Hands-On: Aircard, an AirTag for your wallet
Since Apple released the AirTag, companies have been flying to create cases, lanyards, keychains, and so many other accessories. For the most part, these accessories work. I have one on my luggage, one on my dog’s collar, and another on my keychain, but there has been one solution missing: the wallet tracker. The biggest issue, at least for me, is that the AirTag is thick compared to credit cards, so when you put it in your wallet, there is a huge and ugly bulge.
Companies have created card-like cases for your wallet or even wallets that have a slot for AirTags, but again, the solution seems half-baked. This is where tech accessory brand Rolling Square steps in with their brand new AirCard.
The AirCard
Rolling Square is a company that makes high-quality accessories, primarily for Apple devices; you might have read my post about their magnetic ecosystem, the Edge Pro. I have been a huge fan of their brand and every product they have made thus far. They are now on the tail end of an extremely successful Kickstarter campaign that has generated over $800,000 in funding for their AirCard product.
What is AirCard
The AirCard is the world’s first credit card-sized tracker that integrates with Apple’s Find My network but also acts as an NFC and QR code-enabled virtual business card. They were able to pack so many features into a device that has the footprint of a credit card and is as thick as two cards, sitting at just 2.2mm in thickness.
The design is also part of the wow factor of this device. The outer frame is made of high-quality CNC aluminum, and the outer shell is tempered glass. The glass allows you to see the internals of the device, like the main board, the battery, the NFC tag, and the speaker. I think it looks great, and the look alone is a conversation starter.
AirCard features
The main purpose of the AirCard is to be a tracker for your wallet while also being able to use the Find My network. The secondary function is to have it be used as a virtual business card. So if you are at an expo, an event, a business meeting, or just at a party, you can have someone scan your QR code or tap the NFC tag, and you can send over the information you want that other person to have. They use a platform called sherr.it. You quickly create an account and begin to input your phone number, email, links to social and any other information you would want people to receive from tapping the AirCard.
Other features include:
Digital business card functionality
A lifetime subscription to sherr.it included with the purchase
Speaker with 105dB of sound so it can be located when lost
2.5 years of battery life (I will bring up what happens when the battery dies)
Find My network support
2.2mm thin
Left Behind reminders
Advanced Lost Mode
Share the item with up to five other people
Single tap setup
IPX6 water resistance
RFID blocker
Setting up the AirCard
The AirCard setup is extremely simple. For the Find My tracking portion, all you do is turn on the AirCard, wait for the beep, and then head to your Find My App.
Find My > Items > “+” > Add Other Item
It will then begin to search for the AirCard. It takes a few seconds, and then the AirCard is found. You can name it and add an emoji, and you are all set up. You can then use the Find My app to ping it, add a person that can see it, and more.
Then to set up the digital business card, just scan the QR code, create your sherr.it account, and add the information you want others to see! Very easy to set up, and again, you get a lifetime subscription to sherr.it with the AirCard!
Battery life
Lastly, I wanted to come back to the battery life situation. Rolling Square states the AirCard gives you 30 months or 2.5 years of battery life. Unfortunately, the battery is not replaceable. But Rolling Square has come up with a solution. First off, the battery is only for the Find My and location portion of the AirCard, so the digital business card portion will always work since QR codes and NFC tags do not consume any energy.
After the 30 months come up, Rolling Square will shoot you an email for a 50% off coupon for you to purchase another card. You will ship the old one back, and they will be able to reuse this to eliminate e-waste. I think this is a great program and a phenomenal way to solve the battery issue.
Pricing and availability
As I mentioned, this product is still on Kickstarter for another six days. They have a range of backing offerings, going from just one AirCard at $30 (31% off the eventual retail price) and up to a pack of five AirCards for $131 (39% off the eventual retail price). These will begin to ship in August of this year. Some people are hesitant with Kickstarters, but Rolling Square has a 100% record on shipping products from Kickstarter, and this product will be no different!
Wrap-up
I think this is a great product for anyone that is constantly losing or misplacing their wallet. What I love about it is that it has multiple functions. It’s a tracker and a digital business card built into an extremely aesthetically pleasing package. I did receive a prototype of the product for testing, but after reviewing it, I actually ordered three more – another for myself and two more to give as gifts during the holidays.
Clearly, there is a market for these since the Kickstarter is approaching $900,000 in backing. Jump on the early bird pricing while you can! Let me know what you think of this product. Are you someone that uses trackers like these? Would you use this product in your wallet? Let’s discuss in the comments below!
Source: 9to5Mac
