Rumor has it that Apple is planning to release the so-called AirPods Studio this fall. Now a leaker has spoken out and brought the U1 chip into play.
The anonymous leaker “L0vetodream” has revealed a number of new tweets on the subject of the U1 chip and suggested that the AirPods Studio will also feature Apple's ultra-wideband chip. It is likely that the U1 chip in AirPods Studio will be used to track the position of the headphones in the Find My app. But the component could also have other functions, such as directional detection of other U1 devices within range. Apple has already stated that the U1 chip "will enable short-range wireless location tracking to support new experiences, such as next-generation digital car keys." However, unlike AirDrop's directional detection, much of its functionality has yet to be realized. Ultra-wideband (UWB) is a low-power, short-range wireless technology that enables very precise location determination - especially indoors.
“U1 chip will have greater importance in the future”
The U1 chip was originally introduced in the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. The absence of the component in the iPad Pro 2020 and the second iPhone SE raised doubts about the chip's future - until it was recently included in the Apple Watch Series 6. But now the topic has been further examined. The informant believes that the addition of the U1 chip to the Apple Watch Series 6 demonstrates the continued commitment of Apple for this technology and serves as an indication that the chip will have a much greater significance within the Apple ecosystem in the future. It states:
I explained this point a few months ago. With the launch of the S6 and the U1 chip, my prediction that the ecosystem will use U1 to determine distance and direction in the future, similar to the spatial audio feature of the AirPods in iOS 14, has been confirmed. It is likely that the new headset with the U1 chip will be able to automatically detect the left and right positioning of the headset.
"AirTags act as a bridge"
Rumors that the AirPods Studio will not have a predefined "static" left or right side have surfaced several times. According to this, it should not matter how users wear them. According to the leaker, the U1 chip is responsible for detecting their actual position. The release of spatial audio for AirPods Pro (Spatial Audio) and the introduction of directional AirDrop for the iPhone 11 prove that Apple is increasingly interested in directional and location-centric technology. Finally, the leaker described the purpose of the upcoming AirTags:
The AirTag is a node that connects everything together. The node acts as a bridge to link different devices together. U1 is the most important part in realizing this bridge. The privacy feature of iOS 14 was created to make the AirTag more usable in a private environment.
When will AirTags and AirPods Studio be released?
The idea that AirTags are an important part of a larger U1 network for "connecting" different devices, with privacy as a priority, explains the difference between AirTags and other item trackers. It also now becomes clear why Apple waited so long to unveil them. Both the AirTags and AirPods Studio are expected to be unveiled later this year. Sources currently believe that Apple will unveil AirTags together with the iPhone 12 in October. This is expected to be the case as part of another online event. It is not known whether the AirPods Studio will also be unveiled at this event. (Photo by pixbold / Bigstockphoto)