According to the technical specifications of the new AirPods Max, the new and expensive Apple headphones do not incorporate the ultra-wideband U1 chip. Although for the price they have, they could mount up to an M1 chip.
This U1 chip already debuted on iPhones 11 last year, and is in charge of placing a device that incorporates this module in space, thanks to a special ultra-wideband Bluetooth. It is strange then that it does not incorporate it.
The U1 Chip started its life in iPhone 11 models last year. This module allows to improve the positioning in space of two devices that connect through said modem.
The distance between two devices incorporating the U1 chip can be accurately measured calculating the time it takes for a radio wave to pass between them, much more accurately than Bluetooth LE and Wi-Fi.
The deployment of the U1 chip by Apple has been intermittent, with all iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 models, Apple Watch Series 6 models and HomePod mini equipping said chip, but not with the second generation iPhone SE, Apple Watch SE or the latest iPad models, iPad Air and iPad Pro. Apple also has to launch a Mac that incorporates this component.
The use of ultra-broadband technology (Ultra Wideband) by Apple has been limited so far, as a directional AirDrop feature in iOS 13 and later, and nothing else. But the company has promised more exciting new features in the future.
One of those new uses for the U1 chip will likely be its trackers. AirTags, which will surely incorporate Ultra Wideband technology, which will allow users to locate their lost items with greater precision.
As we inform back in the day, some leakers like lovetodream they had suggested that the AirPods Max (which were dubbed AirPods Studio at first) would be equipped with the U1 chip, and ultimately it has not been. So if you buy them, try not to lose them, because you will have a disappointment valued at 629 Euros.
