Apple AirTags have been in development for years, but despite being reportedly "ready" for some time, Apple has yet to officially acknowledge their existence, much less offer a release date.

Now it appears that Samsung may be beating Apple to the punch with its own hardware tracker that may be launched alongside the Galaxy S21. 91mobiles spotted the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag on the authentication site NCC, and the specs and leaked images show a device that looks more than similar to the Tile Pro in both form and function.

For those who don't know, Tile has carved out a bit of a niche with Bluetooth accessories that clip onto other devices and track them. If you are in range, your phone will play loud digital music and locate your lost item. If you are out of range, you can report your device lost, at which point the Tile community will begin an anonymous search for your property. If someone using the app passes by your lost Tile, its location is sent to you and you can go directly to search for it. The company claims that 90% of Tiles marked as lost will eventually be found by the community.

While the SmartTag is certainly similar (down to the keychain hole in the corner), it is not yet clear to what extent Samsung and Apple trackers will mimic its functionality. However, we do know that Samsung's Galaxy SmartTag uses Bluetooth, which is a change from the company's last product of this kind, the 2018 SmartThings Tracker.

Apple's AirTags, on the other hand, will reportedly use Ultra Wideband technology, which debuted in the iPhone 11 family and is also featured in the iPhone 12 lineup; UWB is also featured in the HomePod mini and Apple Watch Series 6 The UWB technology has also been included in the HomePod mini and the Apple Watch Series 6. While there may be performance advantages to this approach, it means that AirTags will be exclusive to products already in the Apple ecosystem, while Bluetooth-based trackers will be the choice for almost everyone thanks to the technology's widespread adoption. [Given that the Galaxy SmartTag has appeared on the NCC's certification site, it is not at all surprising that its release is quite close and will appear with Samsung's Galaxy S21 smartphone, which is rumored to launch on January 14, if 91mobiles' sources are correct. If they are correct, the price is expected to be Rs. 1,300, or about $18 in the US