Among so many UWB-based tracking products out there is Samsung’s SmartTag brand. All of them are compatible with Android devices, but Samsung is likely to take an Apple-like approach to its brand of SmartTag.
It’s expected that the UWB functionality will work even when it’s purchased from a third party. This is not expected to cause any inconveniences with some users.
According to a Reddit user’s claim, Samsung is limited to the UWB technology on its phones for third-party tags. If that’s the case, you’re to use a Samsung Galaxy SmartTag with a Galaxy device to get the full benefit of this technology.
The user has also noted that their Galaxy S24 only enables the UWB Direction Engine and it happens when a Samsung smart tag is detected. It continues to keep it disabled for third-party trackers. When this is the case, it pushes the phone to UWB Lite.
A comparison between the Galaxy SmartTag+ and a Moto Tag from Motorola on the same Galaxy S24 Ultra produced different results as the phone offered all of the features for the SmartTag+ and the reverse was the case with the Moto Tag.
Moreso, some users claim that all UWB functionalities work well for a Moto Tag on Samsung phones. Other reasons may be responsible for the UWB behaviour for third-party tags on Samsung phones and Samsung is proceeding with the Apple route for this technology.