Samsung recently came up with Bluetooth-enabled item detectors called SmartTags, beating Apple’s rugged AirTags to market. With AirTags yet to launch later this year, we thought we should take a look at Samsung’s SmartTags to see exactly what Apple will be competing with.
There are already several Bluetooth-enabled item tracking options on the market, the most popular being Tile, and Samsung’s SmartTags are similar in both design and functionality to Tile’s offerings. The SmartTags are square shaped with a small cut at the top where a link can be attached, allowing them to be attached to a range of items.
AirTags are likely to be similar, but rumors suggest that they will have a rounded design and use multiple retainers instead of having a connection space.
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SmartTags are designed exclusively to work with Galaxy devices for tracking purposes, and connecting and setting up is a fairly simple process. When the installation is complete, the SmartTags will appear in the SmartThings app from Samsung for tracking purposes.
In the SmartThings app, there’s a map where you can see the physical location of the tag (and the object to which it’s attached), and you can make it play chime if the object is nearby. For lost items further afield, Samsung has a “Galaxy Find Network” population tracking feature that allows other Galaxy devices to provide lost tags to provide a better chance of locating a lost device.
Tile has the same kind of population tracking network, and Apple will also have AirTags. AirTags will be tracked through the Find My app along with your Apple devices, and Apple in iOS 13 introduced the Find My feature that allows lost devices to be found even without a cell connection by ‘reduction of tools owned by others. This functionality is likely to be available for the AirTags, and with so many Apple devices out there, it will be easier to find something that is missing.
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SmartTags are Bluetooth-based and require a device to connect using Bluetooth to track their location. AirTags also works over Bluetooth, but AirTags is expected to have an edge over the SmartTags as Apple is expected to take advantage of Ultra Wideband technology, which recently uses the U1 chip in iPhones to set up and allow a more detailed search.
The SmartTag has a small tap that can be tapped to play audio on the phone, so if you lose your phone but have SmartTag nearby, it will help you find your lost device.
One neat SmartTag perk includes smart home control. The button on the SmartTag can be customized to control smart home devices through various long and short button presses. That’s not something that’s rumored for the AirTags, but it’s possible we’d see Apple using positioning capability to interact with HomeKit devices through automations.
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SmartTags use a traditional replacement CR2032 battery, and it’s not yet clear what battery solution Apple will have. There have been rumors that Apple will be using rechargeable batteries and rechargeable battery rumors, so we will have to wait to see what Apple implements.
We’ve been waiting for the AirTags for a long time now, but several rumors have suggested that 2021 will be the year we see our last release, so there’s a chance we may not have to wait too long time to see Apple’s solution.
Priced wisely, Samsung is charging $ 30 for the SmartTags, which are competitive with other offerings on the market. It’s possible that Apple will also be aiming for that general price point, but we don’t really have a word on what AirTags will cost.
SmartTags are useful for those who own Galaxy devices, but don’t have much of an edge over existing trackers from companies like Tile, so there’s little reason to build an Apple SmartTag user.