Bluetooth and Wi-Fi have been the trusted, long used technologies for data communication, but there’s another kind on the block that looks to claim the space. Ultra-Wideband (UWB) wireless protocol that was first introduced on the Apple iPhone 11, and then adopted by the Samsung Galaxy Note 20/20 Ultra, is now picking up pace and stamping its dominance on the arena.
Keeping up pace, Google is slated to introduce a new API in AOSP for supporting UWB technology since more and more OEMs are going in for this standard on their future mobile devices. As discovered by XDA-Developers, Google has included official Ultra-Wideband API in one of the Android Source Project, suggesting the inevitable.
This new standard is fully tailored for peer to peer connectivity between two phones, resulting in accurate location detection or data transmission. It is going to be the ideal choice for home automation and IoT applications that require quick and precise identification and transmission of data.
Although the technology is still in its infancy, the advanced communications ability has endless possibilities in the coming years in comparison to the current standard tech. A good example of this technology in practical application is the use of Nearby Share application on the Galaxy Note 20/20 Ultra or the Samsung SmartThing Find app for detecting other Galaxy phones/accessories in proximity.
This will also bring seamless creation of apps – sans the need to use different APIs from different OEMs. Xiaomi is another OEM that announced integration of the UWB standard for its premium devices, and with this move by Google other manufacturers will be keen to jump on to the bandwagon.