MacRumors

Incoming Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has said that the company must "deliver better products" than Apple, which he described as a "lifestyle company," and says that Intel's best days are "in front of it" (via The Oregonian).

Speaking at an Intel all-hands meeting yesterday, Gelsinger derisively implied that Apple is merely a "lifestyle company," so Intel must be able to surpass its technology:

"We have to deliver better products to the PC ecosystem than any possible thing that a lifestyle company in Cupertino. We have to be that good, in the future."

The jibe at Apple comes after the launch of Apple Silicon last year, which has begun to displace Intel chips inside Mac computers. The M1 chip, Apple's first custom silicon processor for the Mac, has far surpassed the capabilities of equivalent Intel offerings, with markedly better performance and power consumption.

Gelsinger will replace Bob Swan as Intel CEO, having already spent 30 years at the company before leaving in 2009. He was the company's first Chief Technology Officer before becoming CEO of VMware. Speaking to employees, Gelsinger insisted that Intel has its best days "in front of it."

He joins the company at a time of crisis as it contends with multiple threats. With major client Apple dropping Intel for its own custom silicon, and Microsoft expected to follow suit in the near future, Intel has struggled to deliver technological innovations. This is after the company has repeatedly reported delays with its latest processors, while its main competitor, AMD, has proceeded to capture valuable market share.

In December, a major hedge fund with a one-billion-dollar stake in Intel, Third Point, issued a letter urging Intel to take "immediate action" and shake up its business model to combat the mounting threats to the company. Gelsinger's arrival will go some way to appeasing shareholders, but the company has some way to go to regain its footing.

Gelsinger starts as CEO next month, having been lured away from his current job with a package reportedly worth $116 million.

Apple chipmaking partner TSMC is "on track" to begin risk production of a 3-nanometer fabrication process in 2021, followed by volume production in the second half of next year, according to the foundry (via DigiTimes).

"Our N3 technology development is on track with good progress," said TSMC CEO CC Wei at the company's earnings conference call on January 14. "We are seeing a much higher level of customer engagement for both HPC and smartphone application at N3 as compared with N5 and N7 at a similar stage."

TSMC has been gradually miniaturizing its process over the years, going from a 16nm A10 chip in iPhone 7 models to a 5nm A14 chip in ‌iPhone‌ 12 models.

Apple will use a 5nm+ A15 chip for the 2021 iPhones, and TrendForce believes it is highly likely that the A16 chip in 2022 iPhones will be manufactured based on TSMC's future 4nm process, suggesting the new 3nm technology will likely be used for a potential A17 chip and potentially other future ‌Apple silicon‌ Macs if the company follows previous years. The ‌3nm‌ process yields 30 percent and 15 percent power consumption and performance improvements over the 5nm process.

In other related news, TSMC triggered a global chip stock rally on Thursday, after outlining plans to pour as much as $28 billion into capital spending this year – more than half its projected revenue for 2021, reports Bloomberg.

TSMC's capital spending for 2021 is expected to be $25-28 billion, compared with $17.2 billion the previous year. About 80% of the outlay is said to be be devoted to advanced processor technologies. The foundry saw revenue climb 23% to $5.1 billion in the December quarter – a new record, achieved largely thanks to the success of Apple's ‌iPhone‌ 12 series.

TSMC also intends to build and operate an advanced semiconductor factory in Arizona, with construction planned to start in 2021 and production targeted to begin in 2024. TSMC estimates that its total spending on this project, including capital expenditure, will be approximately $12 billion from 2021 to 2029, with the facility expected to create over 1,600 high-tech professional jobs directly.

Apple maintained a strong lead in the true wireless headphones market in 2020, with its popular AirPods making up over a quarter of all shipments, based on a new report.

According to Counterpoint Research, Apple products comprised 29% of true wireless stereo (TWS) shipments in Q3 2020, while its Apple Watch made up 28% of all smartwatch shipments. With respect to the wearables market – divided into five segments, of which earwear and wristwear comprise the majority of devices – Apple consistently outperformed the competition, despite its products typically costing more than rival offerings.

"Apple's powerful iOS ecosystem, typically comprised of consumers with larger disposable incomes, has been the main driver for growth – especially in terms of revenues," said senior Counterpoint analyst Sujeong Lim. "High-end stalwart Samsung has also performed consistently."

