Samsung has announced launch details for the Galaxy SmartTag Plus, a more advanced version of the SmartTag it revealed alongside the Galaxy S21 series earlier this year.
The SmartTag Plus offers both Bluetooth and Ultra Wideband technology in order to provide a pin point accurate location for the item you’re attempting to track. For the added convenience, you’ll pay an extra £10 atop the asking price for the standard £30 SmartTag.
Such is the effectiveness of the UWB tech, users will be able to use AR on their smartphones and be guided to within inches of the tag. Basically, it’s makes finding a lost item more like playing ‘pin the tail on the donkey’ without the blindfold.
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In order to make use of the UWB chip within the SmartTag Plus, you’ll need a phone boasting the tech also. The new Galaxy S21 Plus or Galaxy S21 Ultra or last year’s Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. If you don’t have one yet, you’ll still be able to use Bluetooth Low Energy to locate the tag.
There’s also Samsung’s Offline Finding tech, which leverages the massive network of Galaxy devices, while ensuring all data is encrypted and only visible to you.
In a newsroom post, the company says: “SmartThings Find users can choose to opt in via the SmartThings app and enable their Galaxy smartphone or tablet to help others find their own lost tags or devices. Once you report your tag as missing in SmartThings Find, any nearby Galaxy device that has opted in will alert the SmartThings server about its location and you will receive a notification.”
The Galaxy SmartTag Plus can also be used as a remote light switch for smart home tech after some configuration with the SmartThings app. The SmartTag Plus will be available from April 16, with availability extending to the UK in the composing months.
Samsung’s product has beaten Apple’s AirTags to the punch, as Apple continues to drag its heels over the launch of the Tile Tracker rivals.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
