New Galaxy SmartTag 2 FCC listing shows it'll sport a radically different design

A new listing has appeared on the FCC’s (Federal Communications Commission) website revealing more details about the Galaxy SmartTag 2. 

This may come as a surprise to some as Samsung made no mention of the upcoming Bluetooth tracker during its recent Galaxy Unpacked 2023 showcase. Some online thought it would show up at the event since the device first made an appearance back in late June on the official Bluetooth Launch Studio website. It appears the gadget may still be in the early stages of development. Despite this, the listing does reveal quite a lot about SmartTag 2 including what it’ll look like. 

The device is ditching the rounded-square design of the first SmartTag as Samsung is opting for a pill shape. It looks a lot like the toggle switches you see on smartphone menu screens.  

Possibly no Plus model

You may notice the loop on the new tracker is much larger than the one found on the previous model. Presumably, the inclusion of the bigger ring is to make it easier to attach the device to keychains, luggage, or other important items. The test report also reveals the SmartTag2 will support Bluetooth Low Energy and UWB (ultra-wideband) connections.

Having both standards in one tile is particularly interesting because it may be a hint that there won’t be a Plus version. You see, the SmartTag Plus introduced UWB tracking to the first model giving it more versatility. If Samsung decides to throw the two standards into the device, then there would be no reason to have an updated rendition unless, of course, the company introduces other protocols into the mix. 

Keep in mind this is all speculation. There’s still a lot we don’t know.

Wanted features

Obviously, the launch of the Samsung’s future Bluetooth tile is unknown although 9to5Google speculates it could release early next year alongside the Galaxy S24 series. Somewhere around January or February is our best guess considering the company’s release pattern.

There are a couple of things we would like to see on the tracker. For starters, it’d be great if it came with everything from Google’s recent safety update for Androids giving smartphones the ability to locate unwanted Bluetooth tiles. The update only works with Apple AirTags at the time of this writing, but there are plans to expand the tech. 

We do hope Google’s recently delayed Find My Device upgrade will be out by early 2024 to coincide with the SmartTag 2 rollout. The controversial tech would “anonymously use billions of Android devices around the world to help [people] track down lost or stolen items”. 

While we have you, be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of the best Samsung phones for 2023.