That said, budget offerings still showed big potential, with Xiaomi consolidating its number two spot in the rankings with a 13% market share, while half of the top 10 were budget brands with sub-$50 and even sub-$20 offerings.

Counterpoint Research expects the wireless headphones industry to grow 83% to 238 million units this year, thanks in part to the lack of a headphone jack on smartphones and the removal of earbuds from smartphone boxes – trends that Apple inaugurated.

"The trend around removing jacks and earphones from devices and boxes is becoming a big driver for TWS segment growth," said Counterpoint Research senior analyst Liz Lee. "It also helps that mobile media consumption continues to grow, making TWS the next must-have accessory."

Counterpoint believes that the global health crisis has contributed to increased consumer interest in health and fitness, which is likely to help the smartwatch market grow further. "We expect low double-digit growth through the medium term – possibly higher if average selling prices decline quickly," said Lim.

Following today's report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo outlining major changes for the next-generation MacBook Pro models coming in the third quarter of this year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has weighed in with his own report corroborating some of the details but seemingly differing a bit on others.

First, Gurman shares more details on the return of MagSafe charging to the ‌MacBook Pro‌, indicating that it will indeed be a similar design to the previous incarnation of ‌MagSafe‌ on Mac notebooks. Gurman also says the shift back to dedicated ‌MagSafe‌ charging will allow for faster charging speeds.

Gurman says the new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models will unsurprisingly continue to support USB-C, with two USB-C ports located next to the ‌MagSafe‌ port, and presumably two more USB-C ports on the other side of the machine.

Bloomberg's report also offers a tidbit about the displays on the upcoming ‌MacBook Pro‌ models, indicating they will use "brighter, higher-contrast panels." The machines will also of course come equipped with Apple silicon chips offering more processing cores and improved graphics compared to the M1 found in the first batch of Apple silicon Macs.

As for the design of the new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models, Kuo had indicated that they would receive an iPhone 12-style redesign with flat edges, but Gurman seems to downplay the significance of any changes, indicating that they will "look similar" to the current models but with "minor design changes."

Gurman also says that Apple has "tested" versions of the ‌MacBook Pro‌ without the Touch Bar, while Kuo seems more definitive that the controversial feature will be removed in the final design.

Finally, Gurman notes that Apple is also planning a redesign for the MacBook Air, but it won't be coming until "long after" the updated ‌MacBook Pro‌ models debut.

Apple is working on two new MacBook Pro models that will feature significant design changes, well-respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today in a note to investors that was obtained by MacRumors.

According to Kuo, Apple is developing two models in 14 and 16-inch size options. The new ‌MacBook Pro‌ machines will feature a flat-edged design, which Kuo describes as "similar to the iPhone 12" with no curves like current models. It will be the most significant design update to the ‌MacBook Pro‌ in the last five years.

There will be no OLED Touch Bar included, with Apple instead returning to physical function keys. Kuo says the MagSafe charging connector design will be restored, though it's not quite clear what that means as Apple has transitioned to USB-C. The refreshed ‌MacBook Pro‌ models will have additional ports, and Kuo says that Most people may not need to purchase dongles to supplement the available ports on the new machines. Since 2016, Apple's ‌MacBook Pro‌ models have been limited to USB-C ports with no other ports available.

All of the new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models will feature Apple silicon chips, and there will be no Intel chip options included.

1. The two new models are equipped with about 14-inch and 16-inch displays, respectively.
2. In terms of casing design, the new models cancel the curvy design of existing models’ top and bottom parts and adopt a flat-edged form factor design similar to the iPhone 12.
3. The MagSafe charging connector design is restored.
4. The OLED touch bar is removed, and the physical function buttons are restored.
5. There is no Intel CPU option for the new models.
6. They are equipped with more types of I/O, and most users may not need to purchase additional dongles.

The ‌MacBook Pro‌ models will use the same heat pipe design used by the current 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ model, which Kuo says is much better than the current 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ and MacBook Air because it will allow for increased computing power.

Kuo says that we can expect to see the new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models released in the third quarter of 2021. Due to the revamped design and strong replacement demand, Kuo expects total MacBook shipments to grow significantly by 25 to 30 percent year over year to 20 million units.

