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findmydevice

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  findmydevice Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-08-07 16:33 +0100
    Re: findmydevice Maria Sophia <mariasophia@comprehension.com> - 2026-08-07 07:47 -0800
    Re: findmydevice "s|b" <me@privacy.invalid> - 2026-08-08 19:28 +0200
      Re: findmydevice Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2026-08-08 18:41 +0100

#154761 — findmydevice

looks like google may release a pixel tag next week?

The number of 3rd party tags that I've /almost/ purchased ...

<https://youtu.be/p5wWCS1NqNE>

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#154763

Andy Burns wrote:
> looks like google may release a pixel tag next week?
> 
> The number of 3rd party tags that I've /almost/ purchased ...
> 
> <https://youtu.be/p5wWCS1NqNE>

Transcript: 
Initial Leak & Physical Details


Well, my friends, the official made by Google event is right around the
corner.


But of course, it wouldn't be Pixel season if there wasn't one final
surprise, one last minute leak.


There's a chance Google themselves might be working on a first-party Air
Tag competitor for Android devices.


There is a leak from an online retailer that gave us a first look at what
could be the official Google Pixel tag.

And so far, there's a lot of opinions about this rumor.

Some people are excited, some people are skeptical.

You know how the tech community is.

Thankfully, we're going to take a quick look here.

We gathered as much information as we possibly could.

And here's everything we know so far about the Google Pixel tag, plus a
fair bit of speculation.

And of course, if you want to stay uptodate with more Google news like
this, consider subscribing to the 95 Google YouTube channel because we have
a lot more content coming your way.

All right, as I said, this leak broke out about a week ago, actually on
July 31st, showing a product listing from a European retailer, and the
translated marketing description confirms this is a Find My Device/findHub
tracker.

Also, in the description, we got some more details with a model number,
GA12506, and the marketing name, Google Pixel Tag, in the color fog light.

Based on the image pulled from the online listing, the shape is a little
bit different than usual.

Most of these modern-day trackers are round or squarish, but the supposed
Google Pixel tag seems long and tall, kind of like a Galaxy Smart Tag or a
Fitbit Air without the strap.

And again, looking at the image, it appears we have a built-in speaker on
the bottom of the tag.

You can see a visible speaker grill hole there, which we assume is for
helping you locate the tag via audible sound.

 Alongside that, it looks like we have an aluminum build at best.

And that's pretty much it.

Strangely enough, there doesn't seem to be any built-in mounting point for
this tag.

A lot of these tags have a keyhole or a mechanism that allows for a loop to
be connected.

So, it likely means this Pixel Tag is going to rely on cases like the Air
Tag or Moto Tag.

Also, as I was writing this, there was another portion of this leak that I
think is super relevant, which is the price.

Deal Labs posted an article on August 5th where they were somehow able to
obtain what they say is the final price.

And according to them, the Chapter 2: Rumored Pricing & Ultra-Wideband
Support Pixel Tag will come in at ¤34.

99, the same price as Apple's Air Tag.

Logically speaking, I'm hopeful that Google would at least match or
undercut the Air Tax pricing as well in the US, which is currently $29.

That would be a good play in my book, all things considered.

 Looking at this leaked image, though, plus the translated listings,
there's quite a few questions that we still have about this.

For one, the listing did not confirm or deny any presence of ultra
wideband, which is really important.

For those who don't know, ultra wideband enables precision finding.

With ultra wideband, there's a radio, one in the phone and one in the
tracker.

So when you need to locate the tracker, the phone sends out a radio pulse.

The tracker pings it back and the phone measures the exact time that radio
pulse took to get sent out and then received.

 With that data, you can tell exactly where that pulse comes from.

And it allows for precise distance and direction, which is why people like
ultra wideband in the first place, especially when it comes to trackers.

 3:013 minutes, Whereas Bluetooth also has a radio, but only measures
signal strength, not an exact time frame.

So, the tracking isn't as precise and can experience interference with
walls, people, and other objects, making it not as accurate, unfortunately.

And if this tracker doesn't come with ultra wideband support, I don't know.

I think I'll be a bit disappointed.

For me, when I think of a firstparty accessory, I imagine it to be best in
class.

When it comes to thirdparty trackers that don't support ultra wideband,
sure, it's a negative aspect that goes against them, but ultimately, no
one's really torn up about it because they're a smaller company.

They aren't in charge for setting the tone of the ecosystem.

 They're just selling a product, trying to get a piece of the pie.

No real big deal here.

