Samsung Reportedly Developing 'Galaxy Smart Tag' Rival to Apple AirTags
Samsung is reportedly developing an item tracker called the "Galaxy Smart Tag" that appears to be positioned as a rival to Apple's long-awaited AirTags product (via SamMobile).
In August, alongside the unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy Note 20, the South Korean company explained how its SmartThings Find feature can locate compatible Galaxy products with greater accuracy. It is now being alleged that Samsung is using this software for a tag-like item tracker.
SamMobile spotted a new device with the name "Galaxy Smart Tag" and the model number EI-T5300 in Indonesian Telecom Certification filings. Based on the name, it is assumed that the product will integrate with Samsung's SmartThings Find feature and offer location tracking.
The parallel to Apple's rumored AirTags is striking. There has been an overwhelming amount of evidence, including extensive patent filings, design leaks, premature placement in Apple support materials, and iOS code, that Apple is preparing to launch an ultra-wideband item tracker. For some time, it has been believed that Apple is on the brink of announcing AirTags, but after repeatedly failing to appear leaks are now suggesting a March 2021 launch.
Samsung previously launched an LTE-enabled item tracker with GPS under its SmartThings brand in 2018, but it since appears to have been discontinued.
SamMobile suggests that Samsung could be looking to base its item tracking tag on ultra-wideband technology. AirTags are rumored to be based on the U1 ultra-wideband chip, which Apple is reportedly seeking to make the bedrock of its ecosystem.
If the speculation around Samsung's filing is correct, item tracking appears to be set to become another front of direct competition between Samsung and Apple. After Apple's push into consumer lending with Apple Card, earlier this year Samsung followed with Samsung Pay Card. Yesterday, it was reported that Samsung may be withholding patented periscope camera technology from Apple in order to maintain a competitive advantage with its Galaxy smartphones.
Popular Stories
Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories, according to the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami." In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kosutami explained that Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories due to its poor durability. The company may move to another non-leather material for its premium accessories in the future. Kosutami has revealed...
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
Apple has dropped the number of Vision Pro units that it plans to ship in 2024, going from an expected 700 to 800k units to just 400k to 450k units, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Orders have been scaled back before the Vision Pro has launched in markets outside of the United States, which Kuo says is a sign that demand in the U.S. has "fallen sharply beyond expectations." As a...
The upcoming iOS 17.5 update for the iPhone includes only a few new user-facing features, but hidden code changes reveal some additional possibilities. Below, we have recapped everything new in the iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 beta so far. Web Distribution Starting with the second beta of iOS 17.5, eligible developers are able to distribute their iOS apps to iPhone users located in the EU...
The lead developer of the multi-emulator app Provenance has told iMore that his team is working towards releasing the app on the App Store, but he did not provide a timeframe. Provenance is a frontend for many existing emulators, and it would allow iPhone and Apple TV users to emulate games released for a wide variety of classic game consoles, including the original PlayStation, SEGA Genesis,...
Apple is finally planning a Calculator app for the iPad, over 14 years after launching the device, according to a source familiar with the matter. iPadOS 18 will include a built-in Calculator app for all iPad models that are compatible with the software update, which is expected to be unveiled during the opening keynote of Apple's annual developers conference WWDC on June 10. The lack of ...
Top Rated Comments
?