Google rolling out Android 17 QPR3 Beta 4 for Pixel

Google has unveiled its Pixel Tag tracker, a Bluetooth tracker exclusive to Android users, shortly after announcing it at the Google I/O developer conference in August. Pixel Tag stands out from competitors like Samsung's Smart Tag 3 and Apple's AirTag due to its compatibility with various Android ecosystems. However, a limitation emerges when considering older Android phones.

According to Google's footnotes, the tracker's full functionality is limited to devices running Android 9.0+ and Bluetooth 6.0 or higher. Bluetooth 6.0 was first introduced in 2025 with Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus and Galaxy S26 Ultra. Older Android phones, even by a generation, typically support Bluetooth 5.3 or 5.4, which doesn't meet the Pixel Tag's compatibility requirements.

The tracker leverages Bluetooth Channel Sounding, a feature exclusive to Bluetooth 6.0, enabling features like precise finding. Many reviews of the Pixel Tag, including this one, test the device using newer Pixel phones with Android 9.0+ and Bluetooth 6.0+. Users with Android 9.0+ but lacking Bluetooth 6.0+ may still use Pixel Tag for basic location tracking.

These users might see the tracker's general location but may not benefit from advanced features such as pinpointing the exact direction and distance, pinging a tracker when out of sight, or assigning a personalized name to the device. Furthermore, shorter-range tracking capabilities necessitate an ultra-wideband chip within the Android phone.

Although most premium Android phones with Bluetooth 6.0 also possess UWB chips, several base models from Google, Samsung, and others lack this technology, rendering them unable to utilize the Pixel Tag's short-range precision finding. Despite these limitations, the Pixel Tag is recommended primarily for users of recent premium Android phones with advanced Bluetooth capabilities.

Those without such connectivity will experience basic tracker functionality. Priced at $30, the Pixel Tag is comparable in cost to other trackers like Tile Tag, yet more affordable than Chipolo Loop.