AirTag is a product we’ve been waiting for since September 2019. Months of rumors have placed these little trackers in new ad pools, to debut alongside the iPhone 11. The accumulation of official and unofficial evidence has taken it for granted.
And yet, they never came. This month’s opening speech was oddly short, leaving the feeling that Apple had decided to keep something at the last minute. From then until now, the trickle of evidence and rumors about its impending launch has been constant, never materializing.
Now we see how Samsung launched its own vision under the name Galaxy SmartTag. A product that marks with a check all the features expected on the AirTag.
Samsung Galaxy SmartTag: getting ahead of a non-existent product
The Galaxy SmartTag is a small accessory that follows in the wake inaugurated by Tile and that we tested a long time ago in Applesfera in one of its most refined versions. Until Samsung’s proposal, there was no tech giant that invented its own. To see what it consists of, it is convenient to have this small accessory on the table. The Galaxy SmartTag has the following features:
- Compact 40mm side design.
- Bluetooth 5.0, UWB connection on the SmartTag +.
- CR2032 battery with 280 days of autonomy.
- IP53 resistance, dust and water mist.
The price of the basic version is 35 dollars, the higher version which integrates UWB is unknown. They have a hole to put it on a keychain or other items. They are made of plastic and have a button that rings the phone to which they are linked.
It integrates with the Samsung SmartThings app and the range is approximately 120 meters. There is an application that allows you to create a network that will amplify the reach
AirTag, the locator that has never seen the light
Criticizing a product that does not officially exist and that the company has never said anything about is a little strange. But the evidence found is so numerous and so abundant, that we can almost take it for real. As of September 2019, there were at least two instances in iOS 13 (here and here) where AirTag functions were detailed.
The U1 chip has hardly found use in the iPhone 11 and 12 of which it is composed, which implies that its true usefulness is not yet known.
In recent weeks, we have also seen more leaks. In the first, the supposed video that shows the animation on the iPhone during pairing. And in the second, a section where the option to add objects is displayed in Search. Rumors are so strong that even Tile accused Apple of monopoly practices in iOS 13.
Augmented reality to locate it, spherical shape, U1 chip to locate it in UWB, use of the extended search network, accessories, etc. All of this has already materialized in the Samsung SmartTag, ahead of Apple with all the ideas that have circulated over the past two years. One thing Apple has been ahead of is opening its research network to other companies, which could end Tile’s claims.
We are not aware of Apple’s intentions regarding its locator. The company has never given a clear indication of its willingness to launch a similar product. Although what we do know is that since the rumors started in 2019 until now, the panorama has changed. And now Samsung already has its own, yes, real product on the market.
