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Network agnosticPebblebee Card Universal
The Pebblebee Card Universal is the company’s new slim smart tracker that supports Apple Find My and Google Find My Device tag networks.
Pros- Rechargeable battery
- Works with Apple Find My and Google Find My Device networks
- IPX6 water resistant
Cons- Google Find My Device delivers poor performance
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Reliable trackingTile Slim (2024)
The 2024 Tile Slim Bluetooth tracker has a louder speaker, better Bluetooth range, and an Anti-Theft Mode. It relies on the company’s own tag network and works with Android and iPhones.
Pros- Durable with IP68 dust and water resistance
- Capable Tile tag network
- Can ping your phone
Cons- Non-rechargeable, permanent battery
- Some features require a paid subscription
Tile’s Slim has long been a beloved smart tracker, particularly for Android owners. It has a long battery life, a good Bluetooth range, and support for both Android and iOS. It’s also lightweight and packs a reasonably loud speaker. One of its main competitors in the smart tag space is the new Pebblebee Card Universal. It also supports both mobile platforms. But unlike the Tile offering, it relies on Apple’s Find My or Google’s Find My Device network, depending on your paired phone. This dual network support ensures adaptability, making it a convenient choice. So, which of the two is better for you? Let’s find out.
Read our ranking
Price, availability, and specifications
The Pebblebee Card Universal costs $35 for the one-pack, $65 for the two-pack, and $120 for the four-pack. It comes in a single color and is widely available. The Tile Slim is slightly cheaper at $30 for the one-pack, $55 for the two-pack, and $110 for the four-pack. You can purchase it in four color options. Like the Pebblebee Card, it’s widely available.
Here’s a quick look at their specifications.
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Pebblebee Card Universal Tile Slim (2024) Material Plastic Plastic Connectivity Bluetooth Bluetooth Battery Rechargeable, Up to 18 months per charge Up to 3 years, non-replaceable Range Up to 500 feet Up to 350 feet Water Resistance IPX6 IP68 Dimensions 85 × 54 × 2.8mm 53.9 x 85.4 x 2.5mm Weight 15g 14g
Read our review
Review: Pebblebee’s new Universal trackers still aren’t right for Android users
Pebblebee has given up on its network
Design, build, and battery
Think of these as thick credit cards
The Pebblebee Card Universal and the Tile Slim have a straightforward, credit card-like design with some added thickness that allows them to stick a battery inside and any required electronics. While the Pebblebee Card has the company logo on one side that doubles as a button, it houses pogo-pin-style magnetic charging points on the other. You also get five tiny LEDs to display the battery charge level and help find the card in low-light situations.
The Tile Slim also features the company logo and name on one side, but the other side has regulatory information and a QR code that directs people to your contact information when the card is placed in the Lost Mode. The company logo also doubles as a button on the Slim, joined by three speaker holes on the front.
Both wallet trackers have a plastic construction, which makes them feel reasonably durable. However, the Pebblebee Card is IPX6-rated for water resistance, and the Tile Slim is rated IP68. As a result, the Tile tracker has better water and dust resistance.
One significant difference between the Pebblebee and Tile offerings is on the battery front. While the Card Universal battery is rechargeable and runs 18 months on a single charge, the Tile Slim battery is not rechargeable and will last around three years. The Slim becomes useless after the built-in battery is depleted.
Features
The Pebblebee Card Universal and the Tile Slim are most suitable for keeping an eye on wallets, passports, and other items that can only accommodate thin trackers. Both use Bluetooth for short-range tracking and communicating with the paired mobile device. However, while the Pebblebee Card claims a Bluetooth range of 500 feet, the Tile Slim is said to have a 350-foot range.
It’s important to note that these claimed ranges are under ideal conditions, and you’re unlikely to get the full range in real-life scenarios due to obstructions like walls, plants, furniture, and more. However, the Pebblebee Card’s longer range might be beneficial in open spaces or if the tracker is buried under items. Still, both should offer a reasonably good Bluetooth range.
Different tag networks
Besides using Bluetooth to locate your belongings, the two trackers rely on tag networks to find your lost items. The tag networks are employed when the tracker is outside the Bluetooth range. The Pebblebee Card Universal is an interesting tracker that supports Apple Find My and Google Find My Device tag networks. However, it can only use one tag network at a time, depending on which phone you have it connected with. So, if you have an Android phone, it’ll rely on the Find My Device network, and for iPhone users, it’ll use the Find My network. This will be useful when you switch from Android to iOS or give the tracker to someone in your family with a different phone.
However, sadly, the Pebblebee Card Universal doesn’t support the company’s own tag network.
While the Apple network is well known for being quite impressive at locating lost items and having millions of devices, the Google network isn’t quite as robust. As noted in our review of the Pebblebee Card Universal and other Google Find My Device-powered trackers, the network is not as extensive as Apple’s and may not perform as well in all areas.
Tile relies on its own network to power the Slim, and as a result, it’s compatible with Android and iOS. While Tile’s network isn’t as expansive as Apple’s, it performs better than Google’s network in North America.
Subscriptions
One of the things that many users may not appreciate about the Tile Slim is the paywalling of some features. You have to subscribe to the company’s Premium plan to get features such as separation alerts, which notify you when you leave your item behind, and a 30-day location history, which shows you where your item has been over the past 30 days. Besides these features, the Premium subscription also includes a worry-free replacement warranty and reimbursement for lost tagged items.
You don’t have to pay subscription fees to use the Pebblebee Card Universal. But you also miss out on separation alerts and location history with the Pebblebee Card if you use an Android phone. However, the features are available with the same tracker when used with iPhones because the Find My network offers both.
While the Find My and Find My Device networks support sharing the location of the tracker with other people, the number of shares is limited to five for the Apple network and ten for the Google network.
Additionally, both Bluetooth trackers have reasonably loud speakers that will help you find the tagged items even when they are not visible.
Tile Slim also gets some extras that aren’t available on Pebblebee Card Universal. For example, you can double-press the button on the Tile Slim to ring and locate your phone. The Tile tracker also works with the Life360 app, which is the official app of Tile’s parent company. When you link your Tile and Life360 account, you can use the Life360 app to view the location of the Tile tracker. You can also use your tracker to send SOS alerts to your Life360 Circle.
Anti-Thefy Mode is another nifty feature offered by the Tile Slim. This mode lets you hide your Tile Slim from scans made by others. As a result, a thief won’t know if you have tagged your stolen item, increasing the chance of it being recovered by law enforcement. This feature can also be misused, so Tile requires ID verification to activate it.
Which should you buy?
The Pebblebee Card Universal and the Tile Slim are capable Bluetooth trackers. However, choosing between the two comes down to which phone you own. If you have Android, the Tile Slim is a much better pick until Google gets its act together with the Find My Device network. Even with the basic features (without paying for the Tile Premium), you’ll get a much better tracker in the Tile Slim.
Tile Slim (2024)
Ideal for Android
The Tile Slim is an excellent Bluetooth tracker that’s perfect for keeping an eye on your wallet, passport, and other valuables. It uses the company’s robust network and is compatible with Android and iOS.
However, the Pebblebee Card Universal makes more sense if you have an iPhone than the Tile Slim. It uses Apple’s better Find My network and will work seamlessly with your iPhone. Its rechargeable battery is another significant advantage, greatly increasing its lifespan. You also don’t have to pay subscription fees and still get separation alerts, location history, and location sharing.
Pebblebee Card Universal
Great for iPhone owners
The Pebblebee Card Universal is an impressive wallet tracker for iPhone owners. It packs a rechargeable battery, supports the Find My network, and has a good build quality.
