Pod 3 VS Whistle 3
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If you are stuck choosing between Pod 3 and Whistle 3, our comprehensive Pod 3 VS Whistle 3 comparison can help you pick the right pet tracker in no time. View their most important features below and discover which pet tracking solution is the winner of this comparison.
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Highlights
Whistle is a popular GPS tracker and activity monitor for cats and dogs that offers an impressive feature set, great accuracy, and an almost unlimited communication range.
- Works over any distance within AT&T cellular coverage
- Create multiple fully customizable safe zones for your pet
- Affordable, small, lightweight, waterproof, and shockproof
- Price: $99.95
- Shipping: $0
Pod 3 is a GPS pet tracker that uses GPS, cellular, WiFi, and Bluetooth technologies for outdoor and indoor tracking. It works in 175+ world countries and has a virtually unlimited communication range.
- Waterproof & shockproof tracking unit weighing just 1.1 oz.
- Minimum location update interval of just 10 seconds
- Activity and movement monitoring and adventure recording
- Price: $129.00
- Shipping: $0 *
*free shipping in the US, the UK, and Australia, other countries qualify for flat rate shipping of up to $15.35
Compare Features
Highlights
Whistle is a lightweight GPS pet tracker that works throughout the US, boasts high accuracy and good battery life, allows for both location and activity tracking and offers extraordinary safe zone customization options.
Type
GPS Pet Tracker
Design
Whistle tracking unit comes in the form of a rounded cuboid and is available in 3 versions, including gray, green, and blue. It measures 1.82 inches in height by 1.45 inches in width by 0.61 inches in depth. It is attached to the pet's collar or harness with the use of a rubber attachment strap. The attachment mechanism allows you to easily twist the device on and off.
Available Sizes
Whistle does not come in different sizes and it fits most collars up to 1'' wide.
Suitable For Cats
Durability
Whistle is IP67 dirt and shock resistant and waterproof up to 3 feet underwater for up to 30 minutes. It comes with a durable attachment strap made of strong rubber and it is designed to endure rough play. It does not have a specific lifespan but can last for at least a couple of years with proper use.
Key Tracking Features
Whistle allows you to keep track of your pet’s location with:
- GPS location tracking, which allows you to get location updates every 60 seconds;
- Multiple safe zones, which are fully customizable in terms of size and shape;
- 24-hour location history for your pet;
- Text, email, and push notifications sent when your pet leaves the safe zone;
- Sharing, which allows you to give your friends and family full access to all Whistle tracking features.
Pet Activity Monitoring
Whistle allows you to gain full insight into your pet’s activity levels with:
- 24-hour activity records shown in the form of a graph;
- Information on distance traveled;
- Rest time and active time expressed in minutes and hours;
- Information on pet’s activity level (moderate and intense);
- Number of calories pet has burned during the day;
- Custom activity goals, which you can define yourself or let the app define based on your pet’s breed, weight, and age.
Training Assistance
Whistle does not provide training assistance.
Additional Features
Extra features available with Whistle include: - battery alerts, notifying you when the device's battery is low and needs to be recharged.
Communication Range
Whistle works over any distance within AT&T and WiFi coverage.
Weight
0.92 oz., 1.25 oz. with the attachment piece
Shockproof
Waterproof
Night Mode
Battery Life
About 7 days with good WiFi and cellular coverage
Smartphone App
Whistle smartphone app is available free of charge. It is compatible with iOS 10.0+ and Android 5.0+. It allows you to view your pet’s current location on a Google map, browse 24-hour location history, view 24-hour rest and activity data, receive safe zone, battery, and activity notifications, add and remove safe zones, and adjust settings. You can use the app to track multiple pets and share access with multiple users.
Connectivity
Whistle uses GPS technology for location tracking, WiFi technology for creating safe zones, cellular technology for data transfer between the tracking unit and the pet guardian's smartphone, and Bluetooth technology for pairing the tracking unit with the pet guardian's smartphone.
Coverage
Throughout the US (within AT&T cell coverage)
Pricing
Device: $79.95 (currently $59.95 with a 20% discount); Service plan: $9.95 with the monthly subscription, $7.95 with the yearly subscription, and $6.95 with the 2-year subscription
Shipping and Delivery
Whistle comes with free 2-day shipping.
