MWC 2023 | OPPO Zero-Power Tag first prototype gadget with new communication technology
A prototype of the OPPO Zero-Power Tag is being shown at MWC 2023. The tracking device is similar to an Apple AirTag, or the more recently released eufy Security SmartTrack card. The gadget is the first from OPPO to be based on the company's Zero-power Communication Technology, which it detailed in a white paper earlier this year.
The technology uses RF signal harvesting and backscattering to power itself with a computer requiring little energy, negating the need for a battery. OPPO suggests that this communication method could benefit a wide range of IoT gadgets. Alongside location tracking, you can also use the Zero-Power Tag to measure temperatures and humidity thanks to integrated sensors powered by RF energy harvested from the device's surroundings, such as TV and radio towers. The data collected would be viewable in an accompanying app.
OPPO has also suggested that the gadget could be used to track the migration of endangered birds. The company hopes that its new technology will help reduce the number of batteries that end up in landfills each year. In its current form, the tag is slim and rectangular with a plastic casing in black or white. OPPO has suggested that it may eventually become a sticker to make it easy to attach to the things you wish to track. It is unclear when the OPPO Zero-Power Tag will go on sale or how much it will cost.