As 9to5Mac’s Gui Rambo first reported this spring, Apple is working on a Tile-like tracking device that will allow users to keep tabs on personal belongings with the help of the revamped ‘Find My’ app. Now, ahead of Apple’s iPhone event next week, Tile is sending out Bose headphones (with its embedded tech) to the media like Bloomberg with a little pitch about not forgetting the company.

Tile has been the market leader for item tracking hardware and it has developed partnerships with third-parties like Bose, Skullcandy, and others to embed its tech into products to help users keep track of their belongings and expand its business.

However, Apple presents a notable threat with its upcoming Tile-like tracking device with an integrated experience with iOS via the new Find My app. With over a billion active Apple devices, hundreds of millions of users will instantly have the option to seamlessly track items as soon as the Tile competitor is launched. Apple’s massive install base will offer a much more robust crowdsourced network to allow users to find lost items via the Bluetooth tracker than what Tile offers when a lost item is out of the range of your personal devices.

In the face of the impending competition, Tile has sent out products like the Bose Soundsport earphones with its embedded tech to the media with a note about its expanding business and more.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman received the earphones along with a note that opens with “Whether you’re on your way to Cupertino, or your last adventure of the summer,” before mentioning some of the company’s partnerships and saying that more announcements are on the way.

Mark sums up the subtext: “don’t forget about us on Tuesday.”

We don’t know for sure when Apple will launch its new item tracking device but it could debut as soon as next week. While we learned new details this week, we don’t know how Apple will price the new product. For reference, The Tile Pro with a removable battery goes for around $25 or less in a multi-pack. It will be interesting to see how competitively Apple prices its item tracker.

Source: 9to5mac