Mobile phones have been a staple of modern life for more than a decade. The range of features that they offer is continually expanding. A recent development in this area is Ultra-Wideband (UWB), a technology that uses pulses of infrared light to transmit data. Ultra-wideband in iPhones was introduced in September 2019 with the release of the iPhone 11. Since then, Apple has released many new products that incorporate this technology, while advancing UWB capabilities within their iPhone line.
Apple AirTag
With the introduction of the Apple AirTag and Ultra-wideband in iPhones, users no longer need to worry about their misplaced goods.
AirTags can be purchased for an affordable price of $29 for a single AirTag or $99 for a four-pack. Apple AirTag has been compared to similar products such as Tile and Samsung’s SmartTag.
One of the advantages AirTag has over a brand like Tile is that it uses other iPhones to help locate missing items with the AirTag attached. Once your AirTag has been found, users receive a notification describing its location. The users’ iPhones can then help find the missing items by using indoor positioning technology to navigate users directly to their items. In the past, tracking items used BlueTooth to locate missing devices. However, since the inception of UWB, the navigation process has become more advanced and accurate.
Ultra Wideband in iPhones: The iPhone 13
Apple has been making a lot of progress with their Iphone models every year. In 2019, UWB was introduced for mobile phones with the launch of the Iphone 11. Last year, Apple stepped into the world of 5G mobile when introducing their Iphone 12. This year, Verizon announced that its 5G Ultra Wideband network is now available in more than 80 cities, 60 stadiums and arenas, and 13 airports.
The new and more advanced 5G capabilities the Iphone 13 offers will grant users expanded coverage and advanced performance. It guarantees the highest speed and lowest lag, allowing you to download movies and music in a matter of seconds. You can also play online games as if you were using a console. Lastly, you can participate in conference calls or video chats without glitches or stalling.
The UWB feature will boost the phone’s cameras to capture even more amazing photos and videos. This will include special features like macro photography, improved low-light performance, and the most state of the art computational photography. Users can personalize more images and use a more sophisticated cinematic mode for videos, time-lapse, and slo-mo.
Digital Car Keys
We cannot discuss ultra wideband in iPhones without discussing one of the main benefits: digital car keys. Car manufacturers BMW and Hyundai are working to allow iPhone users to unlock and start their cars without even removing their phones from their pockets. With the introduction of UWB, Apple has developed a new version of digital car keys. Both BMW and Hyundai look to work with Apple to implement digital car keys for their iPhone users.
One of the perks of this is that you won’t be able to lock your iPhone inside your car. Not only that, but you won’t be able to start the vehicle if the phone isn’t with you. Security improvements include the authentication feature for Bluetooth Low Energy, which protects the digital keys against hacking.
Homepod Mini
While Bluetooth speakers have been around for years, the Homepod Mini adds improvements that place it in a separate category. The Homepod Mini is a Bluetooth speaker combined with Apple’s U1 Chip, used in newer iPhones, to offer new features.
The Homepod Mini combines UWB technology with AI-assistant Siri to make this one of the most intelligent speakers yet. This speaker can remember up to six household members’ voices, allowing Siri to curate music and podcast choices according to the users’ tastes. But the possibilities don’t stop there. Since the speaker works in tandem with Siri, the user can make requests, have the system read out messages, organize their calendar, and even cast the latest news, among many other things.
Siri’s union with Apple’s Homepod Mini also empowers users with smart home technology. This means they’ll have greater control over their home devices. Using simple to surprisingly complex commands, users can set the lighting and the alarm security system, adjust the air conditioning or the heater, and have their settings timed.
The Intercom feature lets users communicate with each other in different rooms, or, if used in tandem with other Apple products (Apple Watch, CarPlay, etc.). They can even send notifications to people who aren’t even in the same house.
Then there’s the sound itself. Clearly size doesn’t matter, since the software run by the Apple S5 chip can actually optimize the speaker to produce a surprisingly loud sound without losing the quality of the music. For such a small, compact device, that’s quite an impressive feat of IT engineering.
Tile Ultra for iPhone in 2022
Tile is looking to improve its line of devices by implementing UWB technology. Tile’s previous devices helped people locate missing items like their keys or wallet, but now Tile Ultra will be implementing UWB technology to increase the products localization technology. The developers have been “working closely with Google” to make their devices compatible with Android 12 and offer these users a great experience. In addition, Tile Ultra is also working with Apple to compete with Apple AirTag’s UWB position-location technology.
By doing this, Tile Ultra will be “the first UWB device that will work both on Android and iPhone”. Tile Ultra stands to benefit from working with both smartphone companies. However, it is important to note that Tile’s location system will be used instead of Apple’s FindMy Network. Nonetheless, Apple users will have the option to choose between the Tile Ultra and the Apple AirTag come 2022.
Another reason to be excited for the upcoming Tile Ultra is because it will offer an augmented-reality mode to help users easily locate their missing items. Coming out in 2022, this state of the art tracking tag supports Android and iOS, making it a first of its kind. Leveraging Bluetooth radios and Tile’s network of devices in tandem with UWB, it will do a better job accurately locating objects, and with the augmented-reality feature, it can visually lead you to find your missing tracker.
