"Tile" Bluetooth Device Waiting For Android Enabled Devices

The "Tile" is a fantastic device and it is very compact adding to its value. How many technology items do you have where you sometimes forget where you placed them? Having the ability to locate them again in short order is worth a lot. Or even better yet, when was the last time that you forgot where you put your keys? I usually run into that situation when I am getting ready to leave. Not exactly the best time to be searching for them. But, with the Tile you can quickly find where you put your keys or whatever else you are looking for. And the item does not necessarily have to be close to you.

The Tile square and app looks to be one of the great things coming out this year, though it could be next year. You never know what difficulties might be encountered with manufacturing. The big feature for the Tile is the Tile Community where they can help you find a lost item that is not near you. If anyone in the community is with 50 to 150 feet of a Tile square you posted to the community, you will get a notification of where it is. So, if your bike has been stolen as they show in the video and an iOS device with the Tile app is within range of it, you will get information as to its location. Now, that is a great feature.

But, as an Android phone owner, I am not able to participate with this fantastic product. That is because they are using Bluetooth 4.0 (LE) which is known for low energy usage which will reduce battery drain from previous versions. So basing the Tile on Bluetooth LE is a wise decision to be made for this fantastic product. But, for those of us in the Android world, we are being excluded from being able to participate in using a great idea with our smartphones. That is because there are very few Android smartphones which have the capabilities for Bluetooth LE.

While Jelly Bean 4.3 has the software support for it, the hardware side of things is lacking in what it needs to have Bluetooth LE capabilities. We can expect to see more Android phones in the coming months supporting this technology, but it will be next year before we see any significant numbers. In the mean time, the Tile does not support Android devices and more than likely will not when it is released. Guess I will have to wait until more Android devices are out there with Bluetooth LE and my 2 year contract is up. I hope that the Tile supports Android devices when that happens.