Google unveiled the Pixel Tag at its Made by Google event, marking the company’s entry into the Bluetooth tracker market with a $29 price tag that matches Apple’s AirTag. The Android-exclusive device is compatible with any phone running Android 9 or later and includes a user-replaceable coin battery and an IP67 dust and water-resistance rating. The tracker works with Google’s Find My Device network, which relies on other Android devices to help locate lost items.
The key differentiator for the Pixel Tag is its use of Bluetooth Channel Sounding, a technology that Google says improves on the older Bluetooth Low Energy standard used by Apple’s AirTags for proximity detection. Channel Sounding uses Phase-Based Ranging, which measures distance between devices more accurately than the Received Signal Strength Indicator method employed by AirTags. This means the Pixel Tag can determine its distance from a paired phone with greater precision, even when obstacles like walls or other Bluetooth signals interfere with the connection.
While the Pixel Tag also includes an ultra-wideband (UWB) chip for highly accurate tracking, Channel Sounding is designed to handle general location duties without constantly activating the more power-intensive UWB radio. This approach could extend the battery life of the tracker, as the UWB technology only engages when needed for ultra-precise positioning. Motorola’s Moto Tag 2 previously introduced Channel Sounding to Android trackers, so Google is not the first to use the technology in this category.
The Pixel Tag’s performance compared directly to Apple’s AirTag and Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTag2 is not clearly superior based on specifications alone, but the inclusion of Channel Sounding sets it apart from those rivals. For U.S. consumers, the tracker is limited to Android users, meaning iPhone owners must continue using AirTags or other iOS-compatible devices. Additionally, not all Android phones support the full feature set, as UWB chips are only found in premium models like Google’s Pixel Pro series and Pixel Fold, Samsung’s Galaxy S Plus and S Ultra series, and Z Fold phones.
Android devices without UWB chips may still use Channel Sounding for tracking, provided they support the Bluetooth 6.0 standard that includes the technology. However, not every phone with Bluetooth 6.0 supports Channel Sounding, so for now full functionality is limited to premium Pixel phones. Phones lacking both UWB and Channel Sounding support would likely fall back to standard Bluetooth Low Energy, giving them tracking capabilities similar to a basic Tile tracker.
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