UWB’s Growing Diversity Highlights Enormous Potential of Technology While Bringing New Challenges

Ultra-Wideband (UWB) is fast becoming another foundational wireless connectivity technology, offering unique benefits when compared to other short-range wireless solutions such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®, 802.15.4, and Near Field Communication (NFC). The combination of secure ranging, radar, and sensing, as well as the potential to be utilized as a low-latency, high throughput communications technology over short distances, are opening up an increasingly diverse set of use cases across consumer, automotive, commercial, industrial, and smart city environments. Meanwhile, with next-generation UWB based on 802.15.4ab on the horizon, the technology will become even more compelling. While this brings enormous potential opportunities, it also brings challenges in terms of standardization and interoperability, more direct competition with other technologies, deciding where to focus UWB product development efforts, spectrum resources, and the need to create an ecosystem of solutions that can support this growing heterogeneity of applications.

Despite multiple new emerging applications for UWB technology in recent years, smartphones still accounted for 67% of total UWB device shipments in 2024. However, this is expected to fall over time as new UWB applications start to build success, with other devices such as smartwatches, smart home devices, personal trackers, vehicles, Real-Time Location System (RTLS) tags, and other devices taking a more prominent share. In  terms of penetration, around ¼ of smartphones shipped in 2024 supported UWB technology, driven by adoption in all but one of the iPhones since the iPhone 11, support in Pixel 7, 8, and 9 Pro devices, Samsung Galaxy S23, S24, S25+ and Ultra, Z Fold 4, 5 and 6 devices, among select models from Huawei and Xiaomi, primarily flagship devices that account for a large share of the overall smartphone market from a volume perspective. However, UWB adoption is expected to accelerate over the next few years as it transcends the flagship tier into premium and increasingly upper-midrange toward the end of the decade. This will then further incentivize mass adoption post-2030. By 2030, the installed base of UWB-enabled smartphones is expected to reach 2.2 billion, creating a compelling platform from which to build adjacent applications, including secure vehicle and building access, personal item tracking, logical access (e.g., proximity unlocking of notebooks), point-and-trigger applications, untracked indoor navigation, contactless tap-free mobile payments, and public transport fare collection, among others. Smartphones, and to a lesser extent smartwatches, will drive this wider ecosystem, with these devices acting as digital keys, trackers or tracked items, digital wallets, or remote controls, with most of the use cases taking advantage of UWB’s fine-ranging capabilities backed by the FiRa Consortium. Many of these use cases will further accelerate with the arrival of 802.15.4ab.

Below is a look at several of the of the key UWB markets in detail to understand the drivers of the technology’s adoption and its key applications.

Automotive

One of the primary drivers for UWB’s adoption in the smartphone was to enable it to be leveraged as a digital key for automotive applications. Numerous Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) have already adopted UWB-enabled digital key solutions, including BMW, Hyundai, Xiaomi, and Tesla, among several others. In addition to digital key applications that have driven the resurgence in UWB technology, the integration of radar functionality for child presence detection and secure access is now incentivizing many others to adopt the technology to conform with new safety regulations, and this could, in turn, begin to boost wider digital key adoption. This combined value is becoming very compelling to accelerating UWB adoption in the vehicle, spurring on further internal and external facing use cases, and the automotive market represents one of the largest opportunities for UWB technology thanks to multiple high-volume use cases. UWB penetration in new vehicles is expected to grow from 10% in 2023 to over 41% by 2029, driven primarily by keyless entry and in-cabin sensing applications. As most vehicles will have between 4 and 6 UWB anchor points, the actual UWB Integrated Circuit (IC) shipment volumes will be considerably higher than the number of vehicles that support the technology itself. Meanwhile, other potential use cases for UWB include automated charging cover unlock, smart parking and smart Electric Vehicle (EV) charger finding and activation, automated ticket barriers and payments, automated tolling and other payment applications, autonomous parking, and wireless Battery Management Systems (BMSs), among others. While some of these are longer term and require the rollout of dedicated infrastructure, UWB will continue to have a strong presence across multiple automotive applications.