Refund Policy
Whistle comes with a 90-day money-back guarantee. If you are not satisfied with the product, you just need to return it within 90 days of purchase in order to receive a full refund.
Warranty
Whistle does not come with a warranty.
Highlights
Pod 3 is a Bluetooth and WiFi enabled GPS pet tracker that allows for both indoor and outdoor tracking, works in 175+ world countries, has a virtually unlimited communication range, offers location, activity, and movement monitoring features, and boasts a minimum location update interval of just 10 seconds.
Type
GPS Pet Tracker
Design
The Pod 3 tracking unit is black, cylinder-shaped, and measures just 2’’ in length and 0.9’’ in diameter. It is attached to the pet’s collar using a rubber strap suitable for virtually all collars, as well as larger objects like bicycles or drones.
Available Sizes
Pod 3 does not come in different sizes and it fits most collars.
Suitable For Cats
Durability
Pod 3 can last for at least a couple of years with proper use. It is both shockproof and waterproof and it is not prone to damage.
Key Tracking Features
Pod 3 allows you to track your pet’s location with:
- 3 tracking modes, including Standby for battery saving, Safe Zone with instant notifications when the pet leaves the safe zone, and Adventure, with the most frequently updated location information;
- Near-real-time tracking, with location updated every 10 seconds in live tracking adventure mode;
- Multiple safe zones, which you can customize both in terms of location and size;
- Location history, which allows you to view your pet’s past locations for the period of 24 hours;
- Sharing, which allows multiple users to track the location of the same pet at once.
Pet Activity Monitoring
Pod 3 allows you to track your pet’s activity with:
- Constantly refreshed details on rest, walk, and play activity, with time spent walking and playing expressed in minutes and rest time expressed in hours;
- Daily, weekly, and monthly activity overviews;
- Custom-defined daily activity goals.
Training Assistance
Pod 3 does not provide training assistance.
Additional Features
Extra features available with Pod 3 include:
- Movement tracking, with the device constantly monitoring your pet’s movement and identifying unusual and sudden changes in your pet’s activity and behavior;
- Adventure recording, which allows you to record your pet’s walks and revisit them later, with adventures shown on a map and including information on distance walked, time spent walking, area covered, and your pet’s speed.
Communication Range
Pod 3 works over any distance within cellular and WiFi coverage.
Weight
1.1 oz.
Shockproof
Waterproof
Night Mode
Battery Life
Up to 5 days in standby mode, up to 8 hours in Adventure mode (refresh rate of 10 seconds)
Smartphone App
The Pod 3 smartphone app is compatible with Android 5.0+ and iOS 8+. The app can be used for multiple pets. Login details can be shared with friends and family in order to enable multiple users to simultaneously track the same pet via the Pod 3 app.
The app features 2 main screens, including the Pet screen and the Map screen. The Pet screen allows you to view details of your pets, their last known locations and location times, and their 24-hour location history. It further lets you manage safe zone, refresh rate, activity monitoring, and adventure recording settings. The Map screen allows you to manage your account settings, add new pets, view location information for your pets, refresh their locations manually, and access Pod Help.
Connectivity
Pod 3 uses GPS technology for outdoor tracking. It is WiFi and Bluetooth enabled for tracking indoors. It uses 2G and 3G cellular networks to transfer location information to the pet guardian's smartphone.
Coverage
Pod 3 works in 175+ countries on 6 continents
Pricing
Device: $89 Service Plan: $8.95 per month with the monthly subscription; $4.95 with the yearly subscription.
Shipping and Delivery
Pod 3 comes with free shipping for deliveries to the US, the UK, and Australia. For other countries, there is a shipping fee of up to $15.35.
Refund Policy
Pod 3 comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can return the device within 30 days and get a full refund if it is saleable or faulty. If the device is not in a saleable condition, there is a $25 fee. If the device is broken or lost, you do not get a refund but you do get a 50% discount on a new Pod 3.
Warranty
Pod 3 comes with a 12-month warranty. The warranty covers malfunctions that are not caused by improper use.
