AirTag 2 vs Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2: Which Should You Buy?
Your phone decides this one before any spec does.
Apple Apple AirTag (2nd generation): Tracker for Keychain, Wallet
Samsung Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 Bluetooth Tracker (1 Pack), Compass
Side by side
| Apple AirTag (2nd generation): Tracker for | Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 Bluetooth Tracker (1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | See on Amazon → | See on Amazon → |
| Rating | ★★★★★ 4.6 | ★★★★☆ 4.4 |
| Review count | 6,079 | 22,838 |
| Brand | Apple | Samsung |
| Highlights |
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Our verdict
Buy the tracker that matches your phone. AirTag (2nd generation) needs an iPhone or iPad and Apple's Find My network. The Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 needs a Samsung Galaxy phone or tablet and SmartThings Find. Neither is built to work properly with the other's phones. If you're on a Galaxy, the SmartTag2 is the obvious fit and Samsung quotes up to 500 days of battery. If you're on an iPhone, the AirTag's Precision Finding and speaker are the better tools.
Which one is for you?
- iPhone and iPad owners, especially on an iPhone 15 or later or with an Apple Watch. Read our full look at the Apple AirTag (2nd generation): Tracker for →
- Samsung Galaxy owners who want a tag that works with SmartThings and a long quoted battery life. Read our full look at the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 Bluetooth Tracker (1 →
Step one: which phone do you own?
Apple's page says the AirTag (2nd generation) needs an iPhone running a recent iOS 26 release, or an iPad, plus an Apple Account. Setup is a one-tap process on those devices.
Samsung says the Galaxy SmartTag2 works with Galaxy phones and tablets running Android 9 or later, and setup needs a Samsung account and the SmartThings app. Compass View, its directional finder, needs a UWB-enabled Galaxy phone on Android 11 or later. A Pixel or an iPhone owner shouldn't buy it as their main tracker.
If your household mixes phones, buy a tag for each person's phone rather than expecting one tag to serve everyone. Apple says an AirTag can be shared with up to five people, which helps within a family on iPhones, but that's an Apple-to-Apple feature.
Finding it nearby
Apple lists a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, a speaker 50% louder than before and up to 1.5x the previous Precision Finding range, with Precision Finding also on Apple Watch Series 9 or later and Ultra 2 or later. The improved range needs an iPhone Air or iPhone 15 or later, excluding the 16e.
Samsung's approach is Search Nearby with Compass View, plus Ring Your Tag to make it sound a buzzer. Samsung warns that walls, drawers and car interiors can reduce accuracy.
Range claims need care. Apple compares the new tag against its own previous generation, not against Samsung, and Samsung's Bluetooth LE figures are manufacturer numbers for open space. Indoors, walls and furniture will cut both. Treat the directional tools as the practical comparison: Apple's Precision Finding with arrows on iPhone or Apple Watch, and Samsung's Compass View on a UWB Galaxy phone.
Battery and water resistance
Both use a replaceable CR2032 coin cell and both are IP67 rated for 1 metre for 30 minutes. Samsung quotes up to 500 days, a lab figure, and says Power Saving Mode can extend that by up to 40% while switching off features such as Search Nearby. Apple says its tag works for more than a year on a standard battery. On quoted numbers Samsung's tag lasts longer, though Apple and Samsung both say real results vary.
Lost Mode and other people's phones
Samsung's tag uses NFC in Lost Mode to show your contact details and message to anyone who taps it with an NFC phone, whatever the operating system. Apple's AirTag also supports NFC for Lost Mode and shares location with more than 50 airlines for lost luggage, and Apple says unwanted tracking alerts also reach Android phones.
Who should skip both
If you want live GPS with no phone network involved, neither tag is that. Both rely on other phones in a network. Compare the rest of the finders category, or see how the older tag stacks up in AirTag 2 vs AirTag 1.
Questions people ask
Does Samsung SmartTag2 work with iPhone?
Not properly. Samsung lists compatibility with Galaxy phones and tablets running Android 9 or later and uses SmartThings Find. Anyone can tap it with an NFC phone to read the Lost Mode message, though.
Does AirTag 2 work with Android?
No, you need an iPhone or iPad to set one up. Apple says Android phones can receive unwanted tracking alerts about nearby AirTags.
Which has better battery life, AirTag or SmartTag2?
Samsung quotes up to 500 days (lab figure) and Apple quotes more than a year. Both are replaceable CR2032 batteries and real life varies.
Are AirTag and SmartTag2 waterproof?
Both are rated IP67, meaning submersion to 1 metre for up to 30 minutes. That's water resistance, not a swimming or soapy water rating, and Samsung advises against beach or pool use.
Which has better precision finding?
Both use Ultra Wideband for directional finding. AirTag 2 also works on Apple Watch and has a louder speaker, while SmartTag2's Compass View needs a UWB Galaxy phone.
Sources
Prices are pulled live from Amazon.
Prices move around, so always confirm on Amazon before deciding. Browse more options in GPS, Finders & Accessories or see the whole Electronics department. New to the category? Start with our buying guide.