Item location devices support both Apple Find My and Google Find Hub to track valuables

As the item-location sector continues to grow, reliable coverage and connectivity have become increasingly important. This trend is reinforced by recent adoption figures; as of late 2024, around 12 percent of broadband-connected households in the United States reported owning at least one smart tag for item tracking – up from around seven percent in early 2022, according to market research company Parkes Associates[1].

“The tracking tag market has continued to grow over the years,” says Primož Zelenšek, Co-founder and CEO at Chipolo, a leading provider of item-location devices. “In fact, the market has experienced year-on-year growth of 7.76 percent in the last four years. It highlights people’s demand for greater convenience and peace of mind.” 

This momentum is reflected in the rapid expansion of major networks such as Apple Find My and Google Find Hub. Apple currently leads the market, with 69 percent of recent smart-tag buyers choosing an Apple product, according to the same Parkes Associates report. However, interoperability challenges remain, especially in households that rely on a mix of Apple and Android devices.
“Consumers will increasingly expect a single tracker to work seamlessly with both iOS and Android devices, removing the need to buy platform-specific products for different family members,” explains Jure Zdovc, VP of Hardware Engineering at Chipolo.

Extended range provides accurate and reliable tracking

To address these needs, Chipolo has introduced a range of compact, lightweight trackers designed for everyday valuables such as keys, bags, wallets and travel documents. The lineup includes the Chipolo POP, Chipolo LOOP and the credit-card-sized Chipolo CARD, each engineered for compatibility, extended range and longer battery life. The CARD is designed to be stored inside a wallet, passport holder or ID pouch, while the POP and LOOP offer attachment options for keychains, luggage and outdoor gear.

Once paired with a smartphone, users can locate misplaced items through their device and Apple Find My or Google’s Find Hub, leveraging the private, secure network of hundreds of millions of connected devices worldwide. Each tracker also features a powerful alert tone – 125 dB for LOOP, 120 dB for POP and 110 dB for CARD – ensuring items can be heard even when buried under clothing or misplaced in another room.

Wireless connectivity across the range is powered by Nordic’s next-generation nRF54L15 SoC. The SoC combines an efficient MCU with ultra-low-power wireless connectivity via its 2.4 GHz radio, delivering the robust, long-range Bluetooth® LE capability necessary for this application. 

“Most people use trackers to find items misplaced around the home,” Zdovc says. “A longer range makes it easier to make an item ring from another room – for instance, locating keys in the backyard while standing indoors. It also increases the chances that a lost item far from home will be detected by a passer-by’s phone.”

The nRF54L15 supports maximum TX power of +8 dBm (CSP) and +7 dBm (QFN), paired with a receiver sensitivity of –96 dBm for 1M Bluetooth LE. This performance enables a range of up to 120 meters for the LOOP and CARD and 90 meters for the POP, significantly extending the search radius for nearby items. 

The LOOP also integrates Nordic’s ultra-compact nPM1100 power management IC to support efficient USB-C charging and maximizing battery life during storage and shipping.

Ultra-low power consumption enables longer battery life

“Achieving long range without sacrificing battery life is critical,” Zdovc explains. “Nordic’s Bluetooth LE SoCs deliver strong transmission and sensitive reception while remaining highly power-efficient. This directly contributes to the six-to-twelve-month battery life that consumers expect.”

The nRF54L15 is engineered for low power consumption, drawing 3.4 mA for RX and 4.8 mA for TX at 0 dBm (3 V), with sleep modes ranging from just 0.7 μA to 2.9 μA.

“Battery life is one of the key metrics in our chip selection process,” says Zdovc. “The Chipolo POP uses a replaceable CR2032 coin-cell battery lasting up to 12 months, while the LOOP and CARD feature rechargeable batteries that run for around six months per charge. LOOP charges via USB-C, and CARD aligns automatically on a Qi wireless charger for quick, seamless placement.

“To support Apple Find My, Google Find Hub and Chipolo functionality in one device, we also needed significant memory,” Zdovc continues. “Nordic’s nRF54L15 SoC, with 1.5 MB of NVM and 256 KB RAM, offered the capacity we required while keeping product costs comparable to previous generations.”

These trackers offer a range of tools through the Chipolo companion app, including “Ring and Blink” for LOOP and CARD, which activates both an audible alert and flashing light to help locate items in the dark. Alert volume can be adjusted through Find Hub on Android or via the Chipolo app on iPhone.

This app also includes features such as “Call Your Phone”, allowing users to double-press the tracker to ring their phone—even when it’s on silent—to help locate it, as well as the Android-only “Out of Range Alerts”, which notifies users when they move out of range of their Chipolo devices.

Delivering environmentally conscious tracking solutions

Sustainability was also a key consideration in product design, with each of these devices built using a robust, textured housing made from at least 50 percent post-consumer recycled plastic. Both the CARD and LOOP feature an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance, allowing them to withstand immersion in one meter of fresh water for up to 30 minutes.

“We’re excited to step into this new chapter of our trackers’ advancement,” says Zelenšek. “Consumers have become increasingly environmentally conscious, with 78 percent saying sustainability is an important factor in their shopping decisions. We are proud to have advanced our new products to take the leap towards being even more environmentally friendly and even more convenient for our users.”

“We have been working with Nordic solutions for a long time now,” Zdovc adds. “The great support, available documentation and easy-to-use development tools like the Zephyr-based nRF Connect SDK have always ensured a fast time-to-market for long battery life products like our trackers. Ultimately, it’s just fun to build stuff with Nordic.”

References:
1. Parkes Associates, Smart tag adoption rises to 12% in US internet households, up from 7% in Q3 2022