A new report from a top insider says that Apple will bring an Ultra Wideband upgrade to the iPhone 15 in order to help build the ecosystem for its Vision Pro headset, suggesting that a future of heavier integration with the headset is coming.
Apple unveiled its stunning new Vision Pro headset at WWDC 2023 earlier in June, with a launch scheduled for early next year. In the meantime, Apple is expected to unveil it's brand new iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models at the next Apple event in September, with some big connectivity upgrades in tow.
Ming-Chi Kuo tweeted early Monday stating that "Apple will aggressively upgrade hardware specifications to build a more competitive ecosystem for Vision Pro," stating the ecosystem "is one of the key success factors for Vision Pro, including the integration with other Apple hardware products."
Wi-Fi and UWB
Kuo says that Wi-Fi and UWB are the "main hardware specifications" related to this, and that to that end the iPhone 15 "will likely see an 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."
This could be great news for the iPhone 15's battery life, and also its usefulness to early adopters of the Apple Vision Pro headset.
First introduced to the iPhone 11, Ultra Wideband is powered by the U1 chip in all of Apple's best iPhones. It's the technology that powers close-range spatial awareness and interactions, enabling features like AirDrop and finding devices like AirTags and AirPods. It also enables the Handoff feature on the HomePod and HomePod mini.
Apple did not focus too heavily on the ecosystem of Apple products when it unveiled Vision Pro. The biggest feature announced in that area was the ability to use Vision Pro as a 4K external display for a Mac. This rumored iPhone 15 update could signal that the next iPhone will increase capabilities including adding features like Handoff to the headset, and more.
Kuo did not specify whether this upgrade, if it comes to fruition, will adorn Apple's entire iPhone 15 range or just the more expensive iPhone 15 Pro. Other rumored upgrades include a big design update to the iPhone 15 Pro and a 48MP camera for the regular iPhone.