Kuo also said that high-end ‌iPhone‌ models coming in 2022 are likely to adopt a vapor chamber thermal system, which Apple is "aggressively testing." The VC thermal system will be required for the high-end iPhones due to their stronger computing power and faster 5G connection speeds. There are already smartphones from companies like Samsung, Razer, and LG that use vapor chamber cooling technology, which is used to keep a device cooler when it is under heavy stress.

It is unclear if the vapor chamber thermal system will meet Apple's high requirements, according to Kuo, but he is optimistic about the reliability improvement schedule and expects at least high-end models to adopt it in the near future.

Shazam, the music discovery and identification app owned by Apple, today shared a Shazam Predictions 2021 playlist that's available on Apple Music. The playlist features a list of 50 songs from up-and-coming artists that Shazam believes are "poised to make a splash."

The data was calculated using Shazam's predictive algorithms, with the 50 tracks hand-selected from ‌Apple Music‌'s global editorial team. The songs all show early and consistent momentum in Shazam activity along with discovery in more than one country, which Shazam says are early indicators of future growth.

Of the 50 new songs in the playlist, ‌Apple Music‌ chose five artists to spotlight as those to watch out for in 2021 and beyond.

• Masked Wolf - A hip-hop artist from Sydney. His song "Astronaut in the Ocean" has reached the overall ‌Apple Music‌ top 10 in five territories.
• BLACKSTARKIDS - A trio from Kansas City that started trending on Shazam in September 2020. Their songs mix indie and hip-hop with contemporary lyrics and analogue pop music.
• Serena Isioma - Nigerian-American singer-songwriter Serena Isioma mixes funk, indie, pop, and R&B, and her song "King" has been featured on ‌Apple Music‌'s New Music Daily playlist.
• Tai Verdes - Indie pop artist Tai Verdes gained momentum on Shazam in July 2020. His single "Stuck in the Middle" is featured on the Alt Pop and ALT CTRL playlists on ‌Apple Music‌.
• LB Spiffy - Teenage Toronto rapper LB Spiffy has been an emerging artist on Shazam since 2017. His song "Again" has been featured on ‌Apple Music‌ playlists like Rap Life and Today's Hits.

The full Shazam 2021 predictions playlist can be listened to on ‌Apple Music‌. For those unfamiliar with Shazam, it is an app that iPhone owners can use to identify songs that are playing in movies, on the radio, and elsewhere. Apple purchased Shazam in 2018, and the song identifying functionality has been built into the Siri feature on iPhones for years.

Shazam has in past years been able to identify emerging artists prior to when their music takes off. Olivia Rodrigo, who hit number one on the ‌Apple Music‌ Daily Top 100 Global charts with "drivers license," was picked up by Shazam more than a year ago. Billie Eilish, who soared to popularity in 2019 and 2020, was on Shazam's emerging artist lists in 2015.

Apple is working to bring Music and Podcasts apps to the Microsoft Store, according to a report from 9to5Mac that cites unnamed sources. Apple is allegedly testing Music and Podcasts apps for Microsoft's platforms in a private beta capacity at this time.

There is no word on whether the apps will be compatible with Windows PCs or if they are being developed for Microsoft's Xbox consoles. Apple in November released an Apple TV app that is compatible with the Xbox One, Series X, and Series S, so it's possible future Podcasts and Music apps will also be limited to consoles.

Apple could be planning to release these apps on Windows following the discontinuation of iTunes on the Mac, however. Right now, Apple continues to offer a version of iTunes designed for Windows machines, but the app is rarely updated and the interface could use an overhaul as it is not ideal for accessing services like Apple Music and ‌Apple TV‌+.

Apple transitioned away from iTunes on the Mac in 2019 with the release of macOS Catalina, providing users with separate Music, TV, and Podcast apps.

Apple in November 2019 posted job listings for engineers to build "the next generation of media apps for Windows," so revamped media apps for Windows have likely been in the works for some time. At the time, Apple said that it was looking for engineers with experience using Universal Windows Platform, which allows for apps that work on Xbox and other Windows 10 platforms.

macOS Big Sur 11.2 beta 2, which was released yesterday, eliminates a feature that allowed Apple apps bypass third-party firewalls, security tools, and VPN apps, according to reports from ZDNet and security researcher Patrick Wardle.

macOS Big Sur 11 included a ContentFilterExclusionList that let Apple's apps like the App Store, Maps, iCloud, and more to avoid firewall and VPN apps that users had installed. These apps were not able to filter or inspect traffic for some built-in Apple apps.