Several UWB solution providers are already starting to see the potential of the technology within EV charging infrastructure applications. For example, Easelink and NXP recently jointly developed the Matrix Charging positioning system that uses UWB for automated EV charging. The objective is to enable a UWB EV charging infrastructure that can support numerous different usage scenarios, including guidance for manual charging, underbody conductive charging, side automated charging via robots, and wireless EV charging. With the public EV charging stock expected to grow to over 42 million by 2035, UWB-enabled EV charging infrastructure could represent a significant opportunity for the technology from both an in-vehicle and external infrastructure perspective.

Smart Home

Point-and-trigger has been one of the most frequently discussed use cases for UWB technology within the home, enabling users to point at a device to bring up a control panel for easy interaction. Vendors have pushed the benefits early on and this feature was made available as part of the FiRa 2.0 Technical Specifications. Given the complexity of smart home management today, it is little surprise that point-and-trigger applications can bring a much more seamless and streamlined user experience. However, despite the high-volume potential, point and trigger may take more time to be established, due to needing strong ecosystem backing from both smartphone manufacturers and end device manufacturers. Nonetheless, the smart home remains one of the largest opportunities for UWB, with smart appliances expected to reach nearly 600 million units by 2029, many of which could benefit from both point-and-trigger and proximity interactions. Other application segments that could embed UWB for point-and-trigger and other interactions include smart TVs (240 million units by 2029), speakers and soundbars (181 million by 2029), and consumer robotics (84 million by 2029), among many other home automation devices such as smart home controllers, thermostats, and voice control front ends. As the UWB installed base in smartphones accelerates, this will become more compelling across a range of applications for more seamless environmental interactions.

Point-and-trigger applications could also be combined with presence detection and people following use cases that enable devices to detect where a user is in the home environment and adapt accordingly. These concepts could be fundamental to the Artificial Intelligence (AI) concept now being touted by leading smart home vendors. For example, Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and lighting can adjust automatically depending on how many occupants there are and where they are located, to enable greater energy savings.

Consumer Robotics

In addition to existing deployments of UWB within robotic lawnmower applications, there is opportunity for the technology to be adopted within personal assistant robotics and companion robotics. Communication and localization between robotics and appliances is a key concept of the AI home. UWB has the potential to be at the forefront of appliance and consumer robotics interaction, follow me, or pet monitoring-related applications for use cases such as video recording, home patrolling, or pet feeding.

UWB radar can also be leveraged for home healthcare applications, e.g., breath detection in a baby monitor, smart healthcare mirrors, or other device concepts detecting breathing rate or heart rate such as dedicated elderly care monitors, companion robotics, or non-intrusive non-wearable devices for breathing monitoring.

Home Access Control

Several UWB-enabled door locks have already arrived on the market in 2025, most notably at CES. ULTRALOQ showcased its new Bolt Mission UWB + NFC Smart Deadbolt, which it claimed to be the world’s first lock with UWB technology, while Schlage unveiled its UWB and NFC-equipped Sense Pro™ Smart Deadbolt. Smart doorbells that combine video with lock functionality are also expected to incorporate UWB in the future.

ABI Research sees this as a significant medium-term opportunity as UWB penetration in phones increases and new products arrive on the market. Furthermore, the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) unveiled Aliro in November 2023, a new standard that leverages UWB, Bluetooth®, and NFC to transform how users unlock doors and other home and commercial building entry points using mobile devices or wearables. This is likely to help propel the market forward in the coming years.

