It’s just a few weeks since Apple announced its upcoming Vision Pro headset, and just a few months until the iPhone 15 series is due to be announced. Now, the latest rumors and reports suggest that an upgraded Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip will be responsible for seamlessly integrating the two gadgets together, amongst other improvements.
UWB technology can already be found in all models from iPhone 11 onwards, plus Apple Watch Series 6 and higher. It’s responsible for interactions with nearby accessories, from AirTag tracking to HomePod handoff and plenty more besides. UWB also helps with AirDrop and Apple’s precision tracking features.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims Apple is set to improve on the existing U1 chip that powers UWB interactions, primarily for improved integration with Apple Vision Pro. Exactly what that entails isn’t clear, but it could power some clever new combos between Vision Pro and iPhone 15.
We’ve already written how the interface design of visionOS could breathe new life into iOS and iPadOS, and it’ll be interesting to see how Apple defines the similarities and differences between the systems.
Whether or not Apple names the U1 chip’s successor U2 remains to be seen – it may want to avoid comparisons to previous history with a certain band. Either way, it signals that Apple is taking spatial computing seriously as a long-term platform to run alongside its existing successes.