Security researchers believed that the feature, found last October, was a major security risk as malware could be designed to latch on to a legitimate Apple app and bypass security software. Users who had VPNs installed also risked exposing their real IP address and location to Apple's apps.

Apple told ZDNet last year that the list was temporary and the result of a series of bugs related to the deprecation of network kernel extensions in macOS Big Sur. Apple has been addressing those bugs, and in the second beta of macOS Big Sur released yesterday, removed the ContentFilterExclusionList from the macOS code.

When macOS Big Sur 11.2 sees a release, Apple apps will be compatible with VPN apps and will no longer be able to bypass firewalls and other security tools.

Netflix is working on adding support for the spatial audio feature built into the AirPods Pro and the AirPods Max, according to a report from French site iPhoneSoft.

The site says that it spoke to an unnamed Netflix employee in the United States who said that support for spatial audio is in the works.

The rumor has not yet been confirmed by another source as of yet, but iPhoneSoft says that the feature is set to launch in the spring with a "small catalog" of titles to begin with.

Spatial audio is an ‌AirPods Pro‌ and ‌AirPods Max‌ feature that brings movie theater-like sound to Apple's earbuds and headphones, making audio sound three dimensional. Spatial audio uses the gyroscope and accelerometer in the ‌‌AirPods Pro‌‌ and iPhone to track the motion of your head and your ‌‌iPhone‌‌'s position, comparing the motion data and then remapping the sound field so that it stays anchored to your device even as your head moves around.

It is a feature that works with the ‌iPhone‌ and the iPad, so if Netflix is indeed working on support, it would be limited to Netflix titles viewed on one of Apple's compatible iPhones or tablets.

Pad & Quill today announced the launch of a new series of iPhone 12 cases, all of which are MagSafe-compatible and designed to work with Apple's newest ‌iPhone‌ 12 devices.

The Traveler LeatherSafe ‌iPhone‌ 12 case is made from artisan leather with a built-in magnetic ring and a secure tension fit that shapes to the ‌iPhone‌ 12.

It features two-meter drop protection and the design leaves ports and cameras accessible. The volume buttons are functional and accessible through the leather. The Traveler Case is priced from $59.95 to $69.95 and is available for the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max.

The Woodline Edition iPhone 12 Cases are made from a single piece of walnut or cherry hardwood and have a built-in magnet hidden in the wood case to make them compatible with Apple's MagSafe charger and accessories.

The Woodline case is precision designed to fit each ‌iPhone‌ 12 model, offering access to all ports and buttons. The cases also offer strong drop protection and each one is unique and hand polished. The Woodline Case is priced at $49.95 and is available for the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max.

The cases can be pre-ordered from the Pad & Quill website. The Woodline cases will ship at the end of January, while the Traveler cases will ship the week of February 14.

Epic Games has submitted a complaint to the United Kingdom's Competition Appeal Tribunal, expanding its Fortnite legal battle with both Apple and Google to another country.

According to Bloomberg, ‌Epic Games‌ is claiming that Apple's decision to remove Fortnite from the App Store was unlawful, and the company is aiming to get Apple to allow Fortnite back into the British ‌App Store‌.

In a statement provided to MacRumors, ‌Epic Games‌ said that the filing with the Competition Appeal Tribunal is "an important argument" that it is making on behalf of consumers and developers in the UK.

Epic Games has launched legal proceedings against Apple and Google in the United Kingdom, expanding its fight to advance fair digital platform practices for consumers and developers.

The legal proceedings, filed in London’s Competition Appeal Tribunal, allege the conduct of both Apple and Google in their respective app stores is an abuse of a dominant position and in breach of the UK’s competition laws, substantially reducing competition in app distribution and payment processes.

We believe that this is an important argument to make on behalf of consumers and developers in the UK and around the world who are impacted by Apple and Google’s misuse of market power. We look forward to making our case on January 21.

Epic is not seeking damages from Apple or Google in the UK, Australia or the US, it is simply seeking fair access and competition that will benefit all consumers.

