Tracking your pets, your valuables and even your loved ones is about to become simpler than ever with Samsung’s new Connect Tag. Samsung says that the new smart tag is the first ever consumer mobile device to use narrowband network technology (NB-IoT), a cellular communication standard which only uses a small amount of data, has a low power consumption rate and has the ability to securely connect online for location services.
Samsung says that the Connect Tag works with GPS, Wi-Fi-based position and Cell ID to receive accurate location data both indoors and outside. As for how you might put it to use, Samsung suggests, attaching it to a kid’s backpack, clipping it to a dog’s collar or putting it on a key chain so that your keys never get lost.
In order to build upon its IoT ecosystem, Samsung has made the Connect Tag compatible with SmartThings, which means it will work in conjunction with other IoT devices. With its geo-fence feature, the Connect Tag can ping other smart devices as a user approaches, so the lights and TV could switch on as soon as you get close enough.
Other features of the Connect Tag include an on-demand function that allows the user to request a tag’s location at any time with the press of a button on their smartphones, as well as a “Send my location” function which lets the user possessing the device send their current location to a friend or family member at any time.
Measuring in at just 4.21 cm x 1.19 cm, the Connect Tag is an incredibly small device. It also feature an IP68 water and dustproof rating, which means it can survive the occasional splash. Best of all, it lasts for seven days on a single charge, allowing a parent to go a full school week without having to plug it in. Samsung will launch the Connect Tag in Korea first before expanding to other countries “in the coming months.”
