Google is developing a location tag of its own

2023-01-17

Apple and Samsung launched location tags, and now Google is looking to join their company. According to a Kuba Wojciechowski and Mishaal Rahman"s investigation of the developer"s console of the Fast Pair feature it now has “locator tag” as a listed device. The codename of the product is “Grogu”, “Groguaudio” or “GR10”.

Samsung Galaxy SmartTagSamsung Galaxy SmartTag

The product is developed by the Nest team, but that does not necessarily mean it will be a Nest product. The gadget has an onboard speaker, and comes with support for UWB (ultra-wideband) and Bluetooth Low Energy - technologies used for radio-based communication for short-range usage scenarios.

The Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro both have a UWB module which hasn’t been utilized so far. It could be used for turning on and off Nest speakers, but the feature is still in development. Google is also working with chipset manufacturers to enable Fast Pair support for Android products, allowing every manufacturer to develop their own trackers.

An eventual Google Grogu tag could be announced as early as Google I/O, traditionally taking place in May.

Via