What Is UWB (Ultra Wideband)? Everything You Need To Know - Update February 2022

Since 2020, yous've probably seen a new spec on the spec sheet of a lot of flagship smartphones (not simply Android smartphones either). And that's UWB or Ultra Wideband. Apple tree was actually kickoff to put it in their devices, starting with the iPhone xi in 2019. Samsung began adding it to its smartphones in 2020, with generally merely its "Ultra" devices getting this spec.

But the real question hither is, what exactly is "Ultra Wideband"? Is this a must-accept feature on my side by side smartphone? And what can I use information technology for?

We're going to aim to answer all of those questions in this article. And every bit UWB evolves, we will be updating this post.

What is UWB?

Nosotros're going to get pretty technical here, and then be prepared.

Ultra-wideband, also called UWB for short, is a short-range, wireless communication protocol. This operates through radio waves, at very high frequencies. Which allows it to exist used to capture highly authentic spatial and directional information.

Basically, UWB can be thought of as a continuously scanning radar that can precisely lock onto an object. Every bit well as observe its location and communicate with it.

We've already seen a few utilize-cases for UWB. For case, the new Galaxy SmartTag that Samsung announced in January 2021 uses UWB to assist you find your phone, or whatever the Galaxy SmartTag is fastened to. Because it works at very high frequencies, it can work a scrap meliorate than Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or fifty-fifty WiFi.

Apple has used UWB with the new HomePod Mini it announced in October 2020. Allowing y'all to bring your iPhone close to the speaker and it'll automatically commencement playing your music, without any interaction from you. Among other things.

What devices back up Ultra Wideband right at present?

Currently, the Samsung Galaxy Notation 20 Ultra, Milky way Z Fold two, Galaxy S21+ and Galaxy S21 Ultra on the Android side.

Update: The Milky way S22+ and Galaxy S22 Ultra also offer UWB support, equally appear on February nine, 2022.

The iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 series both back up UWB beyond the unabridged lineup. Dissimilar the Milky way Notation 20 and S21 series, were merely the higher-end models support it.

We await many more smartphones to add together UWB in the very almost futurity. Since the two largest smartphone makers are already on-board with calculation it to their phones.

Samsung expects UWB to be as big equally Bluetooth

In a web log post published in October 2020, Samsung stated that it expects UWB to be as big, if not bigger than Bluetooth. And given the features we know it can enable, that isn't a big surprise. And too why nosotros've been seeing it crop upwards in more Samsung phones.

This is why Samsung has been putting UWB in its nigh recent smartphones. But it is not available in all of its flagships, equally you likely noticed from the list above. Instead, it'south in the about expensive models only. Not the Galaxy Notation xx or the S21. That is going to alter in the future. Right now, it's likely this manner because UWB is however new, and quite expensive to add into a smartphone. And thus it is merely in its most expensive devices, for now.

How does Ultra Wideband work?

It's pretty technical, the style that UWB works. Just essentially, once a UWB-enabled device is about another UWB device, the ii volition start "ranging". Which refers to the calculating of time of flight (ToF) between the devices.

It uses larger channel bandwidth (500MHz) and brusk pulses (2 nanoseconds each). Because of this, UWB is able to achieve greater accuracy. The positioning process instantaneously tracks the device'south movements in real-time. This allows UWB-enabled devices to empathise both move and relative position.

NXP, who produced the UWB chipset in Samsung devices, UWB will deliver greater accurateness in line-of-site (LoS) and strong localization in not-line-of-sight (nLoS) scenarios. Using bending-of-arrival (AoA) technology, the real-time accuracy of UWB measurements provides highly precise device location services at the centimeter level. UWB devices also are able to decide whether an object is stationary, moving closer or moving abroad.

This means that UWB-enabled systems know if y'all're approaching a locked door and can make up one's mind if you're inside or outside of the doorway. It can likewise decide whether the lock should be engaged when yous reach a specific position.

Substantially, it provides a much more accurate positioning than other technologies that we currently apply to do this.

How is it unlike from WiFi and Bluetooth?

A question y'all may have is, why don't we use Bluetooth and/or WiFi to do this? Seeing as these are tried-and-true technologies nosotros take used for quite some time.

The biggest reason is because UWB's operation, when it comes to ranging, is far superior to Bluetooth or WiFi.

Ultra wideband operates in a separate section of the radio spectrum. Which is abroad from the congested bands of ii.4GHz and 5GHz, which is what WiFi uses. Additionally, UWB is able to coexist with other wireless technologies like WiFi, Bluetooth and NFC.

Finally, one of the most significant advantages that UWB has over other wireless technologies, is the physical layer (PHY) used to send and receive data packets. This layer, which is currently existence specified in IEEE 802.15.4z, a disquisitional security extension not available in other technologies, can be leveraged. This allows for security techniques like cryptography and random number generation that deter attackers from accessing UWB communications. And making things more than secure is always a good thing.

Is this is the same UWB that Verizon uses?

Verizon uses the term "UWB" for its 5G network, specifically its mmWave 5G network. It is technically the same ultra wideband engineering that Samsung and Apple are calculation to their phones, merely a slightly different season. And existence used for a different usec-instance.

Verizon is using a dissimilar season of ultra wideband that is used for cellular. While Samsung and Apple tree are not using UWB for cellular activities.

