Google is working on its own geolocation brand to compete with Apple Air Beacons and tile tracking, according to developer and leaker Kuba Wojciechowski (via the edge).
The developer claims to have detected references to upcoming proprietary beacons in Google’s Fast Pair method for quickly pairing nearby Bluetooth devices. The device is said to be codenamed “Grogu” after the little character Yoda from the Star Wars series “The Mandalorian”, and is being developed by the Google Nest team.
Wojciechowski thinks the tracker could be released in multiple color options and include an internal speaker to help users locate a lost device by sound, similar to Apple’s AirTags.
such as the ‌AirTags‌ and Iphone 11 and later Google Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones both support ultra wideband, and Wojciechowski says the trackers can support wireless protocol in addition to Bluetooth LE to provide users with precise directions to the missing mark. Google may announce tracking tags with new Pixel phones at its I/O developer conference in May.
I recently found references that show Google working on location beacon support in Fast Pair – see the related thread for more info. https://t.co/8tvlWaHQpv
It now turns out that Google is also working on a proprietary tracker! -Kuba Wojciechowskiâš¡ (@Za_Raczke) January 16, 2023
Google Tags can potentially offer a lot more functionality on Android than Apple’s AirTags. AirTags require an Apple device setup, and while Apple has a Tracker Detect app in the Google Play Store that allows Android users to search for AirTags and other search-enabled items that have been separated from their owner, it is primarily designed to mitigate the issues that “hangtags” are maliciously used to track the location of individuals.
