Pebblebee is now selling its next-gen Clip 5 and Card 5 Bluetooth trackers, promising to accelerate the lost-and-found process by adding wireless charging, louder alarms, and scannable QR codes. The new devices are able to join both major tracking ecosystems and can work with Google’s Find My Device network or Apple Find My, depending on how users set them up.
What’s New in Pebblebee’s Clip 5 and Card 5 Trackers
The Clip 5 retains the carabiner-style form factor and adds a significantly louder siren for when there’s an unfortunate time that your backpack or keys sneak out of sight within range.
Rapid button presses can sound an alarm, a small improvement in usability with potentially important ramifications in an emergency. It charges with USB-C, not the proprietary cables older Pebblebee hardware was based on.
The Card 5 is the more extensive redesign. Pebblebee says it’s 30% slimmer than the old card model, a move that should ease its compatibility with slim wallets and badge holders. (That new version, by the way, is now wireless charging–enabled, a rarity among card-shaped trackers, many of which require magnetic puck chargers or are sealed with non-replaceable batteries.) Wireless charging removes friction for frequent top-ups, and it slims the electronic waste that comes from disposable cells.
Both now include a printed QR code that anyone who comes across your possession can scan to contact the owner — leaving a message or phone number — even once the tracker’s battery has failed. It’s a handy recovery backup to their crowdsourced location support in each of their networks.
Cross-Ecosystem Tracking, No Extra Cables Required
Given that, in the market, a lot of accessories choose one side, Pebblebee is especially versatile. During setup, users can add the Clip 5 or Card 5 to Google’s Find My Device network or Apple Find My. Although devices are usually limited to one ecosystem at a time based on platform needs, the option means a single family of hardware can be used in homes with both iPhones and Android devices.
Context matters here. Google has countered by saying the Find My Device network leverages access to a large Android base, and the firm and Apple have together announced an industry specification for unwanted tracking alerts to bolster safety across platforms. Apple’s Find My network, for example, runs on hundreds of millions of Apple devices and is widely lauded for its pinpoint locating when used with suitable hardware. Pebblebee’s compatibility works in both those directions, and it gives the buyer options without forcing you to buy a proprietary charger or cable.
Design Details and Real-World Use for Clip 5 and Card 5
Meant for keys, suitcases, and pet collars, the 3.9-by-1.7-inch Clip 5 emits a loud siren that’s quick to activate, helping you zero in on it within a room or busy terminal. The Card 5’s sights are on wallets, passport folios, and travel document sleeves as its ultra-thin construction and wireless charging aim to lighten the bulk as well as the load. In use, the QR codes provide a human-to-human bridge: a dropped wallet can be scanned at a café by a good Samaritan to contact its owner directly, potentially before an unsolicited network ping updates position.
Pebblebee is also playing up the personalization angle. The Clip 5 comes in the limited-run colors Emerald Storm and Amethyst Purple (the company says it’ll rotate these out at some point). Swappable hues are a small detail, but they help change up what would otherwise be a sea of trackers that just look like regular bag and keychain fare.
Price, Availability, and Market Position
The Clip 5 and the Card 5 can be bought straight from Pebblebee for $35 each. That price puts them in direct competition with alternatives from Chipolo and Tile, with the extra value of rechargeable power across the lineup. By contrast, a number of rival card-style trackers still feature sealed batteries that need the full unit replacing after a certain time, an approach in the past slammed by groups like iFixit for sustainability reasons.
Small quality-of-life updates matter as the Bluetooth tracker category continues to mature. USB-C and wireless charging ease some friction, a louder alarm helps when you’re close by, and QR codes turn finders into helpers. Sandwiched between the wide net Apple and Google have cast, Pebblebee’s Clip 5 and Card 5 seem like thoughtful iterations designed for daily use more than flashiness.
Bottom Line: Thoughtful, Versatile Trackers at $35 Each
With more sleek hardware, easier charging, and smart recovery features, the two new Pebblebee trackers are built for what it’s really like to travel or simply exist in a day. If you’ve been biding your time for a relatively affordable card that charges wirelessly, or a clip-on tag with a louder alert in the middle price-wise, these updates strike the right chord at what seems to us an eminently reasonable price.
