Figure, UWB Driven by mobile phones, chip manufacturers have used mergers and acquisitions to develop more potential applications in the

technology industry Information Room (iKnow) – Gloria Posted on December 21, 2020

Driven by mobile phones, UWB chip manufacturers have borrowed mergers and acquisitions to develop more potential applications

Ultra-wideband UWB has become Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi in wireless technology The next big thing is expected to make further progress from 2021. This also forces related industry chain manufacturers in many fields such as mobile phones, automobiles, and the Internet of Things to continue to increase their layout in the chip field, including: Qorvo, NXP, Time Domain, and STMicroelectronics have all joined the battle.

Interestingly, Qorvo, which supplies Apple’s RF chips, acquired UWB chip maker Decawave for $400 million in January 2020, and only started to enter the UWB field. STMicroelectronics also entered the UWB field by acquiring the French UWB startup BeSpoon in July 2020. This means that the major chip manufacturers are smelling the business opportunities that the UWB market is about to explode in the future.

Today, there are two key industry organizations supporting UWB technology, namely the UWB Alliance (UWB Alliance) and the FiRa Alliance (FiRa Consortium). In early 2020, the two organizations announced a joint liaison agreement outlining their clear roles and declaring a common goal to create an ecosystem that supports UWB and the use of UWB technology.

According to many studies, UWB technology will be used in future smart home technology, augmented reality, mobile payment, car key technology and even indoor navigation. For example: Smartphone manufacturers can use UWB to change the way people open their car doors and seamlessly integrate with the car through a personalized experience. Even UWB will allow people to find wallets, personal items and pets through keys.

That is to say, after the adoption of UWB technology, in the digital key field that originally had Bluetooth and NFC, in addition to being able to lock/unlock and start the car, the digital key can also be personalized (for example: seat, music and ID account), password Key sharing, vehicle tracking, and delivery. In short, the digital key combined with UWB will become a personalized element of the car, and will cause a lot of imagination and start new applications.

In the smart home scenario, UWB technology can use the mobile phone as the core for sensing and ranging, which minimizes the dependence of the traditional node mode, and then realizes functions such as mobile phone Internet of Things remote control and smart unlocking. The biggest advantage of using UWB technology is that it simplifies the interaction process between users and smart home devices and improves precision.

According to market rumors, Apple is planning to release an AirTags product with UWB wireless capabilities. Once it is attached to an object (such as a mobile phone, wallet, keys, etc.), the item can be found instantly through the Find My application on the mobile phone.

According to the forecast of the UWB Alliance, by 2025, UWB chip revenue will reach 10 times that of 2020. According to ABI Research, a global technology market consultancy, UWB-enabled smartphone shipments will grow from more than 42 million in 2019 (3% of smartphones) to nearly 514 million in 2025, accounting for nearly 514 million in 2025 Type mobile phones accounted for 32.5%. (728 words)

[Note] Ultra-wideband (UWB for short) is a wireless personal area network communication technology with low power consumption and high-speed transmission, suitable for wireless communication applications that require high-quality services, and can be used in wireless personal Area networks (WPANs), home network connections, and short-range radar. It does not use continuous sine waves, but uses pulse signals to transmit.

參考資料：
Google’s Ultra-wideband API hints at future standard of phone communication. Android Community，2020/11/11
ST makes acquisitions to strengthen wireless connectivity capabilities. New Electronics, 2020/7/17
STMicroelectronics Joins Ultra Wide Band Alliance and Nominates UWB Innovator Jean-Marie André to the Board of Directors. Globe Newswire, 2020/12/14