Although Samsung's original Galaxy SmartTag was rather cheap-looking, especially in retrospect, the company pushed the Galaxy SmartTag 2 to another level. The 2nd-generation location tracker is nearly perfect, however, I think its sequel could be better and massively outclass even Apple's AirTag if it would only adopt a cleverer design.
Here's what I have in mind. One of the things Samsung's tracker does better than the Apple AirTag is that it has a built-in metal-lined ring for easy attachment to collars and accessories. That versatility could be higher.
The Apple AirTag requires additional attachments — sold separately — to achieve the same capabilities. But I believe Samsung's Galaxy SmartTag 3 could be even better from a design perspective. Here's how.
The Galaxy SmartTag 3 should split in half
In short, I think the best way Samsung can improve the design of its location tracker is by making the Galaxy SmartTag 3 split in half.
Picture this: The Galaxy SmartTag 3 could look the same as the SmartTag 2, except it would consist of two pieces rather than one solid oblong piece:
- A lower, coin-shaped half that contains all the internal hardware.
- An upper, metal-lined element with a half-coin-shaped cutout that would perfectly match the tracker's circular shape.
The two elements could snap together with magnets or a simple locking mechanism to create the exact shape you see in the image below — featuring the Galaxy SmartTag 2.
This design would add versatility to the Galaxy SmartTag 3 beyond anything Apple's doing. Here are a couple of strong points.
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Minimal size: This design would allow users to minimize the size of the Galaxy SmartTag 3 if they only need a coin-shaped tracker without a ring.
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Built-in versatility: This clever Galaxy SmartTag 3 design would allow users to reattach the two halves and use the ringed design without spending extra on accessories.
One teardown video (via Ray J) shows that there is nothing inside the ring-half of the Galaxy SmartTag 2 apart from a reinforced metal lining. There are no electronic components in the upper half.
So, in theory, Samsung could pull off a split Galaxy SmartTag 3 design without having to completely rearrange the internal hardware. It would have to minimize the board more and devise a clever locking mechanism for the two halves to come together, but it should be doable.
Granted, such a design may slightly increase costs, at least because the complexity of the manufacturing process would be greater. But I think it would be an elegant solution worth exploring.
At the moment, there's no information about the upcoming Galaxy SmartTag 3, so perhaps Samsung is still thinking about ways to improve the formula.
The post Galaxy SmartTag 3 could outclass Apple AirTag with one clever design upgrade appeared first on SamMobile.
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