Apple unveiled the AirTag in 2021, leaving a lot of people confused why it wasn’t designed like conventional existing device trackers. Most trackers from Chipolo and Tile have one thing in common – they’re designed to be slim enough to fit right in your wallet. Apple’s AirTag, on the other hand, was like a bulbous disc that was too thick to slip into your wallet or attach to your passport. While the AirTag still remains a crowd-favorite, its design does leave something to be desired – quite like how iPhone users sorely missed the 3.5mm jack for years after it was unceremoniously snatched from us.
Meet the AirCard, the tracking device that Apple wishes it made. At 2.2mm slim, the AirCard is about as thick as your credit card, and fits right in your wallet. It’s compatible with Apple’s Find My network, works globally, and has a stunning 2.5-year battery life, outshining the AirTag significantly. Moreover, its built-in alarm is almost 2x louder than the AirTag, it has built-in anti-stalking features, and if that wasn’t enough, the AirCard also doubles as an NFC business card that you can tap on other devices to share your contact details (extremely handy if the person who finds your wallet needs to contact you)… and even works as an RFID blocker while in your wallet, protecting you from digital theft. Let’s just say, the AirTag has a LOT of catching up to do.
Designer: Rolling Square
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What’s immediately striking about the AirCard’s design (aside from that perfect name), is exactly how much it crams into a device that’s just 2.2mm (0.09 inches) thick. About as thick as 1.5 credit cards, it’s pretty impressive that the AirCard has a tracking device, battery, speaker, NFC module, and an aluminum RFID-blocking enclosure. The card comes with transparent detailing on one side, revealing the impressive architecture underneath (maybe a hat-tip to Nothing), along with a QR code that lets you personalize your AirCard and leave your contact details just in case someone needs to return your lost wallet to you.
Its slim design makes the AirCard perfect for all applications where a tracking device would prove handy. You could slide it into your wallet, pockets in your clothing, attach it to your gadgets, slip one into your backpack, your passport, or even in the glove box of your car. The AirCard is IPX6 waterproof, which means it can withstand splashes without any problems, making it great for even using it outdoors with your camping or swimming equipment.
Pairing the card is fairly traditional. Given its compatibility with Apple’s Find My network, the AirCard can easily be configured within the Find My app on your phone. Once paired, you can track the real-time location of your AirCard right on any Apple device through Find My, and even summon it by ‘ringing’ it. A 105dB tweeter emits a loud alert sound when you ring the AirCard, helping you easily locate it when you’re in its vicinity. You can set a perimeter for your AirCard too, allowing it to alert you if it gets too far from your phone… and if someone is maliciously using an AirCard to stalk you, the AirCard sends you a notification, letting you know you’re being tracked.
The AirCard’s makers also operate a proprietary platform called sherr.it, where you can set your own custom message using the QR code on the card. If you ever lose your wallet or your AirCard, anyone who finds it can simply scan the code to receive your details, which they can then use to contact you – marking a novel lost-and-found feature that’s missing from the AirTag as well as from most other tracking devices.
Things get a little more interesting when you go beyond simply the AirCard’s tracking features. Given its business card-like proportions, the AirCard also functions like a business card too, with an NFC module that lets you tap to share contact details with anyone. Working sort of like Apple’s newly announced NameDrop feature, you can just bring your AirCard close to any smartphone and it instantly sends your virtual business card to them. When the card’s sitting in your wallet, however, it works as an RFID blocker to protect you from digital theft. Simply place the AirCard in front of all your other credit/debit cards and it prevents them from being scanned without your permission.
If there’s one, singular caveat with the AirCard, it’s the fact that it doesn’t come with a replaceable battery. The AirCard’s slim design means its lithium battery is fused in place, offering a commendable 2.5-year (30-month) lifespan, as opposed to the AirTag’s 1-year lifespan. However, when the AirTag’s battery finally gives out, you can still use its NFC business card and RFID-blocking features forever. It stops being a tracking device, but it still retains two core features, ensuring it never becomes obsolete. If the tracking feature IS important to you, the makers at Rolling Square will offer you a 50% discount on your next AirTag if you ship the old one back (after 30 months since your purchase).
This exhaustive laundry list of features really sets the AirCard on a completely new level, elevating it way above Apple’s own AirTag. The AirCard outperforms Apple’s tracking device both in design (with its slim, wallet-friendly form), as well as function (with its QR code, NFC business card, and RFID-blocking features), while boasting the same $30 price tag as its competitor (while it’s on early bird discount). You can grab your own AirCard (or a set of 2 or 4 AirCards) on its Kickstarter page, where it’s gathered almost $1 million in funding from nearly 15,000 backers, with shipping in August. Like I said… Apple better be really afraid!
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The post Apple Should Be VERY Afraid of How Shockingly Brilliant the AirCard Tracking Device Is first appeared on Yanko Design.
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