The Tags are getting close…
In mid-January we noted that Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) was publicizing its entry into the smart tracking market, an area that began to garner interest when Apple (AAPL) began including UWB (Ultra-wide band) as a way to precisely pinpoint the location of devices in the iPhone 11, leading fans to await (still waiting) the official release of ‘Air Tags’, Apple twist on using the technology to keep track of possessions or find lost ones. In the interim, a company called Tile (pvt) came out with such a device but uses Bluetooth which limits its accuracy, and then Samsung announced ‘SmartTags’ that would be the direct competitor to the Apple product, when it is released.
According to the original information from Samsung, you will be able to buy a ~1.5” device (.4” thick) that can be placed on any object that is easily lost.. Bluetooth is used to find items close by, but if the item is out of your Bluetooth range (like being in the grocery store parking lot) any Samsung Galaxy device (that has UWB) will ‘see’ the lost item and inform the ‘Galaxy Find Network’ which will tell you where the device is located. Once you are close by, you can precisely find the device with UWB on your own device, even when the other Galaxy devices are offline, all done anonymously, without any user intervention.
The tags that Samsung originally released were Bluetooth only, ($29.99) which sort of defeats the purpose of UWB, but we have seen the first indication that the UWB device will be released imminently given that B&H (pvt) is taking pre-orders ($39.99) with an expected delivery date of April 12 and the device appeared in FCC filings this week. While the Bluetooth can find tagged objects up to ~400 feet away, using a Samsung Galaxy phone (with UWB and app) allows finding objects that are out of range by accessing the ‘Galaxy Find’ network that is embedded in Samsung Galaxy phones, even if they are off.
This means that whenever a tagged lost object is I range of a Samsung phone (even if it is off), its location will be reported to the network. In order to make finding tagged objects easier, by using the phones camera when near the tagged lost object, the actual objects location will be overlaid on the camera’s image, giving you its exact location, even if it is under a pile of leaves or behind a couch pillow. With 5 month of (replaceable) battery life, the tags are an essential for those prone to losing things, or those that carry valuables. While it has its limitations because of its size, it can even be used for pets, although microchips are a better alternative.
According to the original information from Samsung, you will be able to buy a ~1.5” device (.4” thick) that can be placed on any object that is easily lost.. Bluetooth is used to find items close by, but if the item is out of your Bluetooth range (like being in the grocery store parking lot) any Samsung Galaxy device (that has UWB) will ‘see’ the lost item and inform the ‘Galaxy Find Network’ which will tell you where the device is located. Once you are close by, you can precisely find the device with UWB on your own device, even when the other Galaxy devices are offline, all done anonymously, without any user intervention.
The tags that Samsung originally released were Bluetooth only, ($29.99) which sort of defeats the purpose of UWB, but we have seen the first indication that the UWB device will be released imminently given that B&H (pvt) is taking pre-orders ($39.99) with an expected delivery date of April 12 and the device appeared in FCC filings this week. While the Bluetooth can find tagged objects up to ~400 feet away, using a Samsung Galaxy phone (with UWB and app) allows finding objects that are out of range by accessing the ‘Galaxy Find’ network that is embedded in Samsung Galaxy phones, even if they are off.
This means that whenever a tagged lost object is I range of a Samsung phone (even if it is off), its location will be reported to the network. In order to make finding tagged objects easier, by using the phones camera when near the tagged lost object, the actual objects location will be overlaid on the camera’s image, giving you its exact location, even if it is under a pile of leaves or behind a couch pillow. With 5 month of (replaceable) battery life, the tags are an essential for those prone to losing things, or those that carry valuables. While it has its limitations because of its size, it can even be used for pets, although microchips are a better alternative.
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