[culi]

Airtags can be scanned with your non-Apple smartphone's NFC reader which gives you contact info for the owner.

Beyond that, all tracker devices are proprietary. The Tile/Chipolo network only works with Tile/Chipolo; Samsung's SmartTag only works with the SmartThings app which is exclusive to Samsung phones; etc.

I just don't think the comparison is apt

[usef-]

New chipolos work in both Apple Find My and Android Find Hub. Most third-party tags seem to support multiple platforms now.

[lloeki]

Warning: many don't support both at the same time (setting up for one disables the other until reset)

[marysol5]

Loads of 3rd party tags that work on the other networks though.

That was the point they were making, not that they had some NFC extra-functionality

[culi]

What are some examples of 3rd party tags? I know the Find My network itself has been hacked around with for a 3rd party tag. I've always dreamed of an open-source tag that integrates with all the major networks so I can put a little tag on my cat's collar and track his travels.

[gambiting]

Ugreen tags work with both Google's Find network and Apple's FindMy network.

[jorvi]

Do they work with the network or with the app?

If it's the first, that seems like they would be a vastly superior offering to AirTags, especially outside America, where people aren't so Apple-crazy.

[gambiting]

I don't know, I have an android phone. I just know it says it's compatible with the airtag network on the box, so I suspect it's the first. Ugreen doesn't even have any specific app for these, so I assume it goes through the primary setup method.

[culi]

Well there you go. I guess its not so proprietary after all.

[Epa095]

But its still what he thought...