It looks like Apple’s AirTag is about to have even more competition.
As spotted by 9to5Google, retailer MobileFun has listed Samsung’s unreleased Galaxy SmartTag2, the second generation of the company’s item tracker that competes with the Apple AirTag and all of the different variations of Tile. According to the listing, SmartTag2 is getting a design overhaul that trades the square shape for a pill.
The top of the pill features a much larger cutout so you can attach your SmartTag to whatever you are trying to track. However, like the first generation, the hole doesn’t open, so you’ll need to have another accessory to actually clip it to something. This is at least better than Apple’s AirTag, which requires you to buy a holder for it since there is no built-in hole on the device.
The Samsung SmartTag2 appears to come in both Black and White, and the retailer is currently listing them in packs of two or four, where you can mix colors. MobileFun says that it expects to actually have the trackers in stock in two months, indicating that Samsung could be close to officially announcing the new generation.
The listing also gives us an idea about what features we may be able to expect from the new version. While the first generation had two variations, and UWB (ultra-wideband) support was only included with the more expensive variation, it appears that the new generation may only have one variation that includes both Bluetooth and UWB support.
AR Finding gives you a uniquely visual way to locate a lost item with a SmartTag2 attached, which will help you pinpoint the location of the tracker by using the ultra-wideband connection and the camera on your Samsung device. It will show you the way on your phone’s screen through the SmartThings app and it will let you know you’re close with a glimmering green light when you’re at the destination.
It appears that the SmartTag2 will continue to only use Samsung’s own network when it comes to tracking the device, meaning that you’ll need a Galaxy device in order to keep tabs or be alerted about one. As Apple, Google, Tile, Samsung, and other companies continue to release these devices, it’s going to get harder for all of us to know if one is tracking us unless these companies work together on a standard.
There is some progress there. Last month, Google announced that your Android phone could now alert you if an AirTag is stalking you. However, we have a long way to go to get all item trackers working together with every platform so we can all track in peace without the fear of being tracked.