It isn't as Powerful as an AirTag, but it is in Usable Condition.
The design of the bloody things is one of the reasons I haven't dived headfirst into the AirTag realm. Obviously, as lovely as the white-and-silver discs are, they're not practical unless you're spending a lot of money on a nice keychain. Meanwhile, Amazon's seedier areas are brimming with weird Airtag Wallets with an unpleasant bulge on one side. Because tech bros never, ever need to carry around loose change, the pill-shaped AirTag was designed to keep the AirTag close to your credit cards and just your credit cards.
It's also why I was so eager to try Chipolo's Card Spot, which combines the advantages of an AirTag with a far more practical design. It's Chipolo's second device that can pair with Apple's Find My Network, and it was announced at CES. That means it'll give you the same reach as Apple's design, pinging every iPhone in the vicinity with its location. It's as if Apple's design team decided to make something for regular people to use for a change.
With a thickness of around Two Credit Cards stacked on top of one another and a length of only a few inches, it won't make your wallet bulge too much when inserted. The speaker is also quite loud, however I don't have a metre to see if it reaches the stated 105 dB. The music is quite pleasant, which is surprising given that device-finders are usually associated with loud beeps.
To say this item is simple to set up is an understatement; getting it out of the box took me longer than pairing it. Simply open Find My on your iOS smartphone, add a new item, then touch the dimple on the Card Spot to get started. The most time-consuming task was deciding which emoji to use to represent my wallet on the app's map section. (I used the back of a gold credit card, not because I'm obnoxious, but because it seemed absurd to use a stack of dollar bills as a Brit.)
Chipolo, like the OneSpot before it, gets some, but not all, of the benefits that come with being tethered to Apple's tractor. There's no U1 chip for accurate location tracking, and it can't be used outside of Apple's Find My network. Instead, Android users and those searching for more local monitoring should utilise one of Chipolo's conventional finders.
According to Chipolo, the Card Spot's battery will survive for two years until it stops operating completely. Buyers can, however, purchase a replacement device for 50% off and return in the old, broken one with a pre-paid envelope. There's also a tiny note in the box that reminds you to register, assuring that you'll get a notification when your device is about to expire.
Fundamentally, the Chipolo Card Spot appears to be the type of no-brainer device that solves more issues than it creates. I'm not nitpicking because it's $35 more expensive than a basic AirTag, but for twice the battery life and a more practical physical factor, I'm not complaining.
