For such a company’s lower-priced key finder, the prior edition of the Mate felt like a major step back. However, the new Tile Mate (2024) corrects all of these flaws while also boosting range and improving water resistance.
The Tile Pro (2024) is still the best key finder on the market, but then if you don’t want to spend $35 for it, the $25 Tile Mate is still a terrific alternative, especially considering all of the advancements in this 2024 iteration.
What you will see here?
Tile Mate: Price and availability
The Tile Mate is $10 less than that of the Tile Pro, with the main difference being range (the Tile Pro could stay in touch with your phone for out to 400 feet, whereas the Mate only goes up to 250 feet) and alarm volume. For many consumers, such trade-offs would be worth the $10 savings, though some may object to the Mate’s non-replaceable battery. (I’ll get to that in a minute.)
A Mate’s $25 cost is also competitive with other leading key finders. The Galaxy SmartTag from Samsung costs $30, which is the same as the AirTag from Apple. Apple’s key finder has Ultra-Wideband connectivity for further precise tracking, which Tile’s trackers don’t have until the Tile Ultra launches in 2024.
Design and features
Unlike the Tile Pro, which has a new design for 2024, the Tile Mate (2024) looks remarkably similar to its predecessor. The square design is the same as previously, however, the new Mate is somewhat larger all around. Tile has attempted to standardize the aesthetic of its key locators, which implies the Mate includes a Tile logo inside the middle that you can touch if you ever have to find your phone. (If you’re anything like me, this will happen regularly.)
The decision by Tile to eliminate the removable battery on the Tile Mate (2024) is easily the most significant change. The Mate, like the newest version of a Tile Slim & Tile Sticker, is powered by a non-replaceable battery with a three-year lifespan. The idea of upgrading your tracker in three years would irritate ecologically conscious consumers, while the Tile app can direct you to e-waste places in which you can rid of old Tiles.
Water-resistance
If it’s any consolation, it Tile Mate now has an IP67 water-resistant rating, up from an earlier version that could only survive splashes. As a result, the new Mate is more durable and comparable to the remainder of the Tile family.
It’s the same process as before to use the new Tile Mate. You connect the tracker to anything you want to keep an eye on and couple it with your Android or iPhone via Bluetooth. The Tile app allows you to manage your Tile Mate and includes a button that sounds an alarm if you didn’t locate your keys (or whatever you’ve linked to your Tile). Tile’s trackers, as previously mentioned, offer a 2 way to find a feature that lets you buzz your phone – a feature that Apple’s AirTag lacks.
Tile Mate: Specifications
- Size: 1.5 x 1.5 x 0.3 inches.
- Water resistance: IP67.
- Battery: Non-replaceable/3 years.
- Listed range: Up to 250 feet
- Colors: Black, white.
Performance
If you want Tile’s loudest alarm, Tile Pro (2024) seems to be the tracker to get. However, in most circumstances, the Mate’s alert is loud enough. You can hear this key finder’s alarm from a different room in your house, even though it is stowed in a suit pocket inside a closet. The Mate’s alert can be still heard. Until it is much more than 100 feet away in a public park with such a lot of noise level. At a distance of roughly 150 feet, you can still hear the Tile Pro.
The tile had increased the range of the professional Tile Mate from 200 to 250 feet. You can go 200 feet away with ease with when new Mate (2024). Physical impediments and signal interference might cause performance to fluctuate.
Tile Mate: QR Code
The Mate, like other new Tile trackers, includes a QR code imprinted on the rear that is meant to allow others to relay the Tile Mate’s whereabouts if you lose it. They can scan the barcode and send you a message using the information you put in Tile’s app. In 2024, a Scan & Secure function designed to detect unknown Tiles attempting to monitor your whereabouts will be available.
Tile’s $2.99/month subscription service includes additional capabilities such as warnings. When you leave your house without your Mate and the opportunity to share the tracker with an infinite number of others. However, the Tile Mate’s fundamental functions are free. You can get through the gadget without paying for Tile Premium.
Conclusion
While the Tile Pro’s range is unrivaled, you might argue that a 400-foot range is a lovely rather than a need. A Tile Mate (2024) offers a range of 250 feet, which is enough for most individuals. As well as the alert is loud sufficient to be audible from a distance. For a $10 discount, those are some fairly good trade-offs. Especially if you don’t mind the lack of a removable battery.
For $5 more than Tile Mate, Apple’s AirTag has more functions. While the Chipolo One has a more colorful design and a removable battery for the same price as that of the Mate. However, given the enhancements in this latest version, it’s difficult to beat the value that Tile Mate provides.
