Key Takeaways
- UWB is a new wireless protocol that enables precise item tracking more accurate than GPS.
- Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, and select Motorola and Xiaomi phones support UWB.
- UWB in Android phones future-proofs for advanced uses like indoor navigation and NFC payments.
Ultra-wideband (UWB), the radio technology built into Apple’s U1 chip that enables devices like the Apple AirTag, is still new enough that it hasn’t become as ubiquitous as Bluetooth on Android phones, but there are more than a few devices that support it. Currently, the wireless protocol helps your phone find the precise location of an item tracker that supports UWB and vice versa, but if the FiRa Consortium has its way, it could be used for everything from digital car keys to mobile payments. Check the lists below to see if your Android phone supports UWB and learn what it could let you do.
6 reasons you should enable ultra-wideband on your Android phone
Bluetooth is useful, but Android’s recent UWB development is on a whole other level.
Every Android phone that supports UWB
Google Pixel phones
Besides maintaining support for UWB in Android for all phone manufacturers and developers to use, Google also supports UWB in its own hardware. Google has supported UWB on Pixel devices since the Pixel 6 Pro. The following Pixel phones and tablets support UWB:
- Pixel 6 Pro
- Pixel 7 Pro
- Pixel 8 Pro
- Pixel Fold
- Pixel Tablet
While not yet announced, reports suggest both the Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL will also support UWB when they launch in Fall 2024.
Samsung Galaxy phones
Samsung not only supports UWB on its smartphones, but also item trackers like the Galaxy SmartTag and SmartTag 2, and wireless earbuds like the Galaxy Buds Pro 2. The following Galaxy phones support UWB:
- Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
- Galaxy S21+
- Galaxy S21 Ultra
- Galaxy S22+
- Galaxy S22 Ultra
- Galaxy S23+
- Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Galaxy S24+
- Galaxy S24 Ultra
- Galaxy Z Fold 2
- Galaxy Z Fold 3
- Galaxy Z Fold 4
- Galaxy Z Fold 5
Other Android phones
While not available in North America, Motorola’s Moto Edge 50 Ultra supports UWB and in its press release announcing the phone Motorola specifically says it included the feature to make the Edge 50 Ultra “future-proofed to take advantage of the world of UWB as it continues to evolve.” Xiaomi’s Mix 4 is similarly not available globally and also supported UWB way back in 2021.
What’s the deal with ultra-wideband and what does UWB do?
Digital car keys, location tracking and seamless connectivity are all on the agenda for UWB.
FAQ
Q: What is UWB?
Ultra-wideband or UWB is a wireless communication protocol that operates at short-range and high frequencies, alongside more familiar protocols like Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. It enables low-bandwidth data transmission between devices (like your phone and an item tracker) and the sharing of highly precise location data that’s even more accurate than GPS. For now, it’s predominantly used as a method of providing even more precise item or person-finding capabilities in devices like the AirTags or Samsung’s SmartTag 2, but UWB beacons could be applied to provide precise indoor navigation or NFC-esque payments and digital keys.
Including UWB in an Android phone is as much about supporting existing item tracking devices as it is future-proofing your smartphones for the more interesting use-cases to come. Not every Android phone supports UWB, and as the lists below reflect, many of the phones that do could be considered “premium” in terms of their price.
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