Similar arguments from ‌Epic Games‌ have not worked in the U.S., where Fortnite and Apple have been embroiled in an increasingly bitter legal fight since August. In the U.S., ‌Epic Games‌ asked for a preliminary injunction to keep Fortnite on the ‌App Store‌, but was denied because its removal was caused by ‌Epic Games‌ and could have been reversed if ‌Epic Games‌ followed the ‌App Store‌ rules.

‌Epic Games‌ in August added a Fortnite update that allowed customers to purchase in-game currency directly from Epic, skirting Apple's in-app purchases. That is against Apple's rules, and the move led Apple to pull the app from the App Store.

After that, ‌Epic Games‌ filed a planned lawsuit against Apple, and Apple ultimately terminated ‌Epic Games‌' developer account. Fortnite has not been available on iOS devices since August, and as Epic refuses to comply with the ‌App Store‌ rules, there is no path for it to return to the ‌App Store‌.

Apple and Epic will face off in court in July 2021, and at the current time, both sides are preparing for the upcoming legal fight.

Alongside new flagship smartphones, Samsung today announced the launch of its Galaxy SmartTags, item trackers that seem to be similar in design and functionality to Apple's long-rumored AirTags that have yet to launch.

Design wise, the Galaxy SmartTags have a squircle shape with a small cutout at the top that's designed to accommodate a key ring or strap for attaching it to various items. The SmartTags measure in at 1.54 inches x 1.54 inches x 0.39 inches. Apple's AirTags are rumored to be round in shape, but we don't yet know for sure what they'll look like.

The Galaxy SmartTags are Bluetooth-enabled (using Bluetooth LE 5.0) and can connect to a smartphone to relay an item's position. Samsung is not using the more advanced Ultra Wideband technology that allows for more precise positioning information to be relayed, instead relying solely on Bluetooth. It's not entirely clear why Samsung hasn't adopted UWB for the SmartTags, because it is a feature built into newer Samsung smartphones, but Samsung does have plans for a UWB version called SmartTag+ later this year.

Apple's AirTags will feature Ultra Wideband technology that works with the U1 chip in the iPhone 11 and ‌iPhone‌ 12 models for more accurate tracking and to enable a rumored augmented reality item location function.

SmartTags can be located in Samsung's "SmartThings Find" app, which will show the location of the tag if it is in Bluetooth range, or if it isn't, the last location. There's a ring button that can be tapped to make it easier to locate a close-by item using sound, and a map for finding items that are lost further away.

Samsung has a "Galaxy Find Network" that uses other people's Galaxy devices to locate lost items, which is similar to how AirTags will work. AirTags will be able to be located alongside iOS devices using the Find My app. Apple in iOS 13 added a Find My feature that lets lost devices be tracked even without a cellular connection by leveraging devices owned by other people, and this is also expected to work for the AirTags.

With the SmartTags from Samsung, nearby Galaxy devices can scan the tag and then send info on location to the item's owner, with the app also providing a history of the locations where the SmartTag has been spotted for tracking purposes.

The SmartTags will also have smart home capabilities, which is not yet something we've heard rumored for the AirTags. SmartTags are able to control Internet of Things devices, allowing for smart home automations that can be activated when a button on the SmartTag is pressed. So, for example, if you have a SmartTag on your keys and arrive home, you can press the button to turn on all the lights inside.

SmartTags have a replaceable CR2032 battery, and there's been mixed information on what we'll see from Apple in terms of battery. The AirTags could have a replaceable battery, but some rumors have suggested they'll be rechargeable.

Samsung told The Verge that the SmartTags are only designed to work with Samsung Galaxy devices and are not compatible with other Android phones or iPhones.

Samsung is selling the SmartTags individually or in a two-pack, with a single tag priced at $30. We don't yet have any pricing data on AirTags, but it's quite likely that Apple will want pricing to be competitive with other item tracking tags on the market like the SmartTag from Samsung.

SmartTags can be pre-ordered from Samsung as of today and will start shipping out by January 27.

Accessory maker Scosche today announced the launch of a new range of vehicle mounts that are designed to work with Apple's MagSafe Wireless Charger. These mounts are not standalone and have been created as mounting enclosures to allow the ‌MagSafe‌ Charger to be used in the car.

