sure the reports exist, but they wouldn’t be front page news.  Ever. 

    Apple knows that news editors would be all over “tracking gate” if they didn’t get in front of it. 

    I don’t say this as some sort of “poor Apple” conspiracy person. It’s just human nature. Apple is the biggest and the best known company out there. They have to be aware that all eyes are on them. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 19
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    Can it be used to stalk like AirTags? Can hackers send messages over the network like AirTags? Is the battery a danger to little children like AirTags? Are they anti-competitive like AirTags? Will Chipolo get sued like Apple? 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 19
    CloudTalkinCloudTalkin Posts: 916member
    Xed said:
    sflocal said:
    AppleZulu said:
    What is Chipolo doing to prevent stalkers and abusers from using this device to track their victims? Will it alert someone that a device not registered to them has been following them? If so, do you have to install a Chipolo app and register an account in order to be notified, even if you don't have any Chipolo tags yourself? Will the Chipolo tag start making a noise after some period of time if its owner isn't nearby? I'm just asking because Apple's AirTags have some anti-stalker features, but a bunch of people on these forums seemed to think they hadn't done enough in that area. Now we have this Chipolo announcement, and I can't find a thing on their website about any measures whatsoever that they've taken to thwart misuse of their devices, other than the potential that there might not be enough Chipolo users out there for their phones to usefully relay a victim's location back to the stalker.
    The media and iHaters only care about Apple.  It's irrelevant that the entire GPS industry has had this problem since forever... but HEY APPLE!
    Is it the media or did Apple create the issue themselves?  You rightly point out the potential for electronic stalking existed long before Apple introduced AirTags.  You're also right that it was never really an issue that was at the forefront of media coverage until AirTags.  The scrutiny came when Apple, not the media, decided to use an edge case possibility -stalking- as a tool for marketing the safety of their product relative to the other trackers on the market.  

    Afaik, neither Tile nor any of the other device tracking companies used the scary specter of stalking as a marketing talking point.  I'd be willing to bet stalking wouldn't even be a point of discussion surrounding AirTags if Apple hadn't used it as a way to bring attention to their product.


    Your idiotic post reminds of a scene in Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988) where someone tried to talk Tucker out of including seatbelts in his car because it would give the public the perception the car was unsafe, instead of the perception that the car was safer because of the safety feature. Do I need to tell you how common seatbelts and other safety features are today? 

    First you'll ridicule Apple for this feature, eventually others will add it and you'll then say it was an obvious inclusion this whole time.

    PS: New Hampshire is the only state that doesn't have a seatbelt law.
    Bud, if you can find anything in my quote that ridicules Apple, please point it out.  I can save you some time.  You won't.  You can find a refutation of sflocal's claim about the media and iHaters.  The media didn't initiate the discussion surrounding stalking, Apple did.  Are you refuting the validity of that statement?  I mean if your only argument is ad hominem rhetoric, please don't waste my time.  Refute a point, I'll continue discourse.  Otherwise, be good.
    muthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 12 of 19
    CloudTalkinCloudTalkin Posts: 916member
    bageljoey said:
    sflocal said:
    AppleZulu said:
    What is Chipolo doing to prevent stalkers and abusers from using this device to track their victims? Will it alert someone that a device not registered to them has been following them? If so, do you have to install a Chipolo app and register an account in order to be notified, even if you don't have any Chipolo tags yourself? Will the Chipolo tag start making a noise after some period of time if its owner isn't nearby? I'm just asking because Apple's AirTags have some anti-stalker features, but a bunch of people on these forums seemed to think they hadn't done enough in that area. Now we have this Chipolo announcement, and I can't find a thing on their website about any measures whatsoever that they've taken to thwart misuse of their devices, other than the potential that there might not be enough Chipolo users out there for their phones to usefully relay a victim's location back to the stalker.
    The media and iHaters only care about Apple.  It's irrelevant that the entire GPS industry has had this problem since forever... but HEY APPLE!
    Is it the media or did Apple create the issue themselves? 

    Really?  Are you new here?
    Any news story that can put Apple in the headline automatically gets the clicks.  If you look, you would find just about everything you buy that is manufactured overseas has components that are sourced unethically or connected to bad labor practices. But will you ever read about your child labor making components for your iron or your coffee maker?  Ever read a story about Dell component supplier issues?  I’m sure the reports exist, but they wouldn’t be front page news.  Ever. 

    Apple knows that news editors would be all over “tracking gate” if they didn’t get in front of it. 

    I don’t say this as some sort of “poor Apple” conspiracy person. It’s just human nature. Apple is the biggest and the best known company out there. They have to be aware that all eyes are on them. 
    My man you're addressing unrelated generalities.  I am not.  My quote is about the specificity of this particular aspect of AirTags.  Whether or not Apple would have been eventually questioned about the use of AirTags for stalking is supposition; so debatable.  Apple initiating that discussion by highlighting the anti-stalking feature themselves is not debatable.  So I'm not sure why the outrage when the media latches on to it.  As you say, they are the biggest and best known and their statements get clicks.  It's the same thing with environmental or supplier labor issues.  Apple makes a purposeful point of highlighting both those issues... often.  No one else really does that so it's not surprising no one else gets coverage.  

