back to article What's called Grogu but isn't that cute? Google's leaked answer to Apple AirTags

Google leaks point to the Android maker working on an Apple AirTags competitor, news of which could indicate a broader effort to compete with Apple's Find My network. The product, which is reportedly code named "grogu" after the The Mandalorian character, will allegedly offer many of the features of AirTags, like Bluetooth Low …

  1. sarusa Silver badge
    Devil

    Will it even last long enough for the system upgrades to roll out?

    So it's Google, they'll abandon these in a year or two. By that point will enough Android phones even have upgraded to Android 13 (or whatever has the 'Find My' support) for these to even be useful?

    The thing with AirTags is that iOS phones update at a spectacular rate and of course Apple has the concept of a sustained ecosystem with gradual improvements which Google completely lacks.

    1. sarusa Silver badge

      Re: Will it even last long enough for the system upgrades to roll out?

      Update: Looks like they put it in Google Play Services, so everyone gets it that way. In which case it could be useful till they cancel it.

    2. Sceptic Tank Silver badge
      Unhappy

      Re: Will it even last long enough for the system upgrades to roll out?

      Apple has the concept of a sustained ecosystem

      Oh really? I had an iPhone once and an OS upgrade crippled the SMS texting capability of the device. Not everybody I communicate with has a smartphone. Serious bummer right there.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Will it even last long enough for the system upgrades to roll out?

        Was that before or after we ended the use of parchment? I have not use an iPhone "once", I have had iPhones literally from the day they cae on the market and I cannot recall that problem so it must be pretty long ago.

  2. devin3782
    Thumb Down

    Excellent, some more tracking tools to aid the worlds stalkers/perverts and worse, thanks Google, just what we needed, don't you think you have enough tracking data on us already? I supposed they'll be mercifully shorted lived, but they'll last a 1000 years in landfill at least

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Can't upvote devin3782 enough, just what the world needs, more tracking shit from the cnuts at Google.

    2. steviebuk Silver badge

      Exactly. Although problem is I see the use case now. One guy tracked his luggage when he took a flight and watched the airline loose the luggage and make up shit about where it was.

      But then you have the other side. Found an Apple Airtag recently on floor in Sainsbury's car park. I've checked it and not been reported lost. Waited a bit with the battery out and still no report. So as far as I'm concerned, that was clearly stuck to someones car to track them so they're not going to want to flag it as lost.

  3. NeilPost

    Work together ?

    Would it really be too much to ask Apple and Google to perhaps work together - like say on the COVID API - and both would benefit if they could be interoperable IOS and Android ?

    It’s not a thing that would make me choose to buy an iPhone, but I do love my AirTags.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Work together ?

      I would never want to give Google the ability to track me. Apple doesn't make its money with privacy violations, Google does.

  4. Inventor of the Marmite Laser Silver badge

    So how long before Google does it's usual trick and pulls it like it has with so many useful products?

    Google? Yeah right.

  5. JacobZ

    Ooh, just what I need

    A way to share even more information about my whereabouts and movements with Google. Perfect.

    Well, until Google pulls the plug on yet another short-lived software/hardware service.

  6. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

    Hell, no.

    I won't do Apple Airtags because of the privacy issues so why the hell would I use a clone of them from a serial privacy invader?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Hell, no.

      This.

      Not a snowball's chance in hell.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Cool...

    Can they make it bullet shaped so we can shove it up the executives suites ass then deploy a "find my asshole" app to their devices to allow for efficient differentiation from elbows?

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