It's been almost three years since Samsung released its last location tracker, and we're finally getting a sequel. Samsung announced the new Galaxy SmartTag 3 today, and one of its biggest upgrades is an improved Compass View.
The Galaxy SmartTag 2, released in October 2023, already has a very handy Compass View feature that lets users pinpoint the tracker's location using the SmartThings Find phone app.
Compass View is simple and intuitive. It tells you whether you're getting closer to or farther away from your Galaxy SmartTag. And when you're close enough, it points directly toward the tracker's location with an arrow.
The “close enough” part is precisely where Samsung wanted to improve the experience for Galaxy SmartTag 3 users.
Bluetooth 6.0 expands the range of Compass View by up to 3x
In essence, Compass View on the Galaxy SmartTag 3 hasn't changed, but Samsung's new tracker benefits from Bluetooth 6.0 connectivity and Channel Sounding. The SmartTag 2 is limited to Bluetooth 5.3.
With Bluetooth 6.0 Channel Sounding, the Galaxy SmartTag 3 offers directional guidance in Compass View from much farther away: up to 60 meters. That's around three times farther than the SmartTag 2 can be detected.
This should help SmartTag 3 owners spend less time triangulating the tracker's location without precise directional guidance. It's less guesswork and more pinpoint accuracy, which is always great when you're trying to find misplaced belongings or missing pets.
However, to benefit from the extended Compass View range, you'll need a phone that supports Bluetooth Channel Sounding. Right now, the only Samsung phones with this feature are:
- Galaxy S26+
- Galaxy S26 Ultra
- Galaxy Z Fold 8
- Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra
Samsung says additional devices may be supported in the future. In theory, Channel Sounding can be retroactively added even to Bluetooth LE devices, but that's a decision manufacturers have to make. We're guessing Samsung intends to support Channel Sounding mainly for future Galaxy devices that are already planned to ship with Bluetooth 6.0. Still, Samsung hasn't offered any extra details, so time will tell.
If you're planning to buy the Galaxy SmartTag 3, it will be available in Korea beginning October 7. The U.S. will follow at an unspecified date. In other markets, the SmartTag 3 will be released in 2027.
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