Tile’s CEO believes that it has received “unfair competition” from Apple
Tile CEO CJ Prober has recently stated that revenue from its line of Bluetooth tracking devices is up. The company’s success is maintained despite what Prober believes is “unfair competition” from Apple and its AirTag.
According to Prober, Tile has sold 40 million devices. This is despite the direct competition from Apple since the launch of AirTags back in May of this year. The CEO went on to state that “Revenue was up in the first half of the year,” which could be surprising seeing as how similar Apple’s AirTags function in comparison.
Business remains on an upward trajectory and Tile is said to be up 200-percent year-over-year. That said, Prober believes Apple is still self-preferencing. Speaking to Wired, Prober recalled a time that Tile’s products could be purchased from the Apple Store.
However, “very quickly, we got kicked out of their stores.” Prober believes Apple made changes to the iOS software “that deprecated our experience,” while boosting the AirTag and its ‘Find My’ network. Prober encourages and “welcomes competition from Apple,” though he believes it has to be fair.
In response to claims of self-preferential treatment, Apple spoke to Wired and denied any purposeful unfairness in the following statement:
“We made APIs available this summer and have been working with UWB chipset developers to ensure iOS compatibility — some already have development kits available for purchase,” an Apple spokesperson told Wired. “We have always embraced competition as the best way to drive great experiences for our customers, and we have worked hard to build a platform in iOS that enables third-party developers to thrive.”
Last month, Tile revealed its refreshed lineup. The new series of products include Mate, Sticker and Pro trackers. Tile hopes to offer water resistance and have an extended range over what’s currently available. Tile’s catalogue of products offers options for customers to choose the essentials they need in a tracking device. It also enables users to prioritize volume over battery warranty when looking at the Pro device over the Mate or Sticker.
Apple’s AirTag, on the other hand, is still in its infancy. AirTags were released in May and are only available in the one model for $39. However, Apple has released a series of accessories alongside its tracking device.
Image credit: Tile
Source: Wired