Compare Ratings
Compare User Reviews
- Submitted By Tim Grady on 11/20/2019I’ve noticed that it doesn’t work very good once it’s not within our home’s wifi zone. Sometimes we go camping and there’s almost no cell reception there so we have problems receiving any data at all. But when we are at home the thing works perfectly. It’s fast and accurate and charge it one a week. Once Stella ran away from my daughter when she saw the neighbours can and my daughter didn’t manage to come home and tell us that for about 5 minutes but I already knew since I got notified and we found stella exactly where the app pinpointed the location within a few minutes standing under the tree, barking at the cat.
- Submitted By Marsha Jones on 06/20/2019Tracy used to wander away from our yard and end up in our neighbour’s yard playing with their dog so to be able to track her down and immediately get notified when she escapes is what matters the most. With whistle I can set up a perimiter where she’s allowed to go and get notified once she leaves that space. It saves me lots of time and worrying when she leaves the yard and when I’m not home I just text the resto of the family where to pick her up.
- Submitted By Jenna Simmons on 05/07/2019I love that this app works as any other activity app I use. You simply download it to your phone and use it like any other where you get to see the history and set up goals once you enter your dog’s information. I share Donna’s activity date with my husband so we can know how much exercise she has that day and dont overdo it.
- Submitted By Patric Small on 04/05/2019This was my tracker of choice because it functions as both tracker and activity monitor. As a family we are passionate hikers so being able to track our Tom’s vitals is very important to us especially since he’s an older dog. The thing I also like is that you have constant coverage because is connected with you phone all you need to do is download the app. You can connect through bluetooth and use your home’s wifi. The cell network is AT&T and if you don’t have wifi you can track your dog as long as the area is covered by the network. And when the signal is strong the coverage precision is really good. We didn’t go anywhere so far were the signal isn’t strong so I don’t know how it works in those places.
- Submitted By Inara Mayers on 12/08/2019I apreciate that don’t have to be a rocket scientist to be able to operate this device. The app is quite self-explanatory. You have a map screen that shows you where your dog has been and the other screen shows his movement history and it also covers your pets safe zone which it shouldn’t enter but if it does you can keep track of where he’s going. You can also watch tutorials that explain how to use the app and what it has to offer. The app allows you to add other pets. I can also sent everything I see to my husband and sister so we can all be in the loop which I know sounds crazy but Stella is our baby and we need to take care of her the best we can.
- Submitted By Stacy Waller on 11/30/2019Jill is the type of dog that is restless and keeps bumping into things. And she likes to play with other dogs that usually turns into a full blown wrestling match so it’s safe to say that she needs high quality equipment if you don’t intend to buy new stuff every few days. This tracker turned out to be completely Jill-proof which means bite proof, rock-proof, water-proof and any other type of proof Jill needs. You would not believe how many leashes and trackers she chewed through or broke or they just fell off at some point so having this tracker as long as we do is nothing short of a miracle.
- Submitted By Vivek Scott on 11/17/2019I feel Burton is covered in every which way possible. The tracker has a bluetooth, wifi and gps and cell connection. I was really happy when I read that. When I’m at home, the tracker is connected to the wifi, outside it has gps or you can connect on bluetooth is he doesn’t go far. Cell connection is not tied to the specific provider which is really a good thing and you can keep track of everything on the app you can download on your phone. I let Burton wander around not worrying for a second that he might get lost somewhere I never been before.
- Submitted By Faye Short on 11/02/2019I opted on this tracker because I can connect through almost everything but I was a bit worried because of the shape it seemed big and I didn’t know if it would make problems since my dogs likes to move around a lot and sleep under the bed and in other not easy to reach areas. It has been two months now and the tracker is still in place. I didn’t notice anything different in Mikes routine. He keeps doing what he does without any problems I think. I managed to strap it firmly and it still holds the same and I think it is due to the fact that it is really light even though it is shaped funny.
Winner
Whistle is a GPS tracking solution for dogs and cats that provides easy and accurate location tracking as well as comprehensive activity monitoring. It is feature-rich, has a good battery life, and works anywhere within AT&T cellular coverage. Read our objective Whistle review for a full overview of this pet tracker’s key characteristics.