San Francisco, CA – Google has expanded and rebranded its Android Device Manager to create the Find My Device network, which now covers not only phones and tablets, but also Wear OS devices like Pixel The watch can also locate supported headphones, and Bluetooth trackers like Chipolo’s One Point.
Meanwhile, Apple’s Find My network, established in 2010, also supports your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and AirTags as well as third-party devices, such as Nomad’s Tracking Card.
Key Differences Between Apple’s and Google’s with Find My Device Network
To compare these networks in 2024, CNET’s John Kim conducted an experiment at Pier 39, a popular tourist destination in San Francisco. The Chipolo One Point and an AirTag were hidden out of Bluetooth range, and the task was to locate them using the Find My app on an iPhone 14 Pro and the Find My Device app on a Google Pixel 8 Pro.
Both systems use an encrypted, crowdsourced network that locates lost items using other phones and devices running iOS or Android. These show current and last known locations on a map, allow playing sound to find nearby items, and allow Bluetooth trackers to be shared with friends.
Apple’s Find My network have an edge on ultra-wideband technology, which offers precise location and direction assistance. In contrast, Google’s Find My Device network currently only supports Bluetooth. Apple also provides separation alerts through its Notify When Left Behind feature, while Google’s default setting is “high-traffic areas only”, which requires multiple Android devices to detect the location.
Apple’s Find My network only requires any apple device to be connected to the internet to locate lost items. In comparison, Google’s network requires multiple Android devices for location detection, although detection in lower-traffic areas can be improved by adjusting the settings to “all areas”.
In experiment, Apple’s Find My device network located the AirTag in 4 minutes and 45 seconds. Even after 30 minutes, Google’s network could not send any notifications, but it definitely showed the approximate location on the map. The AirTag’s ultra-wideband technology provided precise tracking, while the Chipolo tracker, which was louder, couldn’t provide as much guidance.
In conclusion, Apple’s Find My network demonstrates superior robustness in unscientific tests. However, Google’s Find My Device network is expected to improve as more users opt-in and ultra-wideband support is integrated. This competition among these networks will likely intensify as both companies continue to enhance their tracking technologies.
Reference: CNET
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