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Apple quietly extended the availability of Ultra Wideband (UWB), which is present in some of its devices, to more countries this week. UWB technology is used by Apple’s U1 chip to provide precise location and spatial awareness. The extension is likely part of iOS 14.7, which was released earlier this week for users.
As noted by MacRumors, Ultra Wideband technology is now available in Argentina, Pakistan, Paraguay and Solomon Islands, according to a support page on Apple’s website. The article was updated on Tuesday, the day after iOS 14.7 was released.
Apple’s U1 chip, first introduced with the iPhone 11 in 2019, uses Ultra Wideband technology to improve device location. It can precisely detect where another device is located and the distance between them. For example, Apple used the U1 chip to activate an improved version of AirDrop, AirTag tracking, and soon an option to unlock the car without even having to hold the iPhone or Apple Watch near the door lock.
However, this technology is not authorized in some countries due to the frequencies it uses. As of iOS 13.3.1, Apple has offered users the option to turn off the functionality of the U1 chip, so that it does not constantly check the user’s location when they are not in a supported region.
According to Apple, these are the countries where Ultra Wideband technology is still not available:
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Indonesia
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Nepal
- Russia
- Tajikistan
- Turkmenistan
- Ukraine
- Uzbekistan
And here are the current devices and accessories with Ultra Wideband support:
- iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max
- Apple Watch Series 6
- HomePod mini
- AirTag
Apple has also extended support for the Apple Watch ECG app to more countries with iOS 14.7 and watchOS 7.6, as we’ve explained here.
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