The first UWB-enabled Android phone is launched

NXP Semiconductors (NXP) announced that its secure ultra-wideband (UWB) precise positioning solution, embedded SIM (eSIM) and near-field communication (NFC) and secure element (eSE) units have been deployed in Samsung’s latest mobile phone, the Galaxy Note20 Ulta.

NXP and Samsung are two founding members of the FiRa Consortium, which was formed in 2019 to promote interoperability in the development and widespread adoption of UWB.

“For the first time in a Galaxy device, Samsung has integrated NXP’s UWB technology into the latest Galaxy Note20 Ultra, making it easier to share photos, videos and files,” said Inkang Song, Vice President and Head of Technology Strategy, IT and Mobile Communications Technology Division, Samsung Electronics. “We are excited to introduce future UWB capabilities in Galaxy phones that will help locate objects more precisely through AR technology and unlock your home as a digital key, making consumers’ lives easier.”

UWB technology provides higher accuracy in both line-of-sight (LoS, line-of-site) and non-line-of-sight (nLoS, non-line-of-site) scenarios, such as crowded multipath signal environments, walls, people, and other obstacles.

It also uses Angle of Arrival (AoA) technology to indicate the direction of the signal for increased accuracy, and can locate and identify other devices or objects at the centimeter level.

“NXP offers a comprehensive set of UWB chipsets covering best-in-class security, automotive, IoT and mobile architectures to enable real-time, precise location capabilities across market applications,” said Rafael Sotomayor, executive vice president and general manager of Connectivity and Security at NXP. “This is important for driving the digitization of identity in mobile devices, allowing people to interact contactlessly with the world around them. In addition to UWB, eSIM is a new use case enabled in our mobile wallets, providing connectivity capabilities beyond traditional SIM cards.”

The precise sensing and positioning capabilities of NXP's secure UWB technology will enable mobile devices to communicate with connected doors, entrances and cars for completely contactless access control. UWB can also be part of a system that quickly and securely initiates communications. With onboard NFC, devices can continue to perform contactless transactions even if the device runs out of power.

Unlike traditional SIM cards that must be removed and replaced in new devices, NXP's GSMA-compliant eSIM solution is permanently integrated into the device, making remote SIM configuration simpler and providing OTA updates of the SIM. External SIM card slots and eSIM cards allow end users to conveniently have two or more phone numbers on a single device.