Bluetooth tracking tags have become extremely ubiquitous. While some of us have had a Tile tracker for years, many more people will be aware of Apple's AirTags because of the iPhone network effect and/or the stalking incidents it has enabled (primarily because of said iPhone network effect). You may not have realized that Samsung has its own line of so-called Galaxy SmartTags that were announced right before the AirTags in 2021. You probably won't have realized until now that the company is set to produce a follow-up.
The Galaxy SmartTag 2 has been floating around in the news since early last year. It looks like we're nearing launch since Samsung lodged a product listing in the Bluetooth Special Interest Group's Launch Studio database on June 30, 2023.
While the tags didn't surface during July's Unpacked event featuring the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Fold 5, they were spotted again in the United States. Specifically speaking, we're talking about a submission (with photos!) to the FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology (via MySmartPrice).
Documents confirm that the new SmartTag 2 will support Bluetooth 5.3 (up from the SmartTag's 5.1) and Ultra Wideband (UWB) connectivity for improved precision tracking. This connectivity was only available on the Galaxy SmartTag+, which debuted three months after the Bluetooth-only originals, and for $10 more. Its inclusion here may signal a lower price for this once-premium radio set.
Otherwise, we expect this tag, which has a larger clipping hole that would befit a lanyard rather than a keychain, to behave similarly to an AirTag and, in reality, much more like its predecessor. That means pinging its location to the tag owner anytime it's within reach of a Galaxy brand device.
Android Police has reported on some of the new features we could see in a SmartTags 2, including enhanced protections against stalkers, or at least, the dastardly people sticking SmartTags into the wheel wells of cars or the purses of the unwitting. They could also feature a louder beeper that will make it easier to find and integrate into the SmartThings platform with the ability to control smart home appliances.
There's also the notion that Samsung's work on a second-gen SmartTag product or products is partly motivated by the desire to compete against Google. That company is also said to be working on its own wireless tracker tags, but that trail has gone cold since the I/O conference in May. Google may be gearing up for a head-to-head launch window or have abandoned the project. We do know developers have been working to make Find My Device work with devices that have been powered off. It would be especially handy since Find My Device works across the Android ecosystem, not just within Samsung's bubble.
The SmartTag 2 has been rumoured for an announcement this quarter, so we'll keep our eyes peeled through the end of September for a drop. Hopefully, these tipped features are real because it sounds like a device that could go head-to-head with the AirTags for tracking.