On the sidelines of the official presentation of the Galaxy S21, Samsung took advantage of the event to unveil a brand new product, the Galaxy SmartTag is a small connected tracker that will allow you to find your lost items, but also interact with the connected home.
Samsung has beaten Apple’s pawn in the race for connected tags. During its Galaxy Unpacked conference, alongside the Galaxy S21, Samsung took advantage of the event to unveil accessories.
In addition to Galaxy Buds and Buds Live, the Korean firm presented its Galaxy SmartTag, a connected tracker to more easily find your objects. Using the principle of Tile-type tags, the SmartTag is above all ahead of Apple’s AirTag, which is still long overdue. Because it will be based on the same principle.
FIND ANY OBJECT
The SmartTag comes in the form of a small square object with rounded corners and having a hole to pass a lanyard or any type of keychain-style fastener. It works with a flat 3V battery which can be replaced.
Attached to an object (keys, bag, backpack, wallet, animal, etc.), the Galaxy SmartTag will be connected to your smartphone via Bluetooth Low Energy and configured in the Samsung SmartThings Find the mobile application to be identified. Its announced range is 120 meters under ideal conditions between your smartphone and the tracker. This can be paired with any Android device.
From the app, you locate your object. A gauge appears on the screen to show you how far away you are from the object. Once close, you can ring the SmartTag to help you locate it.
Its location will be encrypted from end to end and permanently memorized. To be able to be found in the event of loss or theft, the SmartTag also relies on the pharaonic number of Samsung Galaxy smartphones in circulation to identify it by the signal bounce. The SmartThings Find feature then allows you to define your position and consult it from a device connected to the Samsung account.
And if you can no longer find your smartphone, a button positioned on the tracker allows you to locate the one to which it is attached by ringing it. It is also possible to share the location of the beacon with contacts defined upstream.
But the SmartTag can also be used as a connected remote control. It would then be possible to give a function to the button located on the beacon in order to stop your television set, start a device… However, little information has been given on this possibility.
The Galaxy SmartTag will be sold for $36.32 United States Dollar from January 29. It will be available in black and cream. And a beacon is offered for any pre-order of a Galaxy S21.
A MORE PRECISE SMART TAG MODEL TO COME
Samsung also revealed the existence of a SmartTag +. This will use the UWB (Ultra-wideband) connection, unlike the basic SmartTag which relies on Bluetooth Low Energy to connect. UWB connectivity is more precise and less power consuming, but it is only onboard the Galaxy Note20 Ultra, Galaxy S21+, and Galaxy S21 Ultra.
On the SmartThings Find the app, BLE beacons only give an estimate of their position while the UWB, with a series of short pulses between devices, will estimate a more accurate location.
