Apple AirTags and Invoxia GPS Trackers: complementary solutions against theft and loss 

A Perhaps you noticed: Apple recently released AirTags. The well-known brand now offers a novel solution dedicated to locating lost objects. At first glance you might think AirTags and Invoxia GPS trackers are one and the same. That couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, these two technologies don’t respond to the same needs nor do they function in the same way. Far from casting a shadow over GPS Trackers, Apple AirTags should be better understood as complementary to our products. Let’s dive right in!

Apple AirTags. What are they?

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AirTags are compact beacons, designed to be affixed to all sorts of everyday things. You’ll just need to find a way to attach them. It could be any sort of everyday household object that you might easily lose or misplace. For example, a wallet, keys, the remote control, or a headphone case. The features, location technology, device compatibility and possible use-cases: we’ll dive into everything you need to know about Apple’s latest innovation! 

How do AirTags work?

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AirTags are small beacons that work using Bluetooth (or via UWB—Ultra Wide Band—with the iPhone 11 or newer) and rely on a network of connected Apple devices (iPhones, MacBooks, iPads…). In short, to locate a lost object, the AirTags will use all of the Apple devices in proximity. It’ll start by calculating its position, sending it to Apple’s servers, and then relaying that information to you in the app. 

This method enables quick and reliable positioning, but only punctually and not in real time. It wouldn’t be possible, for example, to have access to the AirTag’s journey history, nor is it possible to receive movement or geofencing alerts for extra reassurance when necessary. Another limitation is that other Apple devices must be nearby for the Airtag to correctly locate itself. 

What are AirTags used for?

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Apple AirTags are above all fit for domestic use. They’ll be particularly useful to locate something you’ve misplaced around where you live (in your garden, or inside your home), or at a friend’s house. They can be attached to your remote control, your key ring, your headphone case or your wallet to find it anywhere, even in the sofa! 

In a lesser sense, they can also assist you in locating your car, bike, or other form of transportation, but overall they’re best suited to situations where you’ve lost or misplaced something – not those where theft is involved. For example, it could be useful if you can’t remember where you parked your car. That said, in the event of a theft, they’ll be of more limited use. Particularly notable is the absence of any alerts (as mentioned above).

Moreover, AirTags also come with an ‘anti-stalking’ feature to avoid non consensual tracking. This feature alerts you to any unknown AirTags nearby. A thief would be very quickly alerted to the presence of the AirTag in the vehicle they’ve just stolen.With regard to the technical specifications, Apple AirTags feature IP67 water resistance and are powered by a single-use battery that can last up to a year. No subscription is required. 

What devices are compatible?

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As AirTags are an Apple designed product, only devices produced by them are compatible. If you have a phone that runs on Android, you won’t be able to use an AirTag. 

In short, the promise of the AirTag is straightforward. They help you locate everyday lost items, whether they’re waylaid at a friend’s home or stuck under the sofa, all using the collection of apple devices in close proximity. With this, AirTags appear to be a complementary solution to Invoxia GPS trackers which are first and foremost designed to protect from theft and assist in the recovery of stolen goods. 

Invoxia GPS trackers, the ideal anti-theft solution

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As we’ve already established, AirTags can be very useful in locating a lost object. But, what if it wasn’t just lost? What if it was actually stolen? The technology used by AirTags remains limited and far from discreet. In these situations, the best option is an Invoxia GPS Tracker! 

How do Invoxia GPS trackers work?

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Invoxia GPS Trackers determine their position using GPS satellites, nearby WiFi access points, or even bluetooth when your phone is nearby, that they then transmit to our servers using low-power networks like LoRa, SigFox (or 4G LTE-M in the U.S. and Germany). This way, they are able to offer reliable and regular tracking for the long term. This technology is much less power hungry compared to traditional 2G/3G cellular networks, so our trackers are able to offer record battery life of up to 6 months.

In the event of suspicious activity (motion or tilt detected, an unusual distance traveled…), you’ll be immediately alerted via the Invoxia GPS App on your smartphone. This means you can react quickly with the tracker’s journey history available at the touch of a button.

All of our trackers offer a full range of features designed to mitigate the risk of theft:

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• Anti-theft alerts notify you in real time in the event of tilting or suspicious movement.
• Geofencing alerts let you know if the vehicle or object that you’re tracking leaves a predefined zone (home, work, etc.).
• The significant journey alert gives you a heads up if the tracker starts to move after having been stationary for 5 minutes.
• Last but not least, the tracker’s complete journey history is available anytime. This can be particularly helpful in the context of a police investigation.

Thanks to all these features, our trackers have led to the recovery of several thousand stolen vehicles! In the event of a theft, our team is ready to assist the police and provide them with everything they need to complete their investigation. If you want to learn more about the technology or features of our GPS trackers offer, head over to our FAQ!

How do you use Invoxia GPS Trackers?

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The uses for GPS trackers are so diverse we’d almost go as far to say they’re limitless. We offer a complete range of GPS trackers in order to respond to all of your needs:

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• The Invoxia GPS Tracker (or Cellular GPS Tracker in the U.S. and Germany) was designed to protect all sorts of vehicles (cars, motorcycles, trucks, vans, RVs…) and your valuables (backpack, handback, suitcase, photo or video equipment, tools…). It’s also  just as good at protecting farm equipment, or even beehives like we’ve written about before on our blog. If you haven’t read it already, go check out the testimonial of a beekeeper using Invoxia trackers.
• On the other hand, the Invoxia Bike Tracker is specifically designed to protect your bike, scooter (electric or kick scooter) and anything else on wheels. Attach it to your seatpost or handlebars and with its included retroreflector thieves will never even know its three.
• The Mini Tracker is perfect for protecting small everyday objects, like your handbag, your computer case, or your keyring. It offers the same features as the classic GPS Tracker (or Cellular GPS Tracker), but in a more compact, waterproof form factor.
• Last but not least, the Pet Tracker is perfect for tracking the activity and health of a pet, including walking, running, resting, eating and scratching…

All our trackers come with a battery rechargeable via micro-USB. The Mini Tracker and Pet Tracker feature IP67 water resistance. A 1, 2, or 3 year subscription to our tracking services is included (length varies according to country of purchase). 

What devices are compatible?

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Unlike AirTags, Invoxia GPS Trackers work just as well on iOS as they do on Android. Only a few rare models using MediaTek processors or those without Google Play Services aren’t compatible.

What does this all mean?

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In summary, Apple AirTags are above all designed for common household use. Locating your keys in the sofa, your bag misplaced close to home, etc… Unlike Invoxia GPS trackers which offer a range of different alerts in addition to using GPS for location, AirTags aren’t designed to prevent the theft of valuables. What’s more, they are only compatible with iPhones, while Invoxia GPS Trackers work just as well on Android or iOS.

If you’re looking to regularly keep an eye on where your vehicles or valuables are going, use an Invoxia GPS tracker. An AirTag will only show you their last known location, and won’t provide you with complete journey history. On the flipside, should you want to occasionally retrieve a misplaced object, it’s likely that an AirTag will suit you just fine. Apple AirTags and Invoxia GPS Trackers are two complementary solutions which together help to limit all risks of theft or loss.

To help you see all this a bit more clearly, we’ve summed up the differences between Apple AirTags and Invoxia GPS Trackers in this helpful chart: