SmartTag – playing tag

Samsung Electronics recently launched its Galaxy SmartTag+. I however got to play with their SmartTag for few weeks and thought I should write a bit about the SmartTag+ tech.

Basically the Galaxy SmartTag+ has both Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and ultra-wideband (UWB) technologies to determine the location of whatever you’ve tagged with precision. It also use augmented reality (AR) technology to visually guide you to the location of your missing item using your smartphone.

Find your items

Simply put, the Galaxy SmartTag+, Samsung’s newest generation of the Galaxy SmartTag, can be attached to ordinary items like a bag or keychain or, as Samsung likes to keep mentioning a pet, and tracked down using the SmartThings Find service on a Galaxy device.

The AR Finder uses an easy-to-use interface on your UWB-enabled smartphone, the Galaxy S21+ or S21 Ultra, to show you how far away your Galaxy SmartTag+ is and point you in the right direction.

And, when you get closer to the tag’s location, bing! it makes noise, depending on what sound you’ve selected. There is a whole list of alert sounds to choose from.

“UWB is a true game changer, making it possible to lock onto the position of an object with much greater precision,” according to KJ Kim, EVP and head of Mobile R&D Office, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “That’s why we’re continuing to expand UWB throughout the Galaxy ecosystem, finding new ways to leverage this technology to help make people’s everyday lives easier and more convenient.”

Pinpoint your tag’s location

The Galaxy SmartTag+ can also use SmartThings Find’s sophisticated detecting skills to identify tagged items on a map, even if they’re far away.

SmartThings users can enable their Galaxy smartphone or tablet to assist other users to find their own missing tags or devices by opting in via the SmartThings app. So by opting in to SmartThings Find, users can help others find their lost tags and devices. When you report your tag as missing in SmartThings Find, any nearby Galaxy device that has opted in will send a location alert to the SmartThings server, and you will be notified.

What’s even better though is that the position of the tag isn’t shown to anyone else but you because all data in SmartThings Find is encrypted and safe!

But wait… there’s more!

Furthermore, Galaxy SmartTag+ and SmartTag are useful for more than just tracking down misplaced items. Have you forgotten to turn off your lights and you’re already out of the house? You can turn off the light with your SmartTag+ or SmartTag instead of running back home.

When you press or hold down the tag button on the SmartThings app, you can choose which functions you want your tag to perform. Voila! Of course, you have to own a Galaxy smartphone or tablet to be able to use the SmartTag.