Scosche's range of mounts are able to securely hold and power the ‌MagSafe‌ Charger from Apple, as each one is equipped with a Scosche PowerVolt 20W USB-C Power Delivery Car adapter that Scosche says has enough power to enable the ‌MagSafe‌ Charger to charge an iPhone 12 model at 15W (12W for iPhone 12 mini).

There are several MagicMount MSC mount options that are available, including a Window/Dash mount, a Cup Holder mount, and a 4-in-1 kit that includes Swing-Arm Dash and Vent mounts and Lock-Nut Vent and Dash mounts. According to Scosche, the Window/Dash model is also ideal for in-home use.

The new MagSafe-compatible MagicMount options are launching in the spring.

Samsung has today announced a range of new devices at its Galaxy Unpacked event, including the Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra, as well as Galaxy Buds Pro earphones and Galaxy SmartTag item trackers.

Samsung's latest Galaxy S21 series of smartphones feature a new design, edge-to-edge Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O display with adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, and 8K video recording. The Galaxy S21 has a lightweight design and a compact 6.2-inch display, while the Galaxy S21+ has a 6.7-inch display and a larger battery.

The Galaxy S21 series espouses a new Contour Cut Camera housing that blends into the device's metal frame, and the AI-powered triple-lens camera system itself also sees a number of improvements, with the ability to intuitively assess scenes and adjust the camera settings accordingly.

For customers who need the most from their Galaxy device, there is the S21 Ultra, which delivers an "intelligent pro-grade camera system," improved display, Wi-Fi 6E9, ultra-wideband capabilities, and better performance. The S21 Ultra also brings the popular S Pen experience to the Galaxy S series for the first time.

With a 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is the largest device in the Galaxy S21 series. For the first time, users can enable a 120Hz refresh rate and Quad HD+ at the same time, and the display is 25 percent brighter and has a 50 percent improved contrast ratio.

The S21 Ultra features a quad rear camera system with ultra-wide, wide, and dual tele-lenses, 100x Space Zoom, improved Night Mode, and an upgraded 108MP pro sensor that can capture 12-bit HDR photos. All lenses, including the front camera, can shoot video in 4K at 60fps.

The S21 and S21+ are available in 128GB and 256GB storage configurations and a range of colors, including Phantom Violet, Phantom Gold, Phantom Red, Phantom Gray, Phantom Pink, and Phantom White, with pre-orders starting today. The S21 Ultra also offers a 512GB model, with Phantom Silver, Phantom Black, Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy, and Phantom Brown color options, starting at $1,199.99. The Galaxy S21 starts at $799.99 and Galaxy S21+ starts at $999.99. Devices will begin arriving with customers on January 29.

In addition to the S21 series of smartphones, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Buds Pro, with "immersive sound," improved call quality, intelligent ANC, IPX7 water resistance, and enhanced connectivity. With an 11-millimeter woofer for deeper bass and a 6.5-millimeter tweeter for a crisp treble with minimum distortion, the Galaxy Buds Pro achieve what Samsung says is its "best audio experience yet."

The Galaxy Buds Pro feature three microphones, a Voice Pickup Unit, Wind Shield technology, Ambient Sound amplification, automatic ANC, and automatic device switching. When used with a Galaxy S21 series smartphone, the Buds Pro offer 360 Audio with Dolby Head Tracking technology, similar to Apple's Spatial Audio feature on AirPods Pro and AirPods Max.

The Galaxy Buds Pro can deliver up to eight hours of continuous playback, with an additional 20 hours of reserve power available via the wireless charging case. Galaxy Buds Pro are available for pre-order now in Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, and Phantom Violet for $199.99.

The company also introduced the Galaxy SmartTag, a low energy Bluetooth item tracker. The Galaxy SmartTag enables users to quickly and easily locate items based on the strength of the Bluetooth signal in the SmartThings Find app, and users can emit a chime from the tag. The SmartTag is believed to be Samsung's competitor to Apple's long-awaited AirTags item trackers.

The Galaxy SmartTag retails for $29.99 and all pre-orders of the Galaxy S21, S21+, or S21 Ultra will also include a free Galaxy SmartTag. An ultra-wideband variant called Tag+ will arrive later in 2021 for $39.99.