The new Tile Pro series, featuring the gold and white Tile Style, and the grey Tile Sport, are basically the Tile Mate’s cooler, younger siblings.
The most notable upgrade featured in the Pro series is its waterproof capabilities of 1.5 meters for up to 60 min. I successfully tested this by leaving the Style in a bowl of water for 5 minutes, which ended with one wet, but fully functional, tracker (and one thoroughly confused boyfriend).
While I doubt I will find myself in a situation in which my Tile is fully submerged in water for a long period of time, it’s nice to know that if my keys or phone do get dunked in a toilet, which has happened, or I get caught in the rain, I won’t need to shell out another $35 to replace it.
The casing on the Pro compared to the plastic of the original Tile is also substantially altered. It feels like an upgrade as much as it looks like one. If the bulkiness of the original Tile Mate was too utilitarian-looking for you, the Pro Series features a smooth, beveled edge and reads a bit more compact and purposeful.
You can now also change the ring tone and volume of your Tile, which isn’t all that groundbreaking, but it’s a nice touch. The increased radius (up to 200 feet away, double the range of the original Tile), gives a nice peace of mind. Then again, my phone or keys were never more than a couple feet away under couch cushions, piles of grocery bags, or the dog.
The Pro Series is more expensive than the original Tile Mate by $10, but the higher price makes sense given the additional features (though you can grab a two-pack for $60) . The only major drawback, and one that all Tile products have, is they still have not solved the problem of battery life. This means you’ll have to buy a whole new one when it dies, which is in about a year.
Recently, they launched the reTile program, which allows you to receive a pre-paid envelope to recycle your old Tile after 11 months, and get a new one for a discounted price.