What you need to know
- Apple Watch Series 6 includes Apple's U1 chip.
- The iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro are the only other Apple devices to include the chip.
- It is unclear what features Apple plans to roll out that uses the technology.
Reported by The Verge, Apple Watch Series 6 will be the first Apple Watch to feature Apple's U1 chip. The company had first introduced the chip quietly in the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro, and today it did the same with its new flagship smartwatch.
As noted by the report, the U1 ultra-wideband location chip can enable features such as finding devices with more precision or unlocking homes or cars without having to pull an iPhone out of your pocket.
The feature is Apple's U1 ultra-wideband locator chip, which could let these devices find each other, find other gadgets equipped with similar tech, and even securely unlock your car and your door without ever pulling an iPhone out of your pocket.
As revealed on Apple's specifications pages, the U1 chip is currently reserved for the new Apple Watch Series 6. The new Apple Watch SE does not include the chip.
And perusing the official Apple Watch specs comparison page, we can see that it's only the $399 Series 6 that's getting the U1 chip, not the new Apple Watch SE. It's not in the Series 5, either, and it was missing from the 2020 iPhone SE announcement as well.
It is not clear as to what features Apple has planned for devices that feature the chip. Many speculate that it will be a crucial technology to realize Apple's planned AirTags product. Wideband technology would allow users to more easily locate lost items.
It's got a hot new chip.
Apple Watch Series 6 features a Blood Oxygen sensor, new colors and watchOS 7
