O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: U1

  • Bluetooth 6.0 protocol finalized, could help boost Precision Finding feature in next-gen Apple devices

    Bluetooth 6.0 protocol finalized, could help boost Precision Finding feature in next-gen Apple devices

    The latest protocol for Bluetooth, version 6.0, was released earlier this week, and includes a new feature that could make Apple’s Find My App even more precise across various devices.

    Bluetooth 6.0 introduces “Channel Sounding,” a feature that will bring “true distance awareness” to billions of future Bluetooth devices and accessories. The organization behind Bluetooth promises that this technology will achieve “centimeter-level accuracy over considerable distances,” making it easier and quicker for users to locate lost items.

    Apple currently offers a Precision Finding feature in its Find My app that utilizes its Ultra Wideband technology and helps users pinpoint the location of given accessories. The feature has been available since the iPhone 11, and can help find an AirTag or a second-generation AirPods Pro charging case.

    The combination of the Bluetooth 6.0 and Ultra Wideband technologies could help improve Precision Finding. The new Bluetooth 6.0 protocol may also boost the location process for devices that are not equipped with Ultra Wideband chips, such as the Apple TV’s Siri Remote and devices released by other companies.

    It’s unknown when the first devices equipped with Bluetooth 6.0 will be released, and given that the specification only recently became available to hardware manufacturers and developers, the first Apple devices with support are likely at least a year away.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and bluetooth.com

  • Apple begins selling the USB-C charging case for the AirPods Pro 2 earbuds on its own for $99

    Apple begins selling the USB-C charging case for the AirPods Pro 2 earbuds on its own for $99

    Apple has begun selling its USB-C charging case for its AirPods Pro 2 wireless earbuds separately for $99. This allows for faster charging as opposed to the Lightning case without having to buy an individual pair of AirPods.

    The company has stated that the first orders will arrive between December 27 and January 2, so they won’t arrive in time to be a stocking stuffer.

    Apple has offered the following description:

    The MagSafe Charging Case (USB‑C) for AirPods Pro (2nd generation) includes the U1 chip with Precision Finding to help you quickly identify the location of your case. And if you’re nearby but can’t find it, you can play a sound from the built-in speaker. A lanyard loop³ lets you attach your case to a backpack or handbag, so it’s always within reach. And the MagSafe Charging Case is built to brave the elements, with IP54 dust, sweat, and water resistance.

    Apple announced the AirPods Pro 2 with a USB-C charging case back in September. At the time, that case wasn’t available for purchase separately. Instead, anyone who wanted USB-C AirPods Pro 2 had to purchase an entirely new pair for $249.

    Customers can order the USB-C charging case for AirPods Pro on Apple’s website now.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via 9to5Mac and store.apple.com

  • Rumor: Apple prepping launch of second-generation AirTag tracker in 2024

    Rumor: Apple prepping launch of second-generation AirTag tracker in 2024

    Apple is reportedly prepping a second-generation version of its AirTag item tracker.

    Per noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, while specific details as to the tracker are sparse, he expected better integration with Vision Pro to be a selling point.

    Kuo first suggested that Apple might release an AirTag 2 in June of last year. At the time, the analyst said that shipment estimates for the accessory were around 20 million in 2021 and 35 million in 2022. “If AirTag shipments continue to grow, I believe Apple will develop the second generation,” Kuo said in that report.

    Kuo stated that he believes the AirTag 2 to enter mass production during Q4 of 2024.

    “I believe that spatial computing is a new ecosystem that Apple wants to build, using Vision Pro as the core to integrate other devices, including AirTag 2,” Kuo wrote in a tweet.

    The current version of AirTag features a U1 chip for location tracking and precision finding. An upgraded version would likely include a new version of that chip.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via 9to5Mac and @MingChiKuo

  • Rumor: Apple to include upgraded U1 chip in iPhone 15, will work to integrate handset with Vision Pro platform

    Rumor: Apple to include upgraded U1 chip in iPhone 15, will work to integrate handset with Vision Pro platform

    Following Apple’s announcement of its Vision Pro platform at WWDC this month with a release date of “early 2024,” reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has issued a report detailing Apple’s plans to better integrate the iPhone with the Vision Pro ecosystem, starting with the iPhone 15 later this year.

    Per Kuo’s tweet, Apple will “aggressively upgrade hardware specifications” of the iPhone as part of its effort to build a competitive ecosystem surrounding Vision Pro. “The ecosystem is one of the key success factors for Vision Pro, including the integration with other Apple hardware products, and related main hardware specifications are Wi-Fi and UWB,” Kuo wrote.

    Kuo stated that the first step in the process will be an upgrade to the Ultra Wideband chip found in the upcoming iPhone 15. Kuo cited that the upgraded U1 chip will be more efficient and more reliable.

    “iPhone 15 will likely see a specification upgrade of UWB, with the production process moving from 16nm to more advanced 7nm, allowing for improved performance or reduced power consumption for nearby Interactions,” Kuo says.

    The U1 chip first debuted in the iPhone 11, and has been present in each iPhone model since then. The U1 chip is also present in Apple’s AirTag item tracker, the Apple Watch Series 6 and newer, the HomePod mini, the second-generation full-size HomePod, and the latest-generation AirPods Pro charging case.

    The U1 chip handles a number of tasks, including Find My features, Handoff, Precision Finding, AirDrop, and more.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via 9to5Mac and @mingchikuo

  • iFixit posts teardown video of AirPods Pro 2 earbuds, charging case

    iFixit posts teardown video of AirPods Pro 2 earbuds, charging case

    If you’re tempted to open up and modify or repair your brand new AirPods Pro 2 earbuds, you probably shouldn’t.

    On Wednesday, repair website iFixit posted a teardown video of Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro, providing a closer look at the internals of the new earbuds and charging case. The teardown confirms that AirPods Pro remain largely unrepairable.

    Opening up the AirPods Pro and the charging case continues to result in unfixable damage, preventing battery replacements and other repairs.

    As noted before, the video shows the metal insert on the charging case for attaching a lanyard is welded to the Lightning connector inside the case. iFixit doesn’t offer an explanation as to its function, even though CT scanning company Lumafield has speculated that the new lanyard insert could double as an antenna for the U1 chip, which boosts the Find My feature.

    There aren’t too many new suprises to be found with the internals of the new AirPods Pro 2 and charging case, which remain environmentally unfriendly.

    The new AirPods Pro launched last Friday and retail for $249 in the United States.

    Via MacRumors and iFixit