Google is getting ready to enter the world of item tracking in an attempt to compete with Apple's AirTag and the plethora of third-party options from the likes of Samsung, Tile, Chipolo, and others.

It's now been reported that Google will enter the fray with an item tracker of its own, with the grand unveiling thought to be set for the Google I/O event that will kick off on 10 May.

You'll never lose an item again

This is all according to a report by Naver which claims that "Google is also planning to ignite competition by launching its own smart tag at the annual developer conference (Google I/O) in May this year." That's about the top and bottom of it, with the bulk of the report centering around claims that Samsung is also ready to change its existing portfolio of item trackers.

Naver says that Samsung has a new Galaxy SmartTag that will up the ante, with that tag thought to debut alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5 later this year.

Item trackers have long been a wonderful way to keep tabs on items including wallets, bags, luggage, and just about anything else that can move. But the market really exploded when Apple entered it, with the AirTag becoming an instant hit.

Not that the AirTag hasn't had its controversies. The item trackers have been used to stalk women around the world, while they've also helped thieves locate luxury cars as well. But they've done good, too, often being used to locate cars after they were stolen.

Apple's AirTags are so popular because of their accuracy. They use the Find My network that itself utilises the millions of iPhones out in the wild. Tile can't quite compete with that, while Chipolo uses Apple's Find My network in an attempt to keep up. Google could do something similar to Apple thanks to the sheer number of Android phones out there, but we'll have to wait to hear how the location features work before we can compare the two.

With Google I/O 2023 now not all that far away, we can likely expect more information to leak as we get closer to the big day.