Apple Shares Details on Designing Third-Party Accessories Compatible With U1 Chip

As part of WWDC this week, Apple has released a draft specification of its Nearby Interaction Accessory Protocol, allowing third-party accessory manufacturers to review preliminary hardware and software requirements for developing accessories that interact with the U1 chip in supported Apple devices, like iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 models.

precision finding airtag design session
Third-party accessories that are designed to be interoperable with the U1 chip will be able to provide precise and directionally-aware experiences, just like Apple accessories can. For example, users can bring a U1-equipped iPhone close to a HomePod mini to hand off music playback, complete with visual, audible, and haptic effects, or access a Precision Finding feature when an AirTag is near a U1-equipped iPhone.

NXP Semiconductors and Qorvo are now offering development kits for designing third-party accessories that are interoperable with the U1 chip. However, it's unclear when the first U1-enabled third-party accessories will be released.

Apple first opened up the U1 chip to app developers with the release of the Nearby Interaction framework at WWDC 2020, allowing for precise, directionally aware app experiences, and now it is expanding this Ultra Wideband integration to hardware accessories. Apple has a WWDC 2021 session on the topic with more details.

Related Roundup: WWDC 2025
Tag: U1 Chip

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Top Rated Comments

JSL1 Avatar
52 months ago
Maybe they can send a copy to the Apple TV team so the Siri remote gets Find My
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LawJolla Avatar
52 months ago
First one to make a "credit card" air tag gets my money.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Benjamin Nabulsi Avatar
52 months ago
So Tile can stop crying.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
52 months ago
Bring on the competition.

@Theyayarealivin

You are falling down on your duties.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nicroma Avatar
52 months ago
This is great news! More competition! I showed some people at my work how an Airtag works today. They hadn’t heard of them. It blew their minds when my iPhone pointed directly at my keys.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
52 months ago

Bring on the competition.

@Theyayarealivin

You are falling down on your duties.
@Apple_Robert I’m right here!!!!

The UI chip is amazing. Perhaps, Apple will introduce U1 2.0 in Fall September event.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)