Chinese IoT firm Minew and California-based wireless connectivity SoC company InPlay have developed two Bluetooth LE tag products for asset tracking.

The T3 and i6 disposable tags use InPlay’s NanoBeacon technology and Minew’s expertise in IoT. They are designed to balance affordability with dependable performance.

With a $1 price tag, their impact on the RTLS (real-time location systems) and active RFID markets is expected to allow more companies to adopt this technology to streamline their processes and drive greater efficiency.

Minew and InPlay say they have combined their decades of experience and expertise to deliver a product that is both affordable and high quality.

“We are beyond excited to partner with InPlay on this ground-breaking project,” said Johnson Zhang, co-founder of Minew. “Their NanoBeacon technology is truly remarkable, and we have no doubt that the $1 Bluetooth LE tag will disrupt the IoT industry. We can’t wait to see the impact it will have.”

The T3 tag broadcasts standard iBeacon data at regular intervals. It features a transmission distance of up to 100m. Its dimensions are 31.1 by 30 by 5.5mm, and it has a keychain hole design for wearing on a keychain or lanyard.

The i6 tag is 3.5mm thick, with the same transmission distance of 100m. Its 36.5 by 23.5 by 3.5mm size allows for easy attachment to assets using double-sided tape.

These products are for real-time location tracking and traceability.

“InPlay is honoured to collaborate with Minew on this transformative project,” said Jason Wu, CEO of InPlay. “Combining our innovative technology with Minew’s expertise in the IoT industry has resulted in a product that exceeds expectations. The $1 Bluetooth LE tag is poised to revolutionise the market, and we can’t wait to see customers’ reactions.”

Minew is a turnkey supplier providing complete customised IoT from concepts and ideas to physical products. Its wireless products and technologies include Bluetooth LE, Bluetooth mesh, AoA, RTLS, RFID, GPS, UWB, LTE Cat-M1 and NB-IoT.

InPlay is a fabless semiconductor company whose mission is to provide scalable, low-latency, low-power wireless communications technologies that unlock the potential of the VR, AR, healthcare and wireless industrial IoT markets. The company was founded by a group of wireless engineers experienced in wireless and mobile communication systems with technologies in RF, analogue mixed-signal circuits and low-power circuit design. It has a research and development team in Irvine, California, with operations and business development in the USA and China.