Home Entertainment

UWB also has the potential to be leveraged as a more accurate remote-control solution for smart TVs and other applications. Several TV manufacturers such as Huawei have already deployed UWB-enabled remote controls combined with Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs). This can enable users to use remotes for more precise control, swiping, scrolling, and enabling a better user experience for entertainment selection, browsing, and gaming applications, while also enabling more seamless gesture controls. Meanwhile, the Huayuen Corporation developed its HY-TR100 Air-commanding remote control, combining UWB with an IMU to enable enhanced control within consumer TVs, conference room displays, education settings, and office environments. Meanwhile, other UWB vendors are developing retrofit UWB solutions that can enable “air mouse” capabilities for smart TVs as other venues without the need to deploy a TV embedded with UWB. With embedded UWB, TVs could also take advantage of smartphone point-and-trigger applications, while the combination of ranging and sensing capabilities could also enable presence detection to determine when users have walked away, or if they are still watching the program. In addition, this could lead to personalization of content and environment when linked with a specific device.

In June 2025, CEVA launched its MotionEngine™ Hex solution, seeking to bring precise, touch-free, spatial control to smart TV, gaming, and other Internet of Things (IoT) interfaces. The solution combines UWB positioning with IMU orientation sensing, enabling users to control on-screen content with touchscreen-like pointing accuracy and spatial gestures, without ever touching the screen.

Item Tracking

Established players such as Samsung, Apple, and Motorola have all developed UWB-enabled personal tracker tags and are already shipping in considerable volumes. This has been one of the most notable consumer-facing use cases for UWB to date. Google also recently announced the evolution of its Find My Device into the Find Hub, while also enabling nearby finding with UWB technology, including support for the moto tag. Android’s Find Hub support for UWB should accelerate the Android UWB tracking market further in the coming years.

However, with strong competition from Bluetooth® Channel Sounding offering “good enough” performance, for some it may be difficult to justify the extra cost of UWB integration. UWB tags are currently more expensive and viewed as a premium differentiator to existing Bluetooth® Low Energy (LE) technology. Nonetheless, many in the industry believe there is a significant longer-term opportunity to embed low-power UWB directly into consumer items and luggage. For example, UWB could be deployed within earbuds, UWB charging cases (like with AirPods 2 Pro), and other embedded trackable items to enable more accurate tracking.

UWB could also enable some interesting new concepts such as “follow me” personal items. For example, the Airwheel SR5 is a smart robotic suitcase that can follow the carrier automatically. ABI Research expects UWB adoption within consumer tracking devices to continue in the coming years as UWB adoption in source devices accelerates, prices are reduced, range is improved, and power consumption is reduced.

Wireless Audio

The wireless audio market continues to develop at a rapid pace. Innovations in Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi, proprietary, and increasingly UWB audio are leading to an even more competitive landscape. In January 2025, Samsung filed a patent for over-ear headphones and earbuds leveraging UWB and Bluetooth®, though a real-world product has not yet arrived. Meanwhile, multiple concepts of UWB headphones have appeared in recent years, while some UWB IC vendors such as SPARK Microsystems have led the way in terms of real-world partnerships, ranging from UWB headsets to wireless microphones and speakers. In addition, in 2023, the Audio Engineering Society (AES) announced the foundation of a new Task Group to develop a new standard for high-resolution, low-latency UWB audio. This could represent a significant market opportunity for premium UWB audio solutions in the years to come, though the current implementation of UWB within smartphones does not support wireless audio.

Meanwhile, UWB’s potential as a low-latency communication technology has been further developed by SPARK Microsystem’s latest SR1120 solution, its 2nd generation UWB transceiver. This solution is claimed to bring significantly lower power consumption and latency, and better interference robustness when compared to Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi, and other 2.4 Gigahertz (GHz) radios, while delivering data rates of up to 40.96 Megabits per Second (Mbps). It is also claimed this can be achieved at approximately 25X lower power and 60X lower latency than Bluetooth®. This can help enable new Body Area Network (BAN) applications, including personal audio devices, wearables, Extended Reality (XR), healthcare, gaming, robotics, and a range of other applications. This adds to other solutions from the likes of Imec with its Impulse Radio (IR)-UWB chip that is capable of delivering up to 1.66 Gigabits per Second (Gbps) with a power consumption of less than 10 Milliwatts (mW), which could open up new opportunities in XR and healthcare-related applications, among others. SPARK Microsystems has also been actively developing low-latency controllers, peripherals, and IoT sensors.

