Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTag Plus with UWB to track items with AR is out April 16th

Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTag Plus, the souped-up version of the company’s Tile-like SmartTag Bluetooth tracker (which was released earlier this year), now has a release date: it’ll be out on April 16th for $39.99.

That’s a $10 price increase over the standard SmartTag, which runs for $29.99 — but the SmartTag Plus has one notable improvement. It features an ultra-wideband (UWB) radio, allowing users to track it more accurately when it’s nearby than the standard Bluetooth setup. The UWB radio actually enables a new AR mode, which can help show users exactly where their missing tag is.

To use the new UWB mode, you’ll need both a Galaxy SmartTag Plus and a compatible UWB-equipped Galaxy phone, a list that currently includes the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, Galaxy S21 Plus, Galaxy S21 Ultra, and the Galaxy Z Fold 2.

Aside from the fancy new UWB features, though, the SmartTag Plus still works just like the regular SmartTag, leveraging Samsung’s vast Bluetooth network of Galaxy devices to help track missing objects. It’s similar to Apple’s Find My network, which uses iPhones and iPads to create a Bluetooth network (and, thanks to a recent expansion to third-party devices, will soon offer a Find My-compatible tracker from Chipolo).

The upcoming release of the Galaxy SmartTag Plus means that Samsung — and not Apple’s long-rumored AirTags — will be the first major AR-compatible UWB tracking accessory to hit the market. Apple has been reportedly working on a similar UWB-based AR feature for its upcoming tracker, but despite plenty of leaks and rumors, there’s still no word on a release date.