Pebblebee just revealed the Clip 5 and Card 5—a cute set of Bluetooth trackers with enhanced safety functionality and rechargeable batteries. They're almost perfect, and I'd probably buy them if not for the lack of UWB precision finding.
The Clip 5 is essentially Pebblebee's version of an Apple AirTag. It features a small circular design with an integrated keychain loop. More notably, it comes in three different colorways and packs a loud internal buzzer (plus some bright LEDs) to function as an emergency panic alarm. It can also send a notification to an emergency contact when the panic mode is triggered, and it promises a 12-month battery life with USB-C recharging. You can expand the emergency notification system with an Alert Live subscription, too, but all the standard safety features are totally free.
As the name suggests, Pebblebee's new Card 5 is a credit card-sized tracker for your wallet. It measures just 1.8mm thick and promises 18 months of battery with support for Qi wireless charging. It's only available in a single gray colorway, but it has a neat design with swirly accents. It's also one of the thinnest card trackers available to date. UGREEN's FineTrack Slim is a millimeter thinner than the Card 5, but it uses a silly proprietary charging cable, so the wireless-charging Card 5 is probably a better option, at least in terms of convenience.
I should also note that these trackers support both Android Find Hub and Apple Find My. But you can't use these two networks simultaneously, you need to choose between one or the other.
All of these features sound fantastic to me. I'm planning on going on a trip soon, so I'm probably going to stock up on some Bluetooth trackers. But the lack of UWB precision finding makes these trackers a total no-go for me. If my car keys fall into a couch cushion, for example, or if my wallet is lost in a Walmart, I'd like to be able to pinpoint their exact location without any waffling. Without UWB, you're only told the general location of your trackers, which isn't ideal.
Of course, Android smartphone manufacturers are also pretty neglectful towards UWB, so I guess I can't really blame Pebblebee for this omission. Most Android phones lack UWB precision finding functionality (even some Google flagships that contain UWB hardware don't support this feature), so the average Android customer isn't really missing out.
If you own a UWB-compatible phone (or if you expect to buy one in the future—spoiler alert, you probably will), I strongly suggest buying the Moto Tag or another tracker with UWB precision finding functionality. But if you don't really care about UWB or just want to save some money, you'l probably love the Pebblebee Clip 5 or Card 5. They sell for $35 apiece, though you can score a discount if you bundle two or three of the trackers together.
Pebblebee Clip 5
- Battery
- Rechargeable (12-month)
- Water Resistance
- IP66
- Supported Networks
- Android Find Hub, Apple Find My
Source: Pebblebee via The Verge