Samsung has introduced the Galaxy SmartTag3 with partial support for iPhones, marking a strategic move to broaden its tracking device’s appeal in mixed-device households, despite remaining exclusive to Galaxy and iPhone users.
Samsung has widened the reach of its latest tracker with the Galaxy SmartTag3, the first in the line to support iPhones as well as Galaxy handsets. The move is notable not because Samsung has made the device broadly cross-platform, but because it has done so in only one direction: the tag works with Apple’s phones, yet remains unavailable to Android devices from other manufacturers such as Google and Motorola. That makes it a carefully limited opening, aimed more at mixed households than at the wider Android market.
According to Samsung’s launch details, the SmartTag3 goes on sale in South Korea on 7 October, with US availability expected by early November. The company has said the device will then reach other markets in 2027. In the US, it is priced at $29.99 for a single tag or $99.99 for a four-pack. The tag will be offered in black and white.
Samsung has also redesigned the tracker to be smaller and lighter than its predecessor. The company says it is 35% smaller and 33% lighter than the SmartTag2, while retaining an IP67 rating for protection against dust and water. Battery life has been extended to up to 550 days in normal use and more than 790 days in power-saving mode, according to Samsung. The new model also adds Bluetooth 6.0 Channel Sounding alongside ultra-wideband, which should improve short-range location finding.
The iPhone support, however, is partial. Owners can use the SmartTag3 through Samsung’s SmartThings Find app, where they can see and share a tag’s location and use nearby search functions. When the tag is out of range, Samsung says it can be located through the company’s Galaxy Find Network, which includes more than 900 million Galaxy devices. But several features remain reserved for Galaxy phones, including Compass View, Ring Phone and Left Behind Alert, while the tracker does not join Google’s Find Hub network.
That leaves the SmartTag3 best suited to households that mix Galaxy phones and iPhones, rather than to users committed to one ecosystem alone. For Samsung, the change broadens the appeal of the tracker without ceding it to a rival network. For Apple-only customers, an AirTag still offers tighter integration with Apple’s Find My system. For people using non-Samsung Android phones, the SmartTag3 remains off limits.
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