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Report: Google working on an AirTag competitor, codenamed "grogu"
- A leak suggests a Google tracker, similar to an AirTag, could be in the works.
- It would likely have a speaker and almost certainly use the dormant ultra-wideband tech in Pixel phones.
- Not much is known about the product, but it would likely launch this year.
Personal trackers became popular with Tile, but Apple’s AirTag is what really sent the market on fire. Although Apple has faced a lot of controversy with the product, AirTags are becoming the de facto tracker for the masses.
Well, Google isn’t about to sit around and let that happen. According to reliable leaker Kuba Wojciechowski, a Google tracker could be in the works that would be a direct competitor to AirTags. Allegedly, the codename for this product is “grogu,” aka the real name of “Baby Yoda” from the TV series The Mandalorian. This is a cute name because Grogu is essentially a small accessory for The Mandalorian.
According to Wojciechowski, the purported Google tracker would be very similar to an AirTag. It could include a speaker, come in multiple colors, and might also support Bluetooth LE and ultra-wideband (UWB).
That last part is really interesting. Since the Pixel 6 series, Google has included UWB tech in its phones. However, it hasn’t done anything of any real substance with this tech. By releasing a tracker, Google could put this tech to work by allowing users to get ultra-specific location data for their trackers (and, thus, what that tracker is attached to).
Unfortunately, Wojciechowski doesn’t have any information on the real product name for the alleged Google tracker. We also don’t know when it would launch. However, it’s reasonable to assume Google could announce this technology at Google I/O in the Spring and then launch the product in October at its annual hardware event. Time will tell!