Here we dive into the logic behind these location reports, as well as how the collar is able to achieve its incredible battery life. Our smart dog collar just got smarter. Our tests confirm that these estimates are not overstated. Unbiased Fi GPS Pet Tracker Review 2023 - Pup Junkies While the previously reviewed Whistle Go Explore and FitBark GPS trackers are designed to attach to a dogs existing collar, the Fi Smart Collar is built into a custom collar. The Fi also uses your phone's Bluetooth connection as a safe zone, so if your dog is in Bluetooth range of the phone, it's considered safe. When out walking with your dog, the collar connects to your smartphone. Setup in the app starts with creating a profile of your dog and attaching the base station to your home Wi-Fi. So I went with the month by month option until Im confident the product is worth it. Fi smart dog collar makes it possible to remotely track your dog around the clock using the GPS and LTE-M cellular networks. Thus, we werent able to get our hands on a Series 2 in time for this review. The Series 2 collar has a new GPS antenna, which Fi says offers a 400% improvement in signal sensitivity, for better location tracking in remote areas. Note that location tracking may be slower in landscapes that are densely built up, as well as remote areas with limited cellular coverage. It's the first dog collar to use the LTE-M cellular network, which reaches 30% farther than 3G/4G/5G/LTE. The reason the Fi Collar needs to use a cellular network is because when your dog is lost, and out of reach of any Wi-Fi or owner's cell phone, it will use GPS to compute its location, and then use the LTE-M network to send that location to Fi systems (and your Fi App). Activity is reported in three categories: Time spent and steps taken in a designated safe zone; time spent, steps taken, and distance traveled on a walk; and time spent and steps taken during play. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. The only disadvantage is when you're setting it up, you need to utilize a circle-shape to establish the safe-zone. Many of our hikes are not logged because the collar thinks they are car rides. Once I received an alert that Saber had left a safe zone I activated the Fis lost dog mode, triggering GPS-based location updates every 60 seconds. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/fi-smart-dog-collar-series-2, How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad, How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill, How to Convert YouTube Videos to MP3 Files, How to Record the Screen on Your Windows PC or Mac, The Best Pet Trackers and GPS Dog Collars for 2023, Easy Access: How to Control Your Apple Watch From Your iPhone, Switch Up Your Smartwatch: How to Change and Tweak Apple Watch Faces, An Activity Tracker and Social Network for Dogs. New Fi Collars, as of February 2020, have a stronger steel attachment point. A mobile device that meets our minimum requirements: Android 6.0+ aka Android M or newer iPhone - iOS 14 ( iPhone 6s & 6 + and higher, including iPhone SE 1st generation) Access to a Wi-Fi Network. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology. Fi Smart Dog Collar | Store I easily found Saber strolling with my neighbor about two blocks away from home. If your dog is wandering alone, the Fi connects to the LTE-M network. The Fi collar is available in 4 different sizes and it's meant for dogs heavier than 10 pounds. For day-to-day use, you can produce secure zones in locations such as your backyard. Tap the Edit Wi-Fi icon (looks like a pencil & paper) 5. So if battery life is one of you biggest concerns when it comes to tracking your pet, the Fi joins the Whistle 3 to share our Editors' Choice. It is vital that you allow the Fi app to access your area so as to get an accurate walk route. After the free trial, a GPS/LTE subscription costs $99 per year, or you can get a two- or three-year plan for $186 or $248, respectively. The profile creation only allows you to pick one breed, rather than multiple breeds for a mix, but there are some interesting mixes already included (like Labrabull). I'd love a smaller fi module but I'm going to wait this one out. As to the Fi3, Im gonna wait for some hands on reviews as well. Fi says to test Lost Dog mode(Opens in a new window) so you're familiar with how the feature works if you ever need to use it. Now on his profile, it says Bradley is one year old, because the app is using his adoption date as his birthday. The signals of the LTE-M network reach about 30% farther than 3G, 4G, 5G, and LTE networks. We like how the tracking unit magnetically attaches to the base/charger, and the tracker charges quickly. How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad, How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill, How to Convert YouTube Videos to MP3 Files, How to Record the Screen on Your Windows PC or Mac, Read Our Tractive GPS 3G Pet Tracker Review, The Best Pet Trackers and GPS Dog Collars for 2023, Easy Access: How to Control Your Apple Watch From Your iPhone, Switch Up Your Smartwatch: How to Change and Tweak Apple Watch Faces, Razer Zephyr Wearable Air Purifier Preview. PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering lab-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. I hate the company but the product works. Fi explains, "LTE-M is a new technology for low power, long distances communications. GPS tracking is free for the first 30 days; after that, GPS service plans start at $99 for one year with minor discounts on multi-year plans. As for GPS, connecting to a remote system requires the receiver to be turned on and powered by the battery. I wish there were better options out there, but for all its misgivings its the best Ive found so far. Best GPS Dog Collars and Pet Trackers 2023 | SafeWise Reception is bad where I hike so miles are rarely tracked and steps are often very inaccurate. Things we like: The battery life is impressive. According to Fi, the collar uses AT&T's LTE-M network for better tracking. Whistle Switch Vs Fi Series 2 - Which Is