Thursday Samsung announced plans to launch an enhanced version of its Galaxy SmartTag smart trackers, aptly named SmartTag +, globally on April 16, with a US rollout expected sometime “in the coming weeks”.
These smart trackers attach to your keys, wallet, or whatever you often misplace so you can track them down through an app. The design was first popularized by Tile a few years ago, and while there are rumors long circulated about Apple developing a similar device, allegedly the Apple AirTag, Samsung beat them to the punch with the announcement of its Bluetooth-powered Galaxy SmartTag in January. At the time, Samsung teased that a version powered by ultra-wideband technology, one of the latest buzzwords in consumer technology, could be on the horizon. And now we finally have a release date.
Per a Samsung press release, the SmartTag + will support both UWB and Bluetooth Low Energy, a variant of traditional Bluetooth that does not consume as much battery power and is already included in the original SmartTag. The SmartTag + is slightly more expensive than its predecessor at $ 39.99, compared to the SmartTag’s $ 29.99 price tag.
In addition to being able to locate more accurately your lost items, the enhanced spatial awareness functionality provided by the SmartTag + ‘UWB technology means it can use augmented reality to visually guide users to lost tokens using their smartphone camera if they have a UWB-equipped smartphone. You can also choose to have the tracker sound with a ringtone as you get closer to the location, or have other users join your search through a feature similar to the Community find network announced for Tile’s upcoming UWB-powered tracker. However, your location data remains protected, Samsung said Thursday:
“All data in SmartThings Find is encrypted and protected, so the location of the tag is only revealed to you.”
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You can see an example of how the AR function for the SmartTag + works in the image below. (It kind of reminds me of that bit in Toy Story where the Mrs. Potato Head loses an eye under the sofa, but since it’s detachable and all, she can still see through it).
As with Bluetooth, UWB technology allows devices to talk to each other within a certain range, but what sets it apart is its superior ability to locate exact locations and broadcast data with minimal interference. It does this by transmitting data on a wider frequency than “narrowband” wireless technology, with the disadvantage that it suffers from a shorter overall range. The technology has has been around for decades, but it’s only recently that UWB chips have become cheap and small enough for companies to cram them into smartphones and other consumer gadgets.
This year promises to be a great year for UWB with both Tile and apple reportedly working on UWB powered trackers.