So when Samsung asked would I be interested to review the Galaxy SmartTag, I say yes because I felt tracking tag might be the next big thing. In case, you didn’t know, Galaxy SmartTag is a tracking tag that is powered by Bluetooth to track your personal belongings and pets.
For now, we shall check out what is all about the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag and be sure to check out the video review too.
Unboxing
Unboxing the Galaxy SmartTag is really quick. Out of the box you just get the Galaxy SmartTag and a guide. That’s all and I’m not kidding. I do suggest to do a quick read on the guide if you’re someone new to tracking tag.
Design – Simple, minimalistic and great build quality
The Galaxy SmartTag has simple square with rounded corners. The whole body is constructed with high quality plastic so you don’t have to be worried dropping the tag. There is also a hole so you can attach it to keys, collars or chains to permanently attached onto an object or pets. The SmartTag also has IP53 rating so it does have some water protection but don’t push it too hard.
The Galaxy SmartTag also has a button to control smart home living products and locate your Galaxy Smartphone. The button press feels secure and responsive too.
Sound – A little bit louder speaker would be good, would prefer to have more tones or custom tones option
The SmartTag can emit alarm via its single speaker. The speaker is loud though I preferred it to be a little bit more louder. Also I don’t recommend to keep the SmartTag inside a noise insulated area or item as it is difficult to hear the alarm.
There is a list of alarm tones you can choose for the SmartTag however I do wish there is a little bit more tones or custom tones option offered here.
Battery – Claimed to last 300 days, but kind of difficult to change the battery because of the case
Galaxy SmartTag has a removable battery which is using a CR 3202 battery. Samsung has claimed the battery life can last up to 300 days but at the moment I can’t comment on the battery life. However, you can check the battery life via the SmartThings app. If you need to change the battery, it is quite tough because the case is enclosed quite tightly. Unfortunately, I did managed to damaged the plastic cover a bit when removing the case but I really give the credit for making a really solid build quality. Though, you need a Malaysian 10 sen coin and screwdriver to open it.
Connectivity – Bluetooth technology, still provide good connectivity with obstacles
SmartTag uses Bluetooth LE 5.0 to connect to your Galaxy device. Samsung claimed it can offer 120m of connectivity without obstacles, but for my real world usage with obstacles, I’m getting connectivity of 20m which still does a good job provided you don’t always track your item from a far.
Connectivity – SmartThings app is the mastermind but SmartThings Find need an update fix for navigate
In order to use the SmartTag, you need a Galaxy device (works exclusively) with Android 8.0 with above 2GB RAM. Then you need the SmartThings app to do your settings.
Pairing the SmartTag with SmartThings app is like a walk in a park. Once you’re inside the app, there are extensive options for you to control the SmartTag. From ringtone to custom button function, it is easily to access and easy to understand. The app also can update the tag’s software as well.
To track your SmartTag, you will need to use SmartThings Find which is pre-built inside the SmartThings app. The only one issue I have with SmartThings Find is it doesn’t lock on the last detected location. It kept following my smartphone for no reason which make navigating to search the tag quite useless. Hopefully a quick update to fix to show permanent last place of the tag will give users to fully optimised the navigation.
Final Verdict – Useful but not a necessity at the moment, needs to open up to other non-Galaxy device to build the community
The Samsung Galaxy SmartTag is priced at RM119 in Malaysia. It has great build quality, simple design, good speaker and awesome app to pair with it. It works exclusively for Galaxy device and I think Samsung should have open for non-Galaxy device to use it so it can build the SmartTag community. For now, I could only give the SmartTag a 6 out 10 because although it is useful, I found it to be not a necessity for everyone at the moment and the sole exclusive for Galaxy devices make it hard to convince non-Galaxy device users to try out what the Samsung ecosystem can offer. Nonetheless, the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag is ready to purchase at all authorised Samsung Malaysia retailers, partners and Samsung site.
*Special thanks to Samsung Malaysia for providing a review unit of the Galaxy SmartTag. However, this is not a paid review or content thus no input or final approval is needed from Samsung. All the comments are solely based on the writer’s 2 weeks experience and experience might differ with software updates.