Imagine a world where technology doesn't force you to choose a camp. Where you don't need a sinfully expensive leather case for your keychain. The Xiaomi Tag is exactly that. A small piece of plastic that quietly and elegantly solves the biggest follies of the smart tracker industry. Finally, something that simply works.
Smart trackers. Small tiles that have become a must-have for every distracted individual in recent years. Apple sold us the AirTag and with it the brilliant idea of creating the ultimate search network with a billion iPhones around the world. But Apple, being Apple, of course, made the tracker completely smooth and without a hole for a pendant so that it could then sell you a piece of silicone or leather for three times the price of the tracker itself. Meanwhile, the Android camp was drowning in the confusion of hundreds of different, half-working apps. Then it entered the scene Xiaomi Tag.
A design that finally uses common sense
Looking at the specifications, it seems like Xiaomi simply took a list of complaints from AirTag users and ticked off every single one. First, the design. The Xiaomi Tag measures an extremely compact 46.5 x 31 x 7.2 mm and weighs a mere 10 grams. But what really counts is the built-in hole. You can simply clip the tracker to your key ring or backpack zipper. No extras. Pure common sense triumphs over greed.
Performance and battery: Forget cables and chargers
Of course, we can't talk about ultimate speed or processor power with a smart tracker. Its only job is to save your day and prevent panic when you're frantically searching for your keys five minutes before leaving for the airport. If you had to measure its "speed," it's exactly the same as the speed of the object it's attached to - be it your bag in the back of a taxi or a lost suitcase on an airport conveyor belt.
More importantly, how this thing is powered is important. We live in a world where we've become slaves to power outlets and have to charge our phones, smartwatches, and even headphones every night. So it's a real relief that the Xiaomi Tag doesn't need another extra cable.
It is powered by a completely ordinary, flat button battery (model CR2032 with a capacity of about 225 mAh), which you can buy for a euro or two in any store. And the “charging speed”? It takes exactly ten seconds. You take a coin, open the plastic cover on the back, replace the battery and the matter is solved. With a single battery, the tracker will work for about a year. This is simplicity that we desperately need in today’s complex technological world.
Compatibility of two worlds and what is missing
What really sets the Xiaomi Tag apart from the competition, however, is its software and compatibility. It supports both networks Google Android Find Hub (for devices with Android 9 or later) as well as the network Apple Find My (For iPhone and iPad with iOS 14.5 or iPadOS 14.5 or later.) During initial setup, simply select your ecosystem and your device is ready to hunt.
Connectivity is via Bluetooth 5.4, and there's also a built-in NFC module. If your lost item is found by an honest finder, they can simply hold it up to their smartphone and instantly read your contact information in "Lost Mode." The housing is of course IP67-rated, meaning it can survive immersion in water, dust, and occasional wading in mud without any major problems.
Of course, to keep the price low, Xiaomi's engineers had to make some sacrifices. The global version we got in Europe doesn't have an Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip built in. This simply means that you won't have that fun arrow on your phone's screen that would guide you to the keys hidden under the couch cushion with pinpoint accuracy. Instead, you'll have to rely on the old-fashioned but loud sound of the built-in piezoelectric speaker, which will beep until you find what you're looking for.
To summarize the opinions of many technology enthusiasts and add my personal, somewhat cynical, but always pragmatic view: the Xiaomi Tag is the product that Apple should have launched in the first place if it weren't so obsessed with absurd margins on its accessories. I paid 16 euros for each piece. or 50 euros for a pack of four, buying this little plastic tile is an absolute win.