There is one thing the Chipolo Pop tracker does better than the Apple AirTags I already own, and that’s attach to a keyring or other similar item without an additional case, due to sensibly having a keyring hole built into the device itself. But what about the rest of the Chipolo Pop, is this a tracker you should buy?
What is the Chipolo Pop?
The Pop is the latest item tracker from Chipolo, a company with more than a decade of experience in the space. An item tracker helps you find mislaid items either by playing a sound, or by guiding you to the item on a map. Chipolo says the Pop is a return to all the things people have loved about a Chipolo tracker in the past, meaning bright colors, compatibility with Apple and Google devices, plus a range of handy features enabled in its own app.
The tiny tracker is made of 50% recycled plastic and larger in diameter than an AirTag, but about the same thickness, and it has an IP55 dust and water resistance rating. It’s powered by a single CR2032 battery which should last for about a year before it needs replacing. It connects to your phone using Bluetooth and Chipolo has extended the range to 90 meters (about 300 feet) for the Pop, making it more versatile than ever.
It operates with both Apple’s Find My network and Google’s Find My Device service, and over the past days I’ve been using it with Apple’s Find My app, with the trackers attached to my car keys. I love that I could get the Pop in colors that corresponded with aspects of the vehicles, and while I don’t think the plastic cases will break easily I have noticed some scuffs already appearing on the blue version, so don’t expect them to stay pristine for long.
Is the Chipolo Pop easy to use?
There would be nothing worse than a product like the Chipolo Pop — which none of us want to admit we really need — being problematic to set up. Thankfully, the Pop is very simple. In Apple’s Find My app it’s added using the “Other Item” menu, and takes just seconds to locate and pair after pressing the button on the Pop itself. From there, all the usual Find My features are enabled, allowing you to change the name and associated emoji, locate the tracker using sound, see its location on a map, and share its location with someone else.
You can leave the Chipolo Pop’s setup there if you like, and it will do everything it’s supposed to do, but if you install the Chipolo app there are some exclusive features to try out. These include being able to locate your phone by sound, change the ringtone of the Pop, and use the button as a shutter release for your phone’s camera. If you don’t care about these features, the Chipolo app isn’t an essential and can be used without it.
Getting the Pop on your keyring is simple, and it’s great to find you don’t need to by a separate “case” for your tracker as you do with the Apple AirTag, plus taking the tracker apart to gain access to the battery is simple too. The button on the front of the tracker is quite stiff though, and it’s not immediately obvious where the best place to press it is, but this does mean it won’t activate by accident in your pocket or bag. Otherwise, the Pop is just about as easy to use as modern tech gets.
Does the Chipolo Pop work?
I’m pleased to say I have not lost my car keys recently, so haven’t had to put the Chipolo Pop to the test in real life, but simulating the situation (just without the stress and cursing) I’m confident the Pop would definitely help me locate them. The 120-decibel alarm is loud, and I could hear it when it was buried under two pillows, but only provided I was in the same room. When it was in open air, it was much more easily heard from a distance.
The directions to where the Chipolo Pop is located are shown on Apple Maps and aren’t all that precise, but it’s general enough that between it and the sound playing you’d have a good chance to find a lost item. However, it’s nowhere near as precise or easy to follow as the Apple AirTag’s incredible visual guidance to your lost item, and it’s clear the Chipolo Pop doesn’t make use of the same location tracking system as the AirTag. For the most part the Chipolo Pop, the Chipolo app, and Find My have been reliable. However, the app does sometimes need “waking up” by shaking it around or moving about to prompt it to play a sound through the Chipolo Pop.
There’s a pleasing peace of mind that comes with using an item tracker. It’s one of those purchases you hope to never, or at least very rarely, put to the test though, and the Pop’s new varied colors at least add some fun to an otherwise ordinary shape when you attach it to your keys or bag. I’ve got confidence in the Chipolo Pop after trying it out, and will keep one attached to my car keys just in case. It doesn’t add any appreciable extra weight, it doesn’t get in the way, and doesn’t cost very much to buy or maintain. It can’t match the AirTag when it comes to precise location tracking though.
How much does the Chipolo Pop cost?
The Chipolo Pop costs $29 or 30 British pounds and is available from April 19, and it comes in six colors — blue, red, black, white, green, and yellow. It can be purchased through Chipolo’s own online store, Amazon, and from May it’ll be found in T-Mobile stores too. This is the same price as the Apple AirTag, and it may turn out to be more versatile choice due to the handy keyring hole built-into the plastic case.
