Apple’s iPhone was the first smartphone to introduce Ultra Wideband capabilities, which made it easier to find lost items — like your car keys attached to an AirTag hidden in the couch cushions. With the release of iPhone 15, the iPhone will gain Apple’s second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, which will allow it to connect to other devices with the same chip up to three times farther away. Plus, notes Apple, this means it will now also be easier to find your friends in a crowd when using the iPhone 15.
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The new phone will support precision finding, allowing you to navigate through a crowded venue — like a concert, train station, or farmers market to find your friends who are sharing their location with you. As with the precision-finding features previously available for finding lost items and devices, you’ll now be able to be guided directly to your friends with clear directions and distance indicators thanks to the improved finding capabilities.
The phone will gain other communication enhancements as well, including better audio quality that prioritizes your voice — so if you need to call your friends in that crowded market, for example, they’ll be able to hear you without as much background noise.
And in extreme situations when you’re off the grid, the iPhone includes support for satellite calls with Emergency SOS. The feature has since expanded to 14 countries on three continents and is coming to Spain and Switzerland this month. A new feature will now offer roadside assistance via satellite, which lets you text to gain access to a roadside assistance provider.
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