Samsung’s new SmartTag is smaller, longer-lasting, and works with iPhones

Samsung has introduced the Galaxy SmartTag 3, its third-generation Bluetooth tracker. The device pairs a smaller build and longer battery life with new tracking and software features. Among the most notable changes is support for iOS, which Samsung says is meant to make it easier to share tracking information with friends and family. The Galaxy SmartTag 3 goes on sale in the US in early November for $29.99.

The tracker adopts a squircle shape similar to the original SmartTag, but drops the cutout for a key ring. Buyers who want to attach it directly to keys or a carabiner will need one of Samsung's protective cases. It carries an IP67 rating for protection from the elements. The redesign does bring benefits: the SmartTag 3 is 35 percent smaller and 33 percent lighter than the SmartTag 2, and it is 10 percent more power-efficient.

That efficiency stretches the replaceable CR2032 battery to 550 days of normal use, or 790 days in power-saving mode. New notification alerts can be set to trigger when a SmartTag 3 moves in or out of a set area. Movement detection alerts can fire for smaller shifts, and location history lets users follow a tag's movements.

Tracking runs on Samsung's own Galaxy Find Network rather than Google's Find Hub, which launched after the SmartTag 2 arrived. Once a user is within 200ft of the tracker, ultra-wideband and Bluetooth 6.0 Channel Sounding combine on supported phones for more precise detection. Previous Galaxy SmartTags worked only with Samsung phones, and Samsung is pitching the broadened iOS support as a way to share tracking information with friends, family, or dogwalkers helping to find lost objects or pets. Samsung has not said whether other Android phones will be supported.

The SmartTag 3 launches in black and white. It goes on sale in South Korea starting October 7th, with the US release following in early November. Pricing is $29.99 for a single tracker and $99.99 for a four-pack. That matches the price of the SmartTag 2, Apple's latest AirTag, and Google's new Pixel Tag.

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