Samsung’s SmartTag3 Works With iPhones, But There’s a Catch…
Samsung’s new Galaxy SmartTag3 finally works with iPhones. That sounds promising, but a few useful features are missing.
Announced on September 30, 2026, it’s the first Galaxy SmartTag with iOS support. But “works with iPhone” comes with some fairly big limits.
Smaller, Lighter, and Built to Last Longer
Samsung says SmartTag3 is about 35% smaller by volume and 33% lighter than the previous generation. It also rates battery life at up to 550 days in normal use, or 790 days in Power Saving Mode.
There’s more finding range, too. Samsung claims Compass View can guide you from up to 60 metres away using Bluetooth Channel Sounding on select Galaxy phones, with UWB providing closer-range precision. That figure assumes a clear line of sight. It isn’t an iPhone feature.
The iPhone Catch
You’ll need the SmartThings app. Samsung lists location checking, sharing, and Search Nearby for supported devices. That could be handy when a Galaxy user and an iPhone user share the same bag or keys.
The missing features matter. Samsung’s compatibility notes exclude all three of these on iOS:
| Feature | What you miss |
|---|---|
| Compass View | The direction-and-distance guidance used to narrow down a nearby tag. |
| Ring Phone | The option to use the tag to ring your phone. |
| Left Behind Alert | An alert when your phone loses its connection to the tagged item. |
You can check where your things are, but you miss out on tools that help you find them nearby or notice when you’ve left them behind.
For an iPhone, We’d Still Pick an AirTag
The price doesn’t give Samsung much room here. Its announced US price is US$29.99 for one or US$99.99 for four, with US availability expected by early November 2026. Apple lists AirTag at US$29 for one or US$99 for four. These are advertised US prices before tax, checked October 16, 2026.
For an iPhone user buying a tracker for their own things, we’d still choose an AirTag. It works through Apple’s Find My app and offers Precision Finding on compatible iPhones. Check Apple’s requirements first: the current second-generation AirTag needs iOS 26 or later, and expanded Precision Finding depends on the iPhone model and region.
SmartTag3 makes more sense if you specifically want to share a tracker across Galaxy and iOS. Samsung’s Canadian announcement says it will arrive in Canada later in 2026; the US prices above are not Canadian pricing.
Final Thoughts
It’s cool to see Samsung open SmartTag up to iPhones. That makes it easier for people using different phones to share the same tracker. But for an iPhone-only purchase, the missing features make it a harder sell at this price.
