2021 felt like a pretty good year for Bluetooth trackers, with Samsung and Apple launching their own. It looks like Google is looking to make their own too, with a code name referencing a recent pop culture character, according to leaker Kuba Wojciechowski.
On Twitter, Wojciechowski shared that, for starters, there are references indicating that the internet search giant is adding support for locator tags to its Google Fast Pair Service. Alongside these are codenames “grogu”, “groguaudio” and “GR10”, referring to something that’s being worked on by the company’s Nest team. The product itself is said to have an onboard speaker, with support for both Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) as well as Ultra Wide Band (UWB). All these qualities point to a Bluetooth tracker of some sort.
Google is working on a smart tracker similar to Apple's AirTag, codename "grogu" – report 🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/8K6KO7tfzj
— Kuba Wojciechowski⚡ (@Za_Raczke) January 16, 2023
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Within the same thread and in another linked thread, Wojciechowski also mentions that Google is working on something called the Finder Network. This is essentially an Android equivalent of Apple’s Find My network. And while UWB is generally a better option, both the tag itself and the Finder Network will work with BLE just fine. Which is a good thing, since the number of devices with UWB support is in the minority compared to those with BLE.
As for when this tracker tag by Google will be announced, Wojciechowski says that it might coincide with the company’s annual I/O event. Its actual launch, on the other hand, may happen in autumn, alongside the new Pixel phones of the year. Though these are more guesses rather than estimates based on limited insider info. And even if they are true, it remains to be seen if these will be widely available. After all, the Google Pixel series of phones are not the only things that the company has not made available on our shores, at least not in an official capacity.
(Source: Kuba Wojciechowski / Twitter)
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