Payments and Public Transport Fare Collection

Another target application segment for UWB is within payment applications, enabling contactless payments over longer distances when compared with NFC. There are obvious advantages of integrating UWB within Point of Sale (POS) terminals, including the ability to enable more seamless checkout experiences where the customer does not need to be near the POS terminal to pay. This can also enable a better user experience within in-vehicle payment scenarios at ticket barriers or drive-throughs. Related to this, in 2022, NXP piloted the first UWB peer-to-peer payment between smartphones.

There are also clear advantages of deploying UWB within public transport fare collection use cases. In addition to an improved user experience by not needing to pull out a phone, it can prevent blockages in the system through delayed authentication, which is critical during rush hour and congested periods. Gates can also potentially remain open and only shut when there is no correct credential, further speeding the traffic flow. Currently, there are several pilot and trial implementations for UWB within mass transit applications. For example, Shenzhen Tong completed a deployment at all 11 stations of the Yunba Line in October 2024. However, certain implementations may require additional infrastructure beyond just a compatible POS, adding to cost and complexity.

ABI Research believes that peer-to peer/device-to-device payments will likely see more rapid adoption due to less infrastructure complexity and a well-established NFC precedent with Apple accepting tap-to-pay. Extending support to UWB could also help raise awareness around the convenience of UWB payments over distance.

Of course, with this diversity comes new challenges.

First, much work still needs to be done from the standardization perspective to ensure that UWB is capable of addressing all of these use cases effectively, and that IC vendors can take advantage of each of them. Different organizations and consortia will need to ensure that UWB is capable of addressing all of these future use cases, while ensuring that performance, latency, and security requirements continue to be met. Parallel to this is the need for continued work on creating a favorable regulatory environment for UWB spectrum to ensure the long-term viability of the technology across these applications.

While there are signs of closer collaboration and many partnerships exist today, UWB development is also contingent on a number of different standards organizations and consortia, including the IEEE, the UWB Alliance, the FiRa Consortium, the CSA, the CCC, omlox, AES, as well as a range of different IC vendors and solution providers that offer proprietary solutions tailored to specific verticals. In the longer term, it will be key for this collaboration to increase, much like today where development of Bluetooth® technology is in the hands of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). It will also be key to ensure there is no regional split of the technology development process to ensure global compatibility, something that has been key to the success of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth®. Furthermore, as UWB diversifies across different elements, including fine-ranging, sensing and radar, and data communications, and highly tailored localization solutions, it risks further fragmentation and interoperability issues over time if these developments remain siloed.

From an IC perspective, vendors will need to develop tailored solutions that are capable of addressing this diversity of applications. Much of the initial focus has understandably been on digital key-related applications. However, as UWB’s reach broadens, so too will the complexity of the ecosystem of chipsets and modules. This will be compounded by the growing IC and Intellectual Property (IP) maturity, helping to reduce cost, power, and latency, and improve range and efficiency, throughput, and robustness. Meanwhile, UWB will also be deployed in conjunction with other technologies such as Bluetooth® and Wi-Fi, so the growing availability of integrated combo ICs will also be vital in scaling the market.

Much work still needs to be done in terms of market education. While awareness of UWB is growing, it has not yet resonated as strongly and is much less of a household name when compared to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth®. There is also a strong competitive landscape from technologies such as Bluetooth® LE (particularly thanks to Bluetooth® Channel Sounding, LE Audio, high data throughput, and future evolution in higher frequency bands) and Wi-Fi, which could offer “good enough” performance in certain applications. End users and product manufacturers will, therefore, need to become more familiar about what sets UWB apart from the competition and where it is best applied. Of course, this will no doubt increase as the penetration of UWB in smartphones and accessory devices accelerates. Here, UWB will need to prove its unique value proposition versus existing technologies, whether through enhanced security (e.g., digital key and access control), enabling new experiences that others do not support (e.g., payments over distance and automated ticketing), higher quality experiences (e.g., wireless audio), and greater accuracy (e.g., RTLS and indoor navigation), among many others.