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I tried the smart wallet Google fans have been waiting for — but it’s overrated

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Why This Matters

The article highlights the emergence of Google’s Find Hub-compatible smart wallets, exemplified by Secrid’s Trackable Miniwallet, which allows Android users to locate their wallets using Google’s network. This development signifies a shift towards more integrated and versatile tracking solutions for consumers, especially those using Android devices, challenging the dominance of Apple’s ecosystem. However, the high price point raises questions about the value and adoption of such premium smart wallets in the market.

Key Takeaways

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority

Apple’s AirTag and Find My ecosystem have had a huge head start on Google’s Find Hub for many years now. It’s easy to find objects, beyond the simple Bluetooth trackers, with embedded tracking ability that can be quickly located from an iPhone or iPad — bikes, wallets, backpacks, luggage, and more. But if you use an Android phone, you’ve been limited to simple trackers so far. Versatile, but not completely optimized.

This is starting to change now, as companies are embracing Google’s improved and reliable Find Hub in everything from luggage to this new Trackable Miniwallet from Secrid ($140 on Amazon), which comes as a collaboration with Chipolo. It’s the first smart wallet you can locate with your Android phone using Google’s network, but is it worth the high price tag? Well, let me answer that.

Do you have a Bluetooth tracker in your wallet? 14 votes Yes, a Google-compatible Find Hub tracker. 29 % Yes, an Apple AirTag (or other Apple Find My tracker) 14 % Yes, a Tile tracker. 0 % Yes, a Samsung Galaxy SmartTag. 7 % Yes, something else (let us know in the comments) 7 % No, I don't have a tracker in my wallet. 43 %

A wallet made for the Chipolo Card

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority

Secrid’s new Trackable Miniwallet is a minimalist wallet built to house and simplify interactions with a Chipolo CARD ($39 at Amazon). I’ll get to the rest of the wallet in a bit, but let me focus on what we’re all interested in: How is this a trackable wallet?

Well, Secrid has made sure there’s a custom card cutout in the wallet’s leather enclosure dedicated to the Chipolo CARD. You don’t have to struggle to get the card in, as you would in other wallets that only take into account thin credit cards and not the 2.5mm thickness of a tracking card. The cutout is also designed to ensure the card doesn’t sound muffled but rings 3dB louder than in other wallets.

But the highlight is the debossed button on the outer part of the wallet that aligns perfectly with the Chipolo CARD’s button. With the card inside the wallet and the wallet completely closed, you can double-tap the button without guessing where it is to ring your phone. (This is a reverse-finding feature that Chipolo has implemented in its own app, because Google’s Find Hub API doesn’t support it natively yet.)

You don’t even need to take the tracker out of the wallet to charge it wirelessly over Qi — I did test to ensure it carries through the leather’s thickness. The problem is that you can’t see the LED light while the tracker is in the wallet to confirm if it’s charging, so if you misalign it with your charging pad, it might not be filling up.

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