Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 vs Apple AirTag: Which Luggage Tracker Wins in 2024
Hi there, travelers! Have you ever lost your luggage? Ever just wanted to have more of an idea about your stuff while you’re traveling? Well, today I’m talking about Bluetooth (wireless) tags that you can attach to your luggage or just about anything else. Specifically, I will talk about the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 and the Apple AirTag. Friends, we’re about to embark on a tech showdown!
Thus, we set out to put these little trackers through their paces by taking them with us on a recent trip to Japan because, hey, what better real-world test is there than that? We slapped an AirTag and a SmartTag2 into each of our checked bags and watched the magic happen.
We’re going to start with the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2. It’s the new kid on the block, released in late 2023. Think of it like a tech pill that connects to your Samsung phone (as long as it’s an Android 9.0 or higher). And it goes as far as 500 days without a battery change. That’s A LONG TIME!
Easy to set up – it actually jumped onto my partner’s phone; easy to make a ring to locate (muffled when in the case), and the app gives you arrows pointing the way. Handy that.
And then here’s the fun part. This thing was updating the location of our bags every two minutes while we were halfway across the planet, pinging off of other Samsung devices as if nothing. We personally knew where our bags were at all times, you know, when they were halfway across the world, or when they were at some random place on a random highway in Japan. That’s insane.
Across the ring is Apple AirTag. That little disc has been around a while and it works … most of the time. In the States, it went toe-to-toe with the SmartTag2. But in Japan? Now we’re talking.
The main reason for this is that the AirTag piggybacks off nearby Apple products to update its location, and Apple is frankly not exactly storming ahead across Japan yet, so there were a few nerve-wracking hours with literally no idea where our AirTag (and thus the bag) had gone. Meanwhile, the SmartTag2 was still trucking along and keeping us in the loop.
Also cool, the SmartTag2 shows, quite literally, where your luggage has been; the AirTag is more of a ‘here’s where I am right now’ X-marker. The SmartTag2 felt more accurate with its points, too.
Cost-wise, they are roughly equal – about $30 each. To hang the SmartTag2 from your keys as I do, you just slip it into the ring (unlike the AirTag, which needs a separate holder if you want to attach it to anything).
So should you buy it? Samsung lovers, you’re golden: the SmartTag2 is accurate, updates frequently, and just works, whether you’re in the tropics, the desert, or the Amazon. Apple heads, you’ll survive with the AirTag but, in less Apple-y regions of the globe, you might need a crutch.
Still, any tracker is better than none. In the end, the peace of mind is money well spent.
Ready to keep your stuff on a short leash? Check out the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 [affiliate link] or the Apple AirTag [affiliate link] and stop playing the ‘Where’s my bag?’ game for good.
Safe travels, and may your luggage always find its way back to you!