Honestly Better? Troubleshooting. Ive emailed the company about this and they were so unhelpful. But, similar to steps, looking for patterns and then noticing when something seems out of whack for your dog might be helpful at spotting related issues. In their view, battery life was a major pain point for similar devices, and it would offer a meaningful improvement over existing items on the market. For nighttime walks, owners activate a light for added visibility; you choose the light color (red, green, or blue). With around 290,000 steps at the time of this writing, Bradley ranks within the top 49% of Fi dogs overall, but is nowhere near the top of the pack: The current number one Fi dog, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi named Kuz Kuz, has more than four million steps! Fingers still crossed . Fi estimates a fully charged battery will last up to three months for dogs who are always home, up to two months on dogs who leave the house for daily neighborhood walks, and up to three weeks on especially active dogs who spend a lot of time away from home in situations where the collar might not maintain a reliable Bluetooth connection to the base unit or owners mobile device. Out of cell range, the collar still tracks your dog's steps, but occasionally mileage is lost if Google Maps doesn't register the full distance. Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. Click here to get 15% OFF The Fi GPS Pet Tracker. I don't know Bradley's actual birthday because he was a stray, but I adopted him on September 24, 2019, so I entered that date when setting up his account. All you need to do is turn on Lost Pet setting in the Fi application. If I buy a Fi 3, Im paying ~$190 for both the collar and the subscription together. If you find the step goal too easy or ambitious, you can manually edit it as desired. Would be nice if I got my order, it's been almost a month since I ordered it. Upgraded to series 2 and have had nothing but headaches. The Fi tracker is well-designed, elegant and the Armored Aluminium Faceplate has a much more streamlined design than most of its competitors. The Fi Collar has been optimized to use a smart combination of GPS and cellular technology to locate your dog. Then Bluetooth connects the collar to your smartphone and you connect the base to your Wi-Fi. Fi is probably the best-known pet tech right now on the market. All of your furry close friend's information will be readily available there for you. How Will I Know If the Fi Collar Has Cellular Coverage in My Area? When I leave them with a sitter, I know if they are getting their steps in. Fi Series 2 is built on our original value: empowering parents to give their dogs their best lives.. Fi Series 2 comes with a 400% improvement in antenna signal sensitivity, for more reliable network connection. Thanks so much! The Series 2 collar has a new GPS antenna, which Fi says offers a 400% improvement in signal sensitivity, for better location tracking in remote areas. I think our solution is to get our pups an Apple Watch (or other reliable wearable with LTE). Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. The Fi Smart Dog Collar is a GPS-enabled, Wi-Fi, and cellular-connected lost dog tracker, pedometer, sleep tracker, and more. We only include products that have been independently selected by Input's editorial team. Im pretty disappointed in the Fi collar overall. I wish there was an option to just specify your dog's approximate age, which would be a lot easier. Like it was a 10 minute drive to the nearest "town" and it only had a post office and a gas station. FEATURES. Before the Fi Smart Dog Collar, it was pretty easy to ignore the fact that he hadnt been on a walk today. Why Does My Fi Base Always Need to Remain Online? Facebook Twitter LinkedIn However, the fact that the Fi Collar lasted even that long is worth major kudos. Ryan Wilchelns / Input It starts by setting up the collar's "home". My partner once took him for a walk and let him go off-leash and I got a notification that he was alone within a few minutes of him getting beyond the Bluetooth range of her phone. Fi dog collar and WIFI : r/FiDogCollar - reddit If I have the Series 2 and hate it, why the hell would I attempt an upgrade for that much of a price jump. I originally bought a Findster Duo + which had a huge selling point: it was non-subscription based. When successfully activated, you'll see a check mark in the app. One time my boy escaped and hopped in a car at a local intersection. Fi Collar - A Smart Dog Collar for Peace of Mind If your dog leaves the safe zone, the Fi application will automatically send you a notification. The rest of the article below refers to the old collar style. 1996-2023 Ziff Davis, LLC., a Ziff Davis company. They're $192 per year per dog. But the app alerts you as soon as they wander back into range. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag. A subscription gives you access to the full capabilities of your dog's Fi collar - allowing for remote access to your dog's location and activity. Be sure to have a back-up collar with ID tags on hand when charging the Fi Smart Collar since the all-in-one device must be removed, leaving the dog without a collar. By combining logic for the collar to determine how to optimize the acquisition of a GPS location, and logic for how long to go to sleep for vs. being connected to the LTE-M network, Fi can achieve 20x more battery life than previous generations of tracking devices.While the hardware to support LTE-M is not that different, we took 2 years to develop and refine the nuances in the software to allow for these performances. Here you can also view hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly graphs of their sleep. I can give an honest review of the fi 2. Fi Dog Collar Reviews - Your Dog's Virtual Fence - World Animal Foundation The collar, which has a GPS-enabled brick on a replaceable woven collar, pairs with Fi's app to show you where your dog is at all times. The Fi collar uses a home base, LTE-M cell signal, and GPS to achieve tracking speed and accuracy.