    When one says look at me, look at me... more often than not they're gonna get looked at.  Sorta crazy when some Apple fans -not Apple mind you, some of their fans- get upset when they get looked at.
    edited May 2021 muthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 13 of 19
    fred1fred1 Posts: 1,112member
    I'm curious about why anyone would buy this instead of an AirTag. I don't plan on stalking anyone and I don't see any advantages other than the hole, which is available as an accessory for AirTags for $5 and up.  Any thoughts?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 19
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    fred1 said:
    I'm curious about why anyone would buy this instead of an AirTag. I don't plan on stalking anyone and I don't see any advantages other than the hole, which is available as an accessory for AirTags for $5 and up.  Any thoughts?
    Simple, it’s not an Apple product. For many here not buying an Apple product is a sign of technical superiority. There’s always a better solution than an Apple product. Just ask ‘em. And it is a couple of dollars cheaper so there’s that.
  • Reply 15 of 19
    fred1fred1 Posts: 1,112member
    lkrupp said:
    fred1 said:
    I'm curious about why anyone would buy this instead of an AirTag. I don't plan on stalking anyone and I don't see any advantages other than the hole, which is available as an accessory for AirTags for $5 and up.  Any thoughts?
    Simple, it’s not an Apple product. For many here not buying an Apple product is a sign of technical superiority. There’s always a better solution than an Apple product. Just ask ‘em. And it is a couple of dollars cheaper so there’s that.
    Interesting. Thank you. I was referring more to less emotional criteria, but I understand your view. I happen to feel the same way about products and services offered by that company in Redmond, Washington, so I know how you feel.  I’m curious, though, about why you follow a site like AppleInsider. 
    dewme
  • Reply 16 of 19
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,361member
    I wonder why Apple didn't make the AirTag the same shape as the Apple logo? If the little leaf part was open it would be a great place for an attachment point or at least a jump ring for mounting. I'm assuming the manufacturing would be a bit more difficult, but the marketing folks would be ecstatic, or horrified, depending on their sense of aesthetics. At least it would never be confused with a chubby lithium ion coin battery.
  • Reply 17 of 19
    CloudTalkinCloudTalkin Posts: 916member
    dewme said:
    I wonder why Apple didn't make the AirTag the same shape as the Apple logo? If the little leaf part was open it would be a great place for an attachment point or at least a jump ring for mounting. I'm assuming the manufacturing would be a bit more difficult, but the marketing folks would be ecstatic, or horrified, depending on their sense of aesthetics. At least it would never be confused with a chubby lithium ion coin battery.
    I think that tag style would actually look pretty good.  The problem I see, probably them too, is the chance for the leaf to snag on something.  Potential damage and you know how litigious society is these days (at least in the US).  Most of the tags and trackers I've seen have had smooth edges and no protruding parts. 
  • Reply 18 of 19
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,361member
    CloudTalkin said:
    dewme said:
    I wonder why Apple didn't make the AirTag the same shape as the Apple logo? If the little leaf part was open it would be a great place for an attachment point or at least a jump ring for mounting. I'm assuming the manufacturing would be a bit more difficult, but the marketing folks would be ecstatic, or horrified, depending on their sense of aesthetics. At least it would never be confused with a chubby lithium ion coin battery.
    I think that tag style would actually look pretty good.  The problem I see, probably them too, is the chance for the leaf to snag on something.  Potential damage and you know how litigious society is these days (at least in the US).  Most of the tags and trackers I've seen have had smooth edges and no protruding parts. 
    Yeah, and fitting a standard sized battery would also be an issue unless the tag was a bit larger. The lack of a designed-in hanger still bothers me somewhat. It’s not a showstopper but I do wish Apple provided some sort of minimalist snap-on holder with each tag. It’s not a  value for the money issue as much as it makes the product seem incomplete in its current form. 
    CloudTalkin
  • Reply 19 of 19
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    fred1 said:
    lkrupp said:
    fred1 said:
    I'm curious about why anyone would buy this instead of an AirTag. I don't plan on stalking anyone and I don't see any advantages other than the hole, which is available as an accessory for AirTags for $5 and up.  Any thoughts?
    Simple, it’s not an Apple product. For many here not buying an Apple product is a sign of technical superiority. There’s always a better solution than an Apple product. Just ask ‘em. And it is a couple of dollars cheaper so there’s that.
    Interesting. Thank you. I was referring more to less emotional criteria, but I understand your view. I happen to feel the same way about products and services offered by that company in Redmond, Washington, so I know how you feel.  I’m curious, though, about why you follow a site like AppleInsider. 
    Well, as usual, my sarcasm has been misconstrued. I guess I forgot the /s
    watto_cobra
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