last month, I looked at Ugren’s clever discovereran Apple found me compatible tracker that looks and behaves much like it clearly modeled airtags.
I’m going to check today Finder Slimwhich is almost exactly the same, but looks very different. Credit cards are almost exactly twice as wide and height as thick, but are obviously designed to live in places where wallets, passport covers or other standard trackers are not suitable.
Given that it’s usually more costly than the Smart Finder, sometimes the main question I’ve even started testing is: Is this worth the extra money?
What’s in the box?
Like I mentioned above, the Finder Slim is almost the same width and length as my credit card, 85×53mm (3.3×2.1 inches), 1.7mm (0.07 inches), and is twice as thick as the thickness.
But what surprised me was how rays its light was. It looks like it should weigh more than 21 grams (0.4 ounces), especially since it includes an internal rechargeable battery.
Speaking of rechargeable batteries, I have two ideas about this. Being able to charge the battery instead of finding a replacement when it is flat is an undeniable advantage, but having to use a weird little non-standard cable to do it isn’t great.
Such proprietary cables are troublesome, especially those that only use once or twice a year. During this time, the chances of losing it seem to be relatively high, and since Ugreen does not currently sell replacement cables, you can use the new tracker.
At one end of the cable is a small circle that connects magnetically to the metal ring you can see on the top left of the tracker. The magnet has at least the corresponding beeps and flickering light is very strong, so you surely know when it connects.
The other end of the cable is USB-A, and I don’t like it either. I’m sure most people can still dig out a suitable wall charger for a few years, but even so, USB C is the place for 2025.
Some other third-party trackers out there used to use QI wireless charging instead, which made me a better approach: being able to use nearly all wireless chargers for the past decade or more is an easier option.
Besides the tracker itself, there is a bunch of paperwork (instructions and safety information) inside the box, a lanyard that attaches the tracker to other items, and of course, I just spent a few complaints on the cable.
The tracker itself is made of pure matte black plastic, with subtle Ugly brands on the front, charging sockets, a small hole for passing through the lanyard and the same tiny power button below.
There are a bunch of technical specifications printed on the back, but no one listed. Most trackers like this don’t have any meaningful water or dust resistance, but that’s not the case: the IP67 rating means it will handle dusty and wet environments, even if you somehow manage to swim with it.
Note that Finder Slim is only compatible with Apple’s Find My Network, not the equivalent of Google, Tile, or anyone else. As a result, this will be the most interesting for those who already own an iPhone or other Apple Gear.
Setting up and using
After charging the tracker until the red light is turned off, I pressed and held the power button for a few seconds until a series of beeps and a light show let me know it’s in pairing mode now.
The power button is small and requires a very firm push to activate: if you try to get it to do anything, it’s harder to try. Select “Other” type of device in Find My App on iPhone 16, and the tracker is detected immediately.
After pairing, the Finder Slim works roughly the same way that the Airtag I already have and the Smart Finder I reviewed last month. Find My app to display its last known location, and you can get instructions as long as Apple Maps is installed.
From the app, you can also make the tracker beep for audible tips to help you find it. The feature works, but I want the speakers to be louder: In my wallet, when the wallet appears, the sound is heard in the nearby room, but I can hardly hear it from my coat pocket.
To test how the tracking works, I stuffed the device into my wallet, left all the devices at home, and headed to a few blocks of shops. As I walked along the busy streets and the aisles of local supermarkets, my partner could see my location updated every minute or two as the tracker pings near the nearby iPhone.
Since you’re reminded whenever you’re separated from the tracker, I’ve tried the opposite way too: put the Finder Slim on my kitchen bench and go out for a run. Sure enough, once I got one or two blocks away from the house, I noticed my notification popped up.
However, since third-party trackers cannot access the ultra-wideband chip in your iPhone, you won’t get accurate tracking. This is the exact distance and direction that you can provide once you reach the Airtag a few feet or any other Apple device you want.
It’s a shame for a device like this to sit inside something relatively small. Of course, it’s not Ugreen’s fault, but with that quiet speaker volume, it’s not that easy to track a wallet that lands on the back of the sofa.
Should you buy this?
At the beginning of this review, I mentioned that my biggest problem with Slim, the discoverer, was that I checked a few weeks ago if the cheaper Smart Finder in Ugreen is worth the extra money.
For some, it will be. It’s a well-crafted, lightweight device that makes it easier to focus on wallets and passports, etc. than trackers including traditional shapes, including Airtags.
If you are most worried about various items that are most frequently lost or misplaced, the extra few dollars will feel like the first time it took half an hour to spend half an hour and then turn around and look for them.
Likewise, if you need to be at risk of potentially getting wet or covered with dust and dirt, the water and dust resistance provided are something you usually don’t find in other trackers.
But if this is not the case, then the slim finder is a difficult seller. While I like the idea of rechargeable batteries, the non-standard, irreplaceable charging cable feels like a waiting issue.
Again, given that it is likely to be masked by anything placed inside, relatively high speakers are also a problem. The throw lacks precise tracking, which makes it difficult to get close to the speakers in the first place, and you may still be spending quite a bit of time flipping the sofa cushion.
All in all, Finder Slim is still a useful, lightweight and well-made device that works well for some people’s specific tracking needs. But this is not a slam dunk for low-cost smart finders due to some limitations and dubious design decisions.
By all images of the author
