The Consumer Council on Thursday warned that Bluetooth trackers are not always reliable when it comes to positioning, regardless of how much they cost.

The gadgets can be attached to things like keys and wallets to help locate the items via a smartphone app.

The watchdog said it tested 14 different Bluetooth trackers that cost between HK$78 and HK580, scoring all but one of them just two points out of five for their positioning abilities. The remaining model was even worse.

The council said the trackers work better in the city, but struggle on public transport and in remote areas.

The council also said almost all the trackers tested had a function to alert the user when they were out of Bluetooth range, but such notifications could take up to five minutes to arrive.

It also tested six smartphone apps used to pair with the trackers and found that all of them transmitted data in an encrypted form and were found to be satisfactory in terms of safety.



Edited by Thomas McAlinden