I am not one to lose many things. I actually pride myself on the fact that I have the same pair of sunglasses since the Obama administration (and yes, they still look cool). But some people lose things and for that reason there are devices that can be useful to help track lost items, specifically your all-important wallet.
Chipolo is an item tracking company that recently unveiled its new CARD Spot at CES. The company recently sent me one and, unsurprisingly, I haven’t yet lost my wallet. Chipolo probably did not have an issue coming up with the name because the device is indeed about the size of a credit card that can easily slip into a wallet. It is 2.44mm “thick” which is about the depth of 3 stacked credit cards. All-in-all it is much thinner than most tracking devices including the ubiquitous Apple AirTag. The CARD Spot is water resistant and plain-looking, other than the Chipolo logo and a small button for pairing it with your smartphone.
The unique thing about the CARD Spot is that it works with Apple’s Find My network which makes it useful for Apple product owners to use versus other Bluetooth trackers on the market. This means users can tap into the millions of devices in the Find My network system to make it more likely to track a lost wallet. AirTag has had some recent issues with stalking and unbeknownst tracking but has upgraded those features which the CARD Spot also utilizes.
Setup is simple requiring only the Find My app. Just click the button on the card and add it as an “Other Item” within Find My. When activated, the CARD Spot can play a sound up to 105db so you can locate it nearby. The one feature missing that AirTag does have is the U1 chip that allows for Precision Finding but you will at least know the general location of the device.
Chipolo has other products such as the ONE Spot with a replaceable battery but – due to its thinness – the CARD Spot does not have a replaceable battery. Thus this device will die at some point. Chipolo claims that date is about two years after initial use however you can send it back once it is dead and get 50% off a replacement unit.
The Chipolo CARD Spot can be bought online for $35 or a two-pack for $60. That is a few bucks more than an AirTag so you need to decide if you would rather have a thinner, less bulky tracker or one that has Precision Finding. No matter your choice I do recommend using some sort of tracking device for your wallet and other valuables or the simpler solution – never leave home.
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Photo cred: Chipolo