AirTag is the first name that pops into the mind of most people when they think of Object trackers. It isn’t, however, the only tracker on the market; Tile and Samsung also make object trackers, which are quite popular.

In fact, Tile’s been making trackers for years. And unlike the other two brands, it’s got multiple options—at different price points—to serve the needs of a larger audience.

However, despite these many options, object trackers still aren’t for everyone because of their price tag, especially in India. That is, until now, as Jio, a popular carrier in India, has announced an Affordable Object Tracker called Jiotag, for a fraction of the cost of other object trackers.

Here’s everything you need to know about this affordable object tracker from Jio.

What Is a JioTag?

JioTag is an affordable object tracker from Jio that enables you to find and locate your misplaced or lost objects. It’s a tiny, pocketable device—similar to most object trackers—that you can attach to any object, like keys or a wallet, to locate them when they go missing.

Additionally, you can also use the JioTag to locate your phone. Simply double-tap the linked JioTag, and it’ll ring your phone—even if it’s on silent—so you can easily locate it.

JioTag Specifications

• Connectivity: Bluetooth v5.1
• Range: Up to 20 meters (indoors); up to 50 meters (outdoors) with a direct line of sight
• Dimensions: 3.82×3.82×0.72 cm
• Weight: 9.5g
• Battery: CR2032 (Replaceable)
• Battery Life: Up to 1 year
• Color: White
• Companion App: JioThings
• Accessories: Lanyard cable to attach JioTag to your belongings, like keys, bags, etc.

How Does the JioTag Work?

JioTag uses Bluetooth 5.1 for connectivity and requires the JioThings app. It first needs you to pair the JioTag with your smartphone over Bluetooth, after which you can attach the tag to your forgettable items (or place it inside items like bags, etc.).

Then, if you accidentally leave behind the object at a place, the tracker will send you an alert on your linked phone alerting you of the same. In case you miss this notification, you can open find the last disconnection location of your item in the JioThings app and go there to collect it.

Furthermore, if you still can’t find the JioTagged item at the last disconnection location, the JioThings app lets you mark your JioTag as lost. Doing so will bring the Jio Community into play, which will help you search and report back the location of your lost JioTagged belonging.

What Are the Key Features of the Jio Tag?

JioTag packs the following features:

• Phone Locator: Allows you to locate your linked smartphone—by double-tapping the JioTag—when you accidentally leave it behind
• Disconnection Alerts: Sends a notification to your phone to alert you when you leave a JioTagged item behind
• Disconnection Location: Shows you the location of the last disconnection location of the item on the JioThings app
• Jio Community Find: Lets you mark the JioTag as lost when you can’t find it at all so that the community can search and report back your lost JioTagged object
• Replaceable Battery: When the battery on your JioTag dies, you can easily replace it yourself with the extra battery that comes bundled in the box
• JioThings App: Companion app, available on Android and iPhone, that works in conjunction with the JioTag to give you all the tracking capabilities

What’s JioTag Price in India?

Jio originally priced the JioTag at Rs 2,199 (USD 9) in India. However, it’s offering it at a discounted price of just Rs 749 for a limited time. And at this price, the JioTag seems like a solid deal, given the features it packs; of course, how well it performs remains to be seen.

How Does the JioTag Compare With the Apple AirTag?

Does this make JioTag a compelling AirTag alternative? Well, Apple’s AirTag costs Rs 3,490 (USD 42) in India, which is significantly more than JioTag’s official and discounted prices. However, the AirTag has some significant changes when compared to the JioTag.

1. Both AirTag and JioTag feature very different designs. The JioTag has a square-ish design, which is kind of similar to the Tile’s Mate tracker. On the other hand, Apple’s AirTag is circular and has a significantly smaller form factor, which makes it a little more pocketable.
2. The JioTag weighs lighter—at just 9.5g—compared to AirTag, which comes in at 11g.
3. Apple’s AirTag is water and dust resistant with an IP67 rating. On the other hand, there’s no word about the protection available on the JioTag.
4. When it comes to tracking range, both trackers offer a different range. While Jio claims the JioTag can track items up to 20 meters far indoors and 50 meters far outdoors, Apple doesn’t give a number for its AirTag’s range. However, the AirTag relies on a network of iPhones—in addition to Bluetooth—which means it can track objects that are further than the JioTag.
5. Talking about tracking capabilities, the AirTag takes advantage of the U1 chip present inside it and on newer iPhone models for tracking. This allows it to determine the distance and direction of the lost AirTag more accurately and hence lets you find misplaced/lost objects much faster.
6. The AirTag has a built-in NFC chip inside, which makes it more versatile and enables you to automate actions using the Shortcuts app. You don’t get NFC support on the JioTag.
7. Apple has a strong stance on data privacy, and it reflects in its practices across all its products. In the case of AirTag, the company uses end-to-end encryption to keep users’ location information (and other related data) private and secure. Jio hasn’t shared how it plans to protect its users’ data on the JioTag.

How to Buy JioTag?

The JioTag is available for purchase on Jio.com. As we mentioned earlier, it’s currently available for Rs 749, so if you’re interested in the device, it’s perhaps best to buy it now.