Samsung has announced the Galaxy SmartTag and SmartTag Plus item trackers, the new rivals to Tile and the forthcoming Apple AirTags.
Announced alongside the Galaxy S21 smartphone range at Samsung Unpacked, the rather chubby trackers can be easily attached to your keys, luggage or anything else that can be easily lost or misplaced.
The SmartTags connect to the SmartThings Find app, which uses Bluetooth and ultra wideband (UWB) tech to track down lost Galaxy devices. If the item is out of range, Samsung says it’ll leverage other Galaxy devices in the network to see if they can provide an approximate location.
The standard SmartTags support Bluetooth connection on the Galaxy S21 5G, while the forthcoming SmartTag Plus will use the more accurate UWB tech build into top-end Samsung phones like the Galaxy S21 Plus 5G, Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G and the existing Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.
The standard SmartTag won’t give you a precise location, but the sound emanating from the tracker should be enough to get you close enough, as it does with Tile. The UWB tech within the SmartTag Plus will get you within inches of your misplaced item and enables an AR feature within the app that’ll show you exactly where it is.
As thus, the two trackers are priced differently. When they go on sale in the US, the Galaxy SmartTag will cost $29.99 each, $49.99 for a pair or $84.99 for a four pack. They’ll be available in pink, teal, grey and black.
The SmartTag Plus is $39.99 each or $64.99 a pair and Samsung showed us grey and blue offerings during the Unpacked event. So far, only a single Galaxy SmartTag is listed on the UK website, available to pre-order for £29.99.
Samsung is giving away a Smart Tag (presumably the basic Bluetooth one) along with Galaxy S21 pre-orders, along with either a pair of the new Galaxy Buds Pro or the existing Galaxy Buds Live bean-shaped true wireless buds.
The announcement comes with Apple preparing to reveal its own AirTags item trackers and as Tile reportedly plots upgraded trackers with UWB at the heart.
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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.
