Will Tile trackers win the competition of tracking lost items against Apple AiTags? This was a debatable topic after the launch of Apple Airtags in April. No doubt Apple was going to win the race because of its network of millions and billions of iPhones and iPad. However, the partnership of the Tile-tracking company with Amazon Sidewalk is going to improve the Tile network.
Now, Tile will not rely only on Bluetooth tracking within a limited range as it was before. But, in fact, the amazon sidewalk Partnership will help Tile trackers work better at home and beyond the front door.
The sidewalk is an Amazon development through which all the sidewalk-enabled devices can connect via wireless infrastructure called a low-bandwidth network.
Through this partnership, Tile aims at beating the competition against Apple Airtags, and the monopoly of Apple’s eco-system.
How Amazon sidewalk Work
Amazon Sidewalk uses millions of devices called sidewalk bridges such as Echo and Ring devices. That share a low portion of the user’s internet connection, thus creating a Low-bandwidth network to provide services to you and your neighbors. The network strengthens as more and more neighbors participate. Amazon Sidewalk is used as a free software update to homes’ already installed Echo speakers and Ring cameras. Furthur, Ring Spotlight, Floodlight cam, or the Echo Show 10 will also be able to use these new 900MHz connections to increase the range of their smart home by up to half a mile with Sidewalk-enabled devices. Now the Amazon network will be used through this partnership to enhance the range and user experience of Tiles.
You can find your pets, items in your garage, or lost essentials with Tile via this network. Sidewalk helps your devices to connect even if they are out of the wifi range. Total monthly data used by this sidewalk system is only 500MB so don’t worry, it is actually less than needed for downloading a video.
Amazon product boss Dave Limp told CNBC’s on Friday.
“Wi-Fi is constrained, mostly to your home. It just doesn’t have the range to go into your backyard into the neighborhood. Cellular may be the future, but it’s very expensive today. So, Sidewalk kind of splits the difference between those two and allows us to put millions and billions of things on the edge of the network but do it in a secure way.”
The Partnership of Amazon with Tile
Amazon is strengthening up its network of connected devices by partnering with Tile, and Level, to beat technologies like Apple Airtag.
Tile has been making tracking devices to relocate lost items for years. Apple started the competition by designing similar devices and incorporating them within a huge Apple network. Tile became vocal against Apple’s efforts. It said that Tile and other companies are afraid of Apple’s policies for third-party apps and hardware accessories.
Tile CEO CJ Prober quoted a statement that his company’s partnership with Amazon was an “obvious choice.” As per the announcement, Tile will join hands with Amazon’s network beginning from June 14, 2021.
This partnership will extend the network of Tile with the help of sidewalk and echo devices. Amazon’s partnership will allow strengthening up its tracking system, called Sidewalk, by allowing Tile and Level devices to knock into the Bluetooth networks produced by billions of its Echo products. Sidewalk will also incorporate Alexa thus enhancing the ability to locate misplaced in-home items even faster. Alexa will direct the location of Tile by telling which echo device such as kitchen speaker, Tile is closer to. It can also find the last seen location of the Tile tracker.
Moreover, Amazon’s partnership with Level will allow Level locks to connect with door ring devices. The two devices will connect via a sidewalk bridge network instead of connecting to mobile Bluetooth. This is particularly useful when you are out of town and want to control your main door. Your level lock will remain connected and you can access the Ring App. As per the reports, the smart-lock Level features will get updates and available by end of May.
Privacy and Security
In response to privacy concerns. Amazon released a detailed paper mentioning the steps it is taking to ensure that the Sidewalk network stays secure. Amazon argues that three layers of encryption are added to the Sidewalk network. It will only work with the user’s selected devices, and to protect privacy all data will be automatically deleted after a day. To ensure security, no one other than the customer himself will receive any information about other sidewalk networks.
However, only time would tell as to how much Tile and Amazon will achieve against Apple Airtags and its eco-system through this partnership.