The high frequency of ultra wideband works well for 5G, considering information technology allows carriers similar Verizon to offer insanely fast wireless speeds. Merely the flip side of such high frequency is that the coverage is pretty poor. Which is why Verizon's ultra wideband network is only bachelor on very few streets and street corners in the markets it is available in. And for the most function, it is not available outdoors.

Because UWB is existence used past both carriers and smartphone makers, for very unlike things, you can expect enough of confusion.

UWB isn't just branding for Verizon

While it sounds similar Verizon is but using UWB for branding, that's actually not true. It is really using UWB in its 5G network. And calling information technology "5G ultra wideband" is a mode to differentiate it from the Sub-vi 5G network that it besides has and is much slower but covers a lot more surface area.

5G is pretty disruptive already, and Samsung and Apple adding UWB to their smartphones, but not for 5G, is simply going to arrive more confusing.

To keep it unproblematic, smartphone makers say mmWave and Sub-6 5G is supported, and don't mention ultra wideband. All the same, on Verizon smartphones, you will see "UWB" in the status bar if yous are in range of its mmWave network.

What use-cases can we expect from Ultra Wideband in the future?

Samsung has already appear a few means that nosotros can use Ultra Wideband with its newest smartphones.

With the new Galaxy SmartTag, and SmartThings Detect, you can utilize UWB to find things you may accept lost. And considering of how precise ultra wideband is, yous will get a more precise location as to where the item is. And making the ability to find it much easier.

Some other utilise-case that Samsung showed off with the Milky way S21 serial, is the ability to unlock your car doors with your smartphone. This is one that is going to have some time to go mainstream. As you'll demand a phone that supports ultra wide-band, which right now, is about ten devices. And you'll need a car that supports UWB. So far, only BMW has appear information technology will support it. And only in one model so far. Anything in the automobile industry takes quite a while to actually happen and change. So expect this to likely take at least a decade earlier well-nigh cars on the marketplace support UWB for digital keys.

We will also see nearby file sharing features similar AirDrop, Samsung's Nearby Share and fifty-fifty Android's own version of Nearby Share, will get updated with UWB. This is going to allow you to more easily share larger files, quicker. And while existence farther away, potentially, then you would be with NFC. If you remember Android Beam from nigh a decade ago, remember of that, but without touching phones to transfer files.

The future of UWB is pretty incredible. Just the commencement stride to making UWB mainstream, is getting more than smartphone manufacturers on-lath. That is probable to happen pretty fast, since the two biggest smartphone makers are already on-board – Samsung and Apple. Typically, competitors copy those two. So information technology shouldn't be long.

UWB could be the respond to getting rid of keys

UWB could also be the answer to getting rid of physical keys. And using your phone as your key. Yes, that does audio a bit scary. Imagine how many people are going to be stuck because they locked their phone in the car. They tin can't call AAA for help, since their key is their phone.

Just a mode it could, and likely would work, is that the machine would only lock, when the telephone is non inside your motorcar. And with the super precise positioning of ultra wideband, that could really happen. Without any real changes to the way things work.

Mixed reality can too benefit from UWB

Something many of u.s.a. likely oasis't idea about, is UWB with mixed reality. It could really aid bridge the gap betwixt physical and digital worlds.

UWB could finally realize the hope of loftier-precision of indoor mapping based on LiDAR and/or WiFi. This could be combined with 3- or six-DoF orientation trackers. Among many other things.

How much will UWB accessories cost?

Ane big question mark about UWB is the accessories. How much volition those cost? Considering they are going to be using new engineering science, which is typically not cheap.

So far, nosotros only take a few accessories available.

Galaxy SmartTag

The Galaxy SmartTag was announced in January 2021. And is priced at $thirty. But this is 1 of the "impaired" UWB accessories that you could buy in the futurity. It's just a location tracker with UWB, likewise as Bluetooth and WiFi within. Which works with SmartThings Find.

It's a lot similar to the Tile trackers that have been super popular in recent years. Only with UWB inside (and if you lot are using a UWB-enabled device similar the Galaxy S21 Ultra), information technology's going to perform a whole lot better than Tile. We wouldn't exist surprised to see Tile add together UWB to its trackers in the coming years either.

Apple is supposedly launching its own location tracker, called AirTags. Which sounds like they will work much the same, and even take a similar cost. However, Apple tree has reportedly delayed the launch of AirTags a few times now. And so it's unclear when they will launch.

HomePod Mini

Really the but other UWB accessory that is on the marketplace right now is the HomePod Mini. Using the U1 bit that Apple started adding in its iPhones starting with the iPhone xi, it'll be able to runway your movements in your house (or but indoors menses). This works well for Notice My.

With the HomePod Mini, information technology means y'all can easily transfer music to the speaker to outset playing. Without needing to use AirPlay 2 to start playing versus from your smartphone.

Given Apple's closed ecosystem, it'll be able to innovate on ultra wideband a lot faster than Google and Samsung volition. But information technology's still cool to see the possibilities hither.

Others are coming!

We don't know what other products exactly are coming, though we did hear about Apple's AirTags. We are likely to see others like the new Apple Goggle box, perhaps new Samsung TVs (though that would be 2022 at the primeval). Get set for UWB to be a very pop technology in the 2020s.