VOV GPS tracker VS. Apple AirTag

When researching GPS tracking devices, you will find out quickly that there are a variety of models out there that can make you confused. Without doubt, not all function the same.

Let's have a look at the kind that best suits your needs on the market.

First of all, one of the most popular models – Portable trackers.

Consumer friendly trackers such as the VoV X10 use a combination of GPS satellite signal, Cellular signal and WI-FI triple positioning, hyper-accurate real-time GPS tracker. It is equipped with a GPS Antenna that picks up coordinates from satellites and triangulates its location. This location data is then sent to their respective servers via cell signal to be processed by the company’s software and presented to You, the consumer. Since these Devices use cell signal to communicate with servers, they have preinstalled SIM cards like your phone as ATT & Verizon. Most trackers on the market, whether battery operated or hard-wired, both utilize this GPS antenna and Cellular data combo.

An alternative to trackers that require sim cards, are devices that strictly use satellite signal to not only calculate its location but to communicate that data with private servers. The reason the aforementioned portable trackers need a SIM card is due to the satellite signal they are retrieving. Just like your cell phone, your common tracker uses government satellite signal which is a one-way street. A consumer device can receive GPS signal, but it cannot send date to back to the satellites, therefore they use Cell signal to communicate. That being said, a device such as the GS1, communicates with private satellites, removing the need for cell signal.

Unlike GPS trackers, AirTags have no antennas or SIM cards. Inside this coin sized device is a speaker and a chip that enables Bluetooth. These devices are made to only work with iPhones via Bluetooth and do not calculate their location but rather ping nearby iPhones within a range of 30 meters without obstruction, making your phone aware of its presence which is then relayed to the Find My app and broadcasted to the Network of iPhones which are typically connected to this network by default.

The Apple AirTag can come in real handy for keeping tabs on your personal items. Where it really shines is once you are in the general location, your iPhone can use Near Field Communication along with the speaker to lead you to its precise location. Unfortunately, if you are an owner of an Android phone, the AirTag is useless. Furthermore, AirTags albeit can be hidden very well thanks to their size, are not low profile due to the way they operate. Tracking stolen property with an AirTag will not fair well when the thieves are immediately notified of its presence on their iPhones. For small personal items that can easily be misplaced, the AirTag is well suited. For everything else, the risks that come with AirTags may be too much to bear.

The term mini-GPS tracker is often, albeit incorrectly, used for coin-sized “all-round finders”, so-called Bluetooth tracking chips. The name of the technology behind it, Crowd GPS, is misleading, as these all-round finders have nothing in common with the NAVSTAR GPS. Unlike a real mini tracker, they are not equipped with a SIM card for data transmission to the cell phone app, nor do they use at least three or at least four satellites to determine the vehicle’s location.