CROWDFUNDING REVIEW – When Apple Airtags were introduced in 2021, I immediately thought of all the usual things I might lose. Unfortunately, the Mentos candy-shaped Airtag doesn’t slip well into a wallet. The Slimca Here is a credit card-sized tracker compatible with Apple’s “Find My” function and is USB-C rechargeable.
What is it?
The Slimca Here is an Apple Find My compatible tracker that’s powered by a rechargeable battery and is about as slim as a credit card.
Hardware specs
- Rechargeable battery for 5 months of use, quick 3 hour recharge time
- Charges via USB-C cable
- Crafted from 304 stainless steel
- Capable of bending up to 15 degrees
- IP64 water resistance
- Loud speaker (105dB for clear notifications)
Design and features
I already own the Chipolo card, which is also compatible with Apple’s Find My, but does not have a replaceable battery (listed at 2 years). The height and width are the same as a credit card for both.
The Slimca Here rechargeable tracking card appears to be held together by adhesive layers. Some of the edges were lifting ever so slightly, and the entire card is flexible which doesn’t instill confidence. The Chipolo card is much more rigid and better built. However, I suppose flexibility is a good feature if it’s going in a wallet that you might sit on.
I measured the thickness of each. The Chipolo measured 2.30mm (left), and the Slimca Here measured 1.23mm. A regular credit card was slightly thinner at 0.79mm.
Setup
It’s feeding time! The Slimca Here rechargeable tracking card is rechargeable and uses a ridiculously thin charging port. The golden corner tab slips off to reveal the port. Any USB-C cable plugs right in. The LED indicator glows white.
Per the included instructions, you press and hold the button (outlined by the square lines) and hold for 10 seconds to reset, then click four times to begin the pairing. The LED glows green.
The Slimca Here can be renamed in the iOS Find My app. Like the AirTags, you can even assign a unique icon.
Performance
The most basic feature works very much like an AirTag or the Chipolo card: If you activate Play Sound from your phone, the Slimca Here will play a little melody. It isn’t as loud as the Chipolo, but the Slimca Here is over 1mm thinner so it’s understandable. I was able to hear the Slimca Here rechargeable tracking card stuffed in my wallet.
The tracking function is the same as the Chipolo: The Slimca Here does not have the Airtag’s ultrawideband function, so you don’t get that pinpoint feature you get with Airtags. In the screenshot below, I’m in the blue/white dot. It shows directions to get to my street address.
What I like
- Clever USB-C recharging
- Very thin (I measured 1.23 mm)
- Apple Find My compatible
What I’d change
- Some edges of the card appear to be lifting slightly as if it’s held together by adhesives
- I wish it had the precision ultrawideband feature
Final thoughts
The Slimca Here rechargeable tracking card’s lack of ultrawideband tracking for precision finding is a bit of a letdown, but the “notify if left behind” and basic tracking works just like the Chipolo. The Play Sound function is loud enough, and the USB-C rechargeable battery means I don’t have to worry about replacement when the battery goes flat.
Price: $31 (Kickstarter early bird price)
Where to buy: Slimca
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Slimca
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Peeblebee also has a similar tracker that works with both Apple and Android.
I have both Chipolo and Pebblebee, 2 each. One Chipolo has failed completely. It stopped communicating with the app and the reset function doesn’t seem to work. When last working the battery was fine. The other one works as expected but with a non-replaceable battery will be discarded and not replaced when it runs out. Both Pebblebees have worked perfectly so far, and I really appreciate that they can be recharged. Since I have 2 I can carry 1 propriety recharge cable when traveling and still be OK if it somehow gets lost.
wafter
/ (ˈwɑːftə, ˈwɒf-) /
noun
A device that causes a draught
wafer
[ wey-fer ]
noun
A thin, crisp cake or biscuit, often sweetened and flavored.
I fixed the typo in the title.
My Slimca Here works great with my Findme app and the battery really does last a long time. I love that it’s rechargeable and fits very nicely in a purse pocket. The only issue I have is that the Play Sound function has never worked.