Oppo Smart Tag--a rumored upcoming Bluetooth tracking device from the Chinese smartphone giant--is going the rounds on the Internet after leaker Digital Chat Station shared a photo of it on Chinese social media site Weibo, XDA-Developers reports.
Should the Oppo Smart Tag become official, the new device would go head-to-head with other Bluetooth trackers made by other smartphone manufacturers, namely the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag and the newly launched Apple AirTag.
Oppo Smart Tag vs. Apple AirTag vs. Samsung Galaxy SmartTag
Similar to the AirTag, the Oppo Smart Tag also sports a circular shape. That makes the Galaxy SmartTag a standout among the three trackers, thanks to its rounded square shape.
Oppo's Smart Tag, however, still has key differences compared to the AirTag. The most prominent of which is the USB-C port on the side, which means the tracker will come with a rechargeable battery inside.
In addition, Apple AirTag features a replaceable CR2032 coin battery, according to Apple's website, and the same goes with the Galaxy SmartTag. With that being said, the Smart Tag is the most environment-friendly among the three models.
On another note, it is unknown at the moment which solution is better when it comes to trackers in terms of battery life. Samsung claims that the Galaxy SmartTag's battery life can last up to 300 days before replacement, whereas the AirTag can last up to a year. That is longer than what Samsung claims.
On top of the Smart Tag, the Ultra Wide Band (UWB) text under the Oppo logo can be seen. UWB is also a supported technology in the case of the AirTag. Along with Precision Finding, UWB allows users to accurately determine the distance and direction of an AirTag.
The entry-level Galaxy SmartTag, meanwhile, depends only on Bluetooth which is less precise than UWB. If you prefer a Samsung tracker with UWB support, you should go for the higher-end SmartTag Plus.
Tracking Tag Business Not For All
Physique and specs aside, The Verge noted that one of the most important factors when it comes to trackers is the vastness of the network of devices that support them.
Tile, for example, has been a leader in the tracking tag industry for almost 10 years now, creating its network of tags. Apple, meanwhile, claims that its Find My network has nearly a billion registered devices that can track AirTags.
This claim is probably true for a smartphone brand that has the second-largest market share globally. And the same proposition goes for Samsung, the world's largest smartphone manufacturer--which is why it also ventured into the tracking tag business.
Xiaomi, the third-largest smartphone brand, also has its tracking tag dubbed as Xiaomi Smart Dog Tags, marketed for pets as what its name shows.
How about Oppo? The Chinese smartphone giant is among the world's top five smartphone makers with a 9 percent global market share at the end of last year. In Q1 2021, Oppo shipped around 38 smartphones during the period.
With that being said, Oppo seemingly has a valid reason to enter the tracking business, but its success might depend on the region where Oppo smartphone users are concentrated.
