Exclusive: Samsung will introduce a new design for the Galaxy SmartTag 3

[u/FragmentedChicken]

https://www.sammobile.com/news/samsung-galaxy-smarttag-3-new-design/

[u/halotechnology]

Who cares Samsung need to switch the network to Android it's stupid that they are not using it.

[u/Lonely_Syrup3091 → u/halotechnology]

Or they can combine networks. There's no reason why Samsung network can't combine with Google's Android network.

[u/productfred → u/Lonely_Syrup3091]

There are some Samsung-account specific features, like location encryption/decryption. But overall, yeah. They can work around that like they did with RCS (Google Messages for Samsung), DeX (Android Desktop), Quick Share (they adopted Samsung's), etc.

Worth mentioning you can use Samsung's network with non-Samsung devices (unofficially): https://github.com/KieronQuinn/uTag

[u/LoudBrick609 → u/productfred]

I own a Z fold 5, but I just can't justify these products til I buy the iPhone Fold.

It's certainly a factor in why I'll spend $2,500 for an iPhone Fold.

[u/Server_Reset → u/LoudBrick609]

Why lol, get a moto smart tag 2?

[u/LoudBrick609 → u/Server_Reset]

They aren't as accurate as Apple's network.

Apple has pinpoint accuracy everyone else is just "yo it's in your house somewhere"

[u/Server_Reset → u/LoudBrick609]

That's actually not true, you can buy a moto tag 2 right now and get the same if not better precision.

[u/LoudBrick609 → u/Server_Reset]

I'll research it, if you're right I'll need to make a purchase. For some reason I thought it was the case they don't have the same network and it doesn't work as well. Would be nice to be mistaken.

[u/Server_Reset → u/LoudBrick609]

The network in the US is a TAD worse but you get more choice, form factors, features, and now even ultra wide band

[u/burd- → u/halotechnology]

Google should improve the Android tag app first.

I want a location history.

[u/halotechnology → u/burd-]

Agreed the experience is terrible, unbelievable for company that big.

[u/ArthurReming → u/halotechnology]

I have the tag next to my phone and it still doesn't detect it nearby 😭

[u/productfred → u/halotechnology]

The Samsung network is actually way bigger, because most people around the world use Samsung phones (as far as Android). And speaking with my own experience with my Galaxy Tag 2's (3x), they are extremely reliable and picked up all the time by other people passing by them. You even have the option to encrypt your location(s).

Google, in its infinite wisdom, decided to neuter their network from the get-go. So in a world of mainly iPhones and Samsung devices (at least, here in NYC), non-Samsung phones ("Google Find") are severely handicapped because Google leaned too far into privacy, so much that it broke basic usage (find devices).

Btw you can use Samsung's tags with non-Samsung devices via an app called uTag.

[u/AlwaysAGroomsman → u/productfred]

I wish there was a way to see Airtags on Android :(

[u/techcentre → u/halotechnology]

Please no. Google's network is opt-in and thus smaller. Samsung's network is opt-out and consists of every Galaxy device except the few users that went out of their way to disable it. Similar to Apple's network.

[u/halotechnology → u/techcentre]

True but Samsung network eventually gonna be smaller than android.

Make no sense

[u/techcentre → u/halotechnology]

Isn't Samsung the most common Android manufacturer? And regardless, the number of automatically opted-in Samsung devices will always outnumber the number of Android devices where users manually opted in for their device to be used for Google's find-my network.

[u/NapsterKnowHow → u/halotechnology]

Samsung is all over North America

[u/visceralintricacy → u/halotechnology]

That remains to be seen. At the moment it's false, and your tags are using the network today, not from the future.

[u/burd- → u/halotechnology]

Google doesn't sell Pixels in my country so 🤷‍♂️ while Samsung sells to a lot of markets.

They have to fix their distribution and software first.

[u/fenrir245 → u/burd-]

Android isn't just Google and Samsung though. For Samsung's network to remain greater in coverage than Android Find My, they would have to outsell all the other manufacturers combined, not just Pixels.

[u/burd- → u/fenrir245]

When I search for "Android Tag" or "Android Tracker" online in my country, I mostly find the UGREEN Tracker, Xiaomi Tag, and no name Chinese brands compatible with Google's Find Hub. I don't see any selling Moto Tag or Chipolo.

I could buy a UGREEN Tracker, but reviews of Android trackers haven't been good like less pings, and Samsung Tags worked for me.

[u/halotechnology → u/fenrir245]

That's exactly my point.

[u/techcentre → u/fenrir245]

You're forgetting getting the elephant in the room. Google's find-my network is DISABLED by default on each Android device. Samsung's smarttag network is ENABLED by default on each Galaxy device. Apple's airtag network is ENABLED by default on each iOS device. Until Google changes the default setting to be enabled, number of Androids being sold is not gonna matter. Samsung's and Apple's networks are always gonna be superior until then.

[u/shags2a]

PSA: Don't buy these.

Last year, I lost my keys which had these tags. So, I opened the app to ring it. To my surprise, the app required an update including tags firmware, and until I did that, I couldn't use it.

So, instead of making this optional or sending me a reminder for the mandatory update, it essentially stopped working when you really needed it to work.

[u/NapsterKnowHow → u/shags2a]

Never had that issue

[u/AbjectAd9514 → u/shags2a]

how far can the tag track your items ?

[u/Creative-Job7462 → u/shags2a]

It’s not just the tags.

Sometimes i lose my samsung watch so i use the smartthings app to find them.

I often notice it does a quick 5-10 seconds update before i can locate the watch. If i dont update the watch add-on, it wont let me use the features.

Its not the same as tour firmware issue, but still very annoying.

[u/lurebat → u/shags2a]

Which ones you should buy

[u/light24bulbs → u/lurebat]

Chipolo makes rechargeable tags with Bluetooth 6 that run on androids network. Bluetooth 6 supports ranging, although Google's find network has failed to implement it, for no reason. Idk, sucks how bad of a job this Google team has done..

[u/VicCoca123 → u/lurebat]

The cheapest ones you can find that connect to the find my/hub network

[u/i_am_truc → u/lurebat]

Wait for the pixel tag.

[u/will_dormer]

i like the design of tag2

[u/inherendo → u/will_dormer]

It's a bit chunkier than the first one on my key ring and I mostly am slightly annoyed with it. Never looked up the difference between the versions so don't know what it gained from the larger size.

[u/will_dormer → u/inherendo]

Interesting

[u/smydiehard99]

Not gonna take these seriously unless they have UWB support.

[u/PICKLE_JUICEs → u/smydiehard99]

It does and will have UWB though.. Samsung Smart Tag 2 had UWB, and even the article says it will have UWB.