Apple is expanding Ultra Wideband availability on compatible devices such as the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 family to more countries, including Argentina, Pakistan, Paraguay and more.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS:
- UWB features now available in 4 new countries
- UWB is still unavailable in 12 countries
- UWB features require a compatible device
Apple U1 Ultra Wideband availability expands to more countries
Ultra Wideband (UWB) features on supported Apple devices are now more widely available than before as Apple has now expanded support for UWB technology to these new countries.
- Argentina
- Pakistan
- Paraguay
- Solomon Islands
People who live in these countries can now freely use UWB features on compatible devices. It’s unclear if this has anything to do with the newly-released iOS 14.7 software update which, among other things, expanded support for the ECG app on Apple Watch to 30 new countries.
Ultra Wideband technology remains inaccessible to Apple users in these countries, according to a freshly updated support document found on the Apple website:
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Indonesia
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Nepal
- Russia
- Tajikistan
- Turkmenistan
- Ukraine
- Uzbekistan
Often likened to “GPS at the scale of your living room”, UWB technology requires Apple’s power-sipping U1 chip, which at the moment of writing was used in the following devices:
- iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 mini
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11
- Apple Watch Series 6
- HomePod mini
- AirTag
Why are UWB features unavailable in some countries? According to Apple, UWB is subject to international regulatory requirements that require it to be turned off in certain locations.
Apple as off iOS 15 also provides developer APIs that enable app makers to take advantage of the U1 chip and implement features like spatial awareness and more.