We all lose things from time to time, but losing a wallet can wreak havoc on your life. While getting it back often relies on good Samaritans to contact the owner, you can increase your chances with the help of a good smart tag like the Chipolo One Point. However, this model is a bit thick for a wallet, so Chipolo also makes a Card Point that’s the perfect size to fit your credit cards. This model relies on Google’s Find My Device network, and despite a somewhat rough start, it’s still a great solution for lost wallets or bags.
chipolo card point
The Chipolo Card Point is about the same size as a traditional credit card but is thicker and heavier. The card connects via Bluetooth and works with Google’s Find My Device network, so its location can be tracked remotely as long as there are a few Android devices nearby. Once you get close enough, an internal speaker can be activated to help you find it.
- Fits perfectly into most wallets’ credit card slot.
- Battery life 2 years
- Good speaker and range sensor.
- Quick and easy to set up and use.
- The battery is not user replaceable.
- Google Find My Device is still new
- No Ultra Wideband (UWB)
- IPX5 only
Price and availability
At the time of writing this review, Chipolo is still in the process of shipping pre-orders placed through the company’s website. You can join Chipolo’s pre-order list, or once those orders are fulfilled, the Card Point tags will be available on Amazon.
A single Point card costs $35 plus shipping, but there are discounts and possibly free shipping for orders of two or four packs or a pack containing a card and two One trackers. Currently, Chipolo only offers Point trackers in off-white.
What is the good feature of Chipolo Card Point?
Designed for wallets but can go almost anywhere.
The Card Point has an ultra-slim design and distinctive shape, making it easy to carry in a wallet without being heavy. In almost every other respect, it shares the same features and design principles as the Chipolo One Point. While the One Point is generally more versatile, it is too thick to fit comfortably in most wallets.
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Chipolo One Point Review: Easy to Find, If Not Too Far Away
Great for finding things around the house, but maybe not around the world.
Sure, the shape might be an obvious choice for wallets, but there’s no reason why the card can’t fit into any bag or luggage with an ID pocket or be placed with your other belongings. And because of its larger, smaller shape, it can even be taped to another flat surface if you so desire.
Just like the networks run by Apple, Samsung, and others, Google’s Find My Device network relies on people being near tags so they can report their location, and Google can determine the tag’s location from that. As I mentioned in my One Point review , Google’s network is important because it’s the most expansive group of Android devices participating in a single network. That includes pretty much every phone or tablet running Android 9.0 or higher.
While there are some sticking points when it comes to reliability and speed when searching for a lost tag using Google Find My Device, it’s still likely to be the best option available to Android users. Thanks to its proximity sensor and loud built-in speaker, this service works really well for finding nearby tags.
Setup is quick and easy. Simply unlock your phone and gently press the button in the lower left corner of the Chipolo card dot. After tapping a few buttons and waiting for the pairing process to complete, the card is added to your Google account and appears in the list in the Find My Device app. The process takes about thirty seconds, after which you can change the card’s name and set a different code.
What’s bad about the Chipolo Point Card?
Google’s Find My Device Network Is Still in Its Infancy
As with any smart tag on the Google Find My Device network, the caveat here is the aforementioned reliability and slow reporting speed. You can read more about this in Taylor’s review of the Pebblebee Tag for Android , but simply put, you may not get fast tracking results for lost tags unless you’re in areas with fairly high traffic.
This isn’t a bug with any brand; it’s just the nature of Google’s default settings for devices on the network. I have a hunch that this will improve over time as Google fine-tunes its algorithms, but it’s just something to be aware of for now.
Read our review
Pebblebee Tag Android App Review: I Couldn’t Find My Device
Google’s new item tracking system hasn’t launched yet.
Unlike One Point cards, Card Point cards do not support user-replaceable batteries. This is pretty obvious; there is no standard battery available for purchase in stores. This is not something to be held against Chipolo; it is just something to be aware of.
Chipolo has a recycling and renewal program where you can get a brand new card point for half the price of a new card if you send your old card in for recycling. This process makes it easy to order a replacement card before your old one runs out, so you don’t have to spend any time without an active card.
I think if I had anything to fault it would be fragility. I know that sounds extreme, but stick with me.
Firstly, the card can bend a little, but I am concerned that the wide, thin form factor could be prone to breaking or crushing if too much pressure is applied. Again, I don’t think this is a deal breaker for the Chipolo as any product like this could be prone to the same issue, but it is something to be aware of, especially for anyone who relies on their wallet.
There’s also a potentially bigger issue with liquids. The card has an IPX5 rating, which indicates that it can’t withstand high-pressure currents or submersion in water. I expected this from the One Point since it has an easily replaceable battery, but I assumed the Card Point might also be sealed since the battery is already inaccessible. I wouldn’t consider this a huge issue, but it’s another detail to consider before packing the card with your gear for a day of whitewater rafting.
Should you buy it?
Much like the One Point tag, the Card Point comes pretty close to what I expect and want it to be. It’s a smart Bluetooth tag that’s well-designed and works well. The only notable drawbacks are its Google Find My Device networking, which I expect to get better over time — sooner rather than later, I hope.
As I said with the One Point, there are a few things I would have liked to see, like UWB support and multi-network compatibility like Pebblebee has done with its tags that work on both Pebblebee’s own network and Google Find My Device. But I assume the former will come along in due course, and the latter will cease to be relevant in six months to a year. Either way, the Chipolo Card Point is exactly what it’s intended to be, and a great tool for keeping track of your wallet, bag, or whatever you choose to store it with.
chipolo card point
The Chipolo Card Point is about the same size as a traditional credit card but is thicker and heavier. The card connects via Bluetooth and works with Google’s Find My Device network, so its location can be tracked remotely as long as there are a few Android devices nearby. Once you get close enough, an internal speaker can be activated to help you find it.
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