But when I think of first party, Google themselves making the tag, I think
of it more like a flagship reference device that everyone should be trying
to aspire to.

And it's especially important when it comes to the Apple versus Android
conversation.

If Google's own official tag doesn't have ultra wideband, while the Air Tag
does, that's going to be the lowest hanging fruit for every single review,
every comparison.

 And it's going to give an easy win to say Apple's Air Tags are simply
better and frictionless, which isn't a good look.

Not to mention, having ultra wideband from the jump will futureproof this
tag, especially as more and more Android manufacturers start to adopt ultra
wideband radios in their devices.

 that tag will already be several years ahead, making it a solid buy for
years to come.

So hopefully we do see the inclusion of ultra wideband.

I think it would go a long way in terms of optics for this device.

Another question not answered by the listing is what's going on with the
charging and battery situation.

We only see the tag from one angle, so we don't know if there's a spot for
a USBC port or pogo pins or if it charges wirelessly.

From this angle, we don't see any notches either, so it's impossible to
tell if it's going to be a replaceable battery like the Air Tag has with a
swappable coin shaped cell.

 Chapter 3: Battery Speculation & Market Comparisons Personally, I don't
think it matters either way.

Although, I do see a lot of comments saying that they pretty much are
demanding USBC rechargeable, not 5:015 minutes, placeable, or using a
proprietary pogo pin, which I do understand.

It is annoying to keep track of yet again another cable as opposed to a
USBC cable or charging wirelessly, which I do on a daily basis anyways.

So, we'll have to wait and see what direction this does go in if this leak
turns out to be true.

 Lastly, a huge concern I also see about the supposed Google Pixel tag is
with the shape and size.

As we can tell from the leaked image, it has more of a long oval-like
shape, which isn't a bad thing necessarily on first glance, but a lot of
people are bringing up the Moto Tag by comparison and how it's the same
exact dimensions as the Apple Air Tag, meaning it immediately has access to
the thousands of accessories and 3D printed models already available for
people to purchase.

No one has to develop anything new or wait for the ecosystem to mature.

 They can just immediately start picking up their favorite accessories.

To be honest, it's an extremely smart play by Motorola and instantly gave
the Moto Tag value.

Plus, it already has ultra wideband support, making it an incredibly strong
offer today just as it is.

Meanwhile, the Pixel Tag by comparison seems like it's going to have to
start from scratch with accessories, and it's probably going to take
several years to have even 10% of the existing comparable options.

Regardless, if this leak turns out to be true, I'll personally be extremely
happy Google is finally getting in the game with a first-party tracking
tag, and this is something that I've seen the Android community asking for
for literally years now.

People have been desperately wanting Google to make a heavy push to improve
the FindHub on the hardware front alongside the software improvements.

And it's fair to say there is a good amount of people out there that don't
want a third party tracker.

 To the average person, Pebblebee or Chipolo might be that kind of brand
that is way too niche for them, whereas the same average consumer might
simply just buy a Google one based on branding alone.

But anyways, my friend, that is just my quick take on this Google Pixel Tag
leak.

Honestly, it unfortunately leaves way more questions than answers.

 Only being able to see one image from one angle beforehand leaves a lot to
the imagination.

But in general, I am cautiously optimistic on this one.

I think nothing but good can come from this regardless on whether it's a
success or a failure.

That said, I really, really want the Google Pixel Tag to be the best of the
best, a true reference device if Google does get it right on the first try.

But I'm going to leave it to you guys now.

What do you think of what little info we have on the Pixel Tag so far? Is
this something that you'll be looking to pick up yourself if Google does do
it right? Or are you already kind of assuming the worst and are going to
just pick up a Moto tag or something similar? Please leave a comment and
let me know your thoughts as I'm super curious to hear what the Android
community is thinking.

Until next time, this has been Jordan Floyd from 9to5 Google.

Thank you so much for watching and I'll see you in the next one.

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#154813

On Fri, 7 Aug 2026 16:33:23 +0100, Andy Burns wrote:

> looks like google may release a pixel tag next week?
> 
> The number of 3rd party tags that I've /almost/ purchased ...
> 
> <https://youtu.be/p5wWCS1NqNE>

My Chipolo tags still work, so...

-- 
s|b

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#154816

s|b wrote:

> Andy Burns wrote:
> 
>> looks like google may release a pixel tag next week?
> 
> My Chipolo tags still work, so...
I always seem to find things I don't like about various tags (often the 
price!) I had a couple of the Rolling Square ones in my basket for a few 
weeks, then decided against ...

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