More Apple (-like) Tags
Just a few days ago we mentioned “The Tags are Getting Close…” that Samsung was about to make available its UWB (Ultra-wide band) tags, having appeared on the B&H (pvt) website with an April 12 delivery date. In that note we also indicated that Samsung’s obvious interest in getting their UWB tags out was based on its rivalry with Apple (AAPL) who had already included UWB in some of its devices and was rumored to be readying a product similar to Samsung’s. As it turns out Apple announced its “Find My” network yesterday, based on an updated app that allows 3rd party products to use the “Find My” network, with a few 3rd party products to be released next week.
The new app requires that 3rd party device designers adhere to a set of chipset specifications (not yet publicly disclosed) that Apple has developed, that will allow other devices to be located on the Apple network, just as those Apple products with UWB can be found by the app, and locked remotely until it can be recovered. The network operates in a fashion similar to Samsung’s in that it can locate lost devices even if they are not connected to the internet, as Apple devices that are nearby can pinpoint the lost device’s location and notify the owner completely anonymously and without any user intervention of knowledge of the lost item’s location.
The first 3rd party devices to be released next week are e-bikes, wireless earbuds (not Apple), and a smart tag that can be used on a number of devices or articles. We expect the opening of the Apple network to increase UWB chipset volumes (when foundry capacity is available) and lower the price of such devices to a more reasonable level that would encourage their use. While we expect Apple and others are pricing such devices as a percentage of the replacement cost, we see the absolute cost as the real incentive for widespread use.
The new app requires that 3rd party device designers adhere to a set of chipset specifications (not yet publicly disclosed) that Apple has developed, that will allow other devices to be located on the Apple network, just as those Apple products with UWB can be found by the app, and locked remotely until it can be recovered. The network operates in a fashion similar to Samsung’s in that it can locate lost devices even if they are not connected to the internet, as Apple devices that are nearby can pinpoint the lost device’s location and notify the owner completely anonymously and without any user intervention of knowledge of the lost item’s location.
The first 3rd party devices to be released next week are e-bikes, wireless earbuds (not Apple), and a smart tag that can be used on a number of devices or articles. We expect the opening of the Apple network to increase UWB chipset volumes (when foundry capacity is available) and lower the price of such devices to a more reasonable level that would encourage their use. While we expect Apple and others are pricing such devices as a percentage of the replacement cost, we see the absolute cost as the real incentive for widespread use.
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