review with features, price and specifications

To the Apple AirTag One thing happens to them, and that is that you don’t miss them until you can’t use them. That’s just what happened to me a few years ago: after switching to Android, I had to abandon them. I could have continued using them with the iPad, yes, but they lost part of the fun because well, if I lose the backpack in which I carry the AirTag and the iPad, too bad.

So I started looking for alternatives. Samsung has its Galaxy SmartTagswhich you can only use (officially) with Samsung phones. Motorola has the Moto Tagwhich are worth 40 euros each; and Chipolo has the same Pop, 35 euros each. Then there are proposals of all colors and shapes on platforms like AliExpress that did not convince.

I have literally been thinking since Apple released its AirTags, “when Xiaomi arrives and releases theirs for 15 euros, I’m going to buy them a pallet.” That moment has arrived. We’ll see about buying the pallet, but a few weeks ago Xiaomi announced the Xiaomi Tag and server has already lost it (on purpose) a couple of times to test it and see how it goes. AND spoileris exactly what I was looking for.

Xiaomi Tag technical sheet

Simple, direct and to the point

Xiaomi has not heated its head with the design, and it is no wonder. After all, we will only see this product twice: when we take it out of the box and when we find it after losing it. The rest of the time it has to go unnoticed, be light, small and not bothersome. It does that perfectly. So, three aspects to highlight.

The first is that it has a physical button on the top that, when pressed, makes it sound. It will be good for us to know if the battery has run out, although the easiest way to find out the remaining battery level is from the Locator app, available in the Google Play Store.

The second is that, indeed, it sounds, and quite loudly I must add. If, like me, you often lose your keys at home, with the beep you can easily locate them.

The third is that it has a handle on the top that is great to put a keychain on and hang it wherever we want. I used to carry the AirTag in my wallet, but since I have the ID and driving license on mobile The wallet has passed away. So, for this review I have put it on a keychain along with some old keys that I had at home.

Like any device of this type, the Xiaomi Tag works with a CR2032 battery. In theory, the autonomy is up to a year, more or less. From my experience with the AirTag I can confirm that this is the case. In any case, you can find these batteries in any establishment, from a neighborhood hardware store to a supermarket, including Amazon.

How it works

Throughout the analysis I will talk about the experience on Android because that is where I have used it, but the Xiaomi Tag is also compatible with iOS. If you have an iPhone, you can use it without problem. You just have to know two things: you can’t use it with Apple and Google networks at the same timeor one or the other; and it doesn’t have UWB technology (ultra wide band).

One of the coolest things about AirTags is that, thanks to the Apple U1 chip and UWB technology, when you are close to the lost object it tells you the direction in which you should move to reach it. The Xiaomi Tag lacks this technology and they drink only from Bluetooth. Of course, the Bluetooth of all the Android phones in the world, and that’s where the fun is.

The operation of this network is quite simple:

• Imagine that you lose the keys in which you carry the Xiaomi Tag in the park.
• Your neighbor Juan, who has an Android phone, passes by your keys.
• Juan has not seen the keys, but his mobile phone, without Juan knowing it or having to do anything, has detected the Bluetooth Low Energy signal emitted by the Xiaomi Tag.
• Your mobile sends, after encryption, the location to the Google cloud.
• Google, through the Locator app, tells you this location and marks it on the map so you know where to find your keys.

The same thing works in motion. If you leave a backpack on the bus, all the Android phones of all the people who pass by it will detect the Xiaomi Tag and you will be able to see, almost in real time, where it is. As someone who had a suitcase with an AirTag inside lost by a certain airline at the Las Vegas airport, I can confirm that this information can be worth gold.

The limitation that these devices have is evident: there must be cell phones nearby. Luckily, in Spain Android is religion with a 70% market share. That is, if you lose the Xiaomi Tag, seven out of every ten mobile phones that pass by will be Android and, therefore, they will collaborate in your search in an anonymized way. Another thing is that you lose it in the middle of the mountain where no one passes by. In that case, you will only be able to see the last known location.

Here it is worth making a small aside: Android phones and Apple devices do not understand each other in this area. Android phones are not part of the Apple search network nor are iPhones part of the Android search network. In other words, if you connect the Xiaomi Tag to an Android mobile, only Android mobiles will help you. If you connect it to an iPhone, only iPhones will help you.

For the test I had to lose the keys. Since doing it on purpose is complicated, I opted for another solution: I went to a park, disconnected the Bluetooth from my phone, threw the keys as hard as I could without looking where they fell, and walked away. The idea was that the Xiaomi Tag would lose the connection with my mobile and try to find it. And I did, of course.

Being far enough away, I reconnected the Bluetooth. In the Locator app you can see the last known location, which in my case was the place where I had launched it. Logic would tell me that the tracker should be in the area, so I turned on the Bluetooth and started walking around. At one point, the cell phone detected the locator and I was able to start searching for it. The location shown on the app was very accurate, by the way.

Unlike the AirTag, which shows with a small arrow the direction in which you should move, the Xiaomi Tag, which is not compatible with UWB, is based on proximity. From your mobile you can see how far or close you are from the locator. As if it were a game of hot or cold, you have to move and get as close as you can depending on what your phone indicates. When you are close enough, your thing is to make it sound.

In the event that I had dropped my keys on the street or had left them somewhere, the rest of the Android phones would be in charge of finding it for me and telling me the location. Regarding someone being able to track your location with the Xiaomi Tag, the reality is that your mobile should detect that you have a locator on you and will notify you.

Another aspect worth highlighting is that you can share the locator with other people. If you carry the Xiaomi Tag on your car keys, you can share it with your partner so that he or she can find them if they lose them. Very useful, especially for those types of objects that tend to change hands frequently.

Xiaomi Tag, Xataka’s opinion

Although the performance of the AirTag is superior, especially over short distances, the Xiaomi Tag is just as competent and much more versatile. Unless you really value the UWB connectivity of the AirTag, which I would understand perfectly, the truth is that the Xiaomi Tag fulfills the same function on both iOS and Android. It works well, it’s simple and, if that weren’t enough, it’s cheap.

By 15 eurosit seems like a bargain to me and I don’t rule out buying a pack of four sooner rather than later. This pack costs 50 euros and it is a great idea to put one in your suitcase, another in your backpack and a couple in your house and car keys, for example.

Featured image | Xataka

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This device has been provided for testing by Xiaomi. You can consult how we do reviews in Xataka and our relations policy with companies.