Not necessarily, and it is still a good idea to conduct due diligence and proper research before investing in Gen 2 products. Gen 2 is a flexible standard that can be implemented many ways by different vendors. With dozens of variations of Gen 2-compliant tags and hundreds more likely on the horizon, chips may vary in memory size, programming speed, and other characteristics. In addition, different antenna designs can perform better or worse when distance or orientation to interrogators is changed. Also consider that the amount of power the printer/encoder requires to write data to the RFID chip is a complex function of the inlay's chip type, antenna design, and antenna size.

Users may need to use different tag designs to provide optimal read performance on a variety of items. Each set of tags may require different encoding power levels, making it important for printer/encoder settings to be changed easily without requiring extensive IT support or reprogramming. It is very wise to thoroughly test Gen 2 media to ensure tags selected truly support a given application. Consult experienced solution providers, like Zebra, to ensure the proper smart label media is compatible with your printer/encoder and optimized for your application.