Building up on its Exynos line of mobile processors, Samsung recently unveiled a new addition to its chipset lineup in the form of the Exynos U100, its first ultra-wideband (UWB) chipset. Samsung says that the new chip features single-digit centimeter accuracy, and is optimized for use in different industries and hardware including portable smart devices, automotive and Internet of Things (IoT) tech, for precise distance and location information.
Also part of this unveiling was “Exynos Connect,” Samsung’s new brand that consolidates the company’s short-range wireless communication hardware and products, including UWB, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi tech commonly seen in most products nowadays. According to Joonsuk Kim, Executive Vice President of the Connectivity Development Team at Samsung Electronics:
“Our Exynos Connect U100 combines sophisticated ranging and positioning capabilities with strong security to enable hyper-connectivity between people and everyday objects, fueling a range of new applications in positioning and location tracking. Building on our technology leadership in communications technologies, we are committed to driving innovation in short-range communication solutions to transform the way we connect and relate to the world around us.”
Simply put, UWB is a short-range wireless communication technology that is capable of working over a broad frequency spectrum, letting users access faster data transfers all the while using lower power resources. UWB is being used in a lot of newer technologies including remote payments, smart keys, smart homes, and even smart factories.
Samsung adds that the Exynