Since the iPhone 11 first launched ultra-wideband UWB technology last year, Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra also supported UWB technology not long ago, and now Xiaomi 10 series products have officially launched UWB technology.

On October 12, Xiaomi officially announced its latest black technology "One Finger Connect" UWB technology, one finger connects all-scene devices. This is a new generation of connection technology that is fully equipped with spatial positioning, and is the first to realize a revolutionary way of pointing interaction.

This time, combined with Xiaomi’s self-developed antenna arrangement and algorithm, through the magic modification of the Xiaomi Mi 10 series mobile phones and a series of smart devices, Xiaomi has achieved centimeter-level positioning and ±3° angle measurement accuracy, and launched "one finger control" and Two innovative functions of "One Finger Projection".

As Lei Jun said, Yizhilian is only the tip of the iceberg of Xiaomi UWB technology. In the future, UWB technology will form complementary advantages with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to meet users' wireless connection needs in different scenarios and generate greater market dividends.

Evolution of UWB technology

UWB stands for Ultra Wide Band, or ultra-wideband communication. It is a low-power wireless communication and perception technology. Unlike common continuous carrier broadband communication methods, UWB uses nanosecond (0.3ns) narrow pulses to transmit data. It has relatively accurate positioning and perception capabilities, and can be used in wireless personal area networks, home network connections, precise positioning, and short-range radar.

According to research by West China Securities, UWB (Ultra Wideband) technology began in the 1960s and was originally used in the military. The UWB market is still in its early stages of development. In order to promote the steady advancement of the industry, Samsung, Bosch, NXP and other technology manufacturers have joined the FiRa Alliance in 2019 to develop unified standards and build a corresponding ecosystem to ensure that different chipsets, Equipment and solutions are seamlessly interoperable.

According to Yang Ruchun, the former head of Huawei’s mobile phone U.S. purchasing department, it is known that UWB reached its peak in the 2004 hype cycle in the famous Gartner technology hype cycle, but was abandoned after 2008. At that time, a group of startups had already closed down because of this. In the autumn of 2019, Apple’s iPhone 11 conference, all three new mobile phones are equipped with a self-developed U1 chip, which supports indoor navigation and object tracking services, which reawakened great interest in the market overnight.

It is worth noting that this UWB is not the other UWB. The evolution of this technology is promoted by standard formulation. The different stages of standard evolution determine the market's application direction and acceptance. From the first-generation standard 802.15.4a formulated in 2006 to the new standard 802.15.4z introduced in 2018, the physical layer is divided into high-rate and low-rate implementations, and a positioning function is added to the high-rate.

It is understood that the latest UWB standard 802.15.4z has not yet been finalized, and on the basis of following this standard, Apple has taken the lead in launching various UWB-based hardware, supporting car keys, contactless access control, real-time positioning, point-to-point data transmission, etc. The functions will be expanded to headsets, watches, tablets, notebooks, speakers, Apple TV and other devices in the future, as well as the ubiquitous Airtags, forming an ecosystem of tracking and positioning and interconnection, which will have a profound impact on future applications.

Domestic market pattern

New products launched by Apple and Samsung have added UWB chip modules, which has also accelerated the popularization of the technology. The introduction of technology by Xiaomi on its flagship models now also highlights the future application trend of this technology.

According to the forecast of the Internet of Things Media, the market volume of UWB enterprise applications in my country will reach 12.15 billion yuan in 2022, far exceeding the 297 million yuan in 2016, achieving rapid growth.

From the current domestic market, there are not many manufacturers in this field, but under the huge market demand, UWB industry-related companies will continue to benefit.

At present, with incomplete statistics on the integrated microgrid, listed companies such as Haoyun Technology, USI Electronics, and Changjiang Electronics Technology have long been deployed at the UWB technology or product level, and both USI Electronics and Changjiang Electronics Technology are Apple's UWB-related product suppliers .

Recently, Haoyun Technology stated on the interactive platform that the company has been developing UWB technology since 2016. It has mainly built UWB mobile phones, smart bracelets, base stations, tags and other products around UWB technology. The core algorithms and other underlying technologies of the products are all developed by the company. Achievements; and the company's aforementioned products have mature cases in G-end and civilian scenarios such as community correction mobile phones, nuclear power plants, medical care, elderly care, parking, and education.

At the same time, in August of this year, Haoyun Technology obtained 6% equity of a domestic UWB chip design company through investment to help build UWB domestic chips, and through this move, complete the UWB industry of "chip module product platform solutions" The closed-loop chain layout will lay a solid foundation for the company's future development in the entire industry.

In addition to Haoyun Technology, Changjiang Electronics Technology is the main supplier of iPhone UWB SiP, and USI, as the world's first manufacturer of mass-produced UWB modules, is also Apple's UWB supplier.

In addition, Jiwei.com learned that in addition to listed companies, RF chip manufacturer Chipset’s UWB RF front-end products have been shipped in small quantities, and some products are still under development.

In the long run, based on the rising demand for UWB precision positioning, Apple’s plus code is expected to promote the development of the consumer market. With the characteristics of strong penetration, low power consumption and long-distance transmission, UWB ultra-wideband technology is used in industrial control, public inspection law, power plants/substations, etc. Enterprise-level scenarios are widely used. At the same time, Apple also introduced the U1 chip with UWB module in iPhone11 for the first time to optimize the Airdrop function and began to increase the smart home business with UWB. Many of the above industry chain manufacturers will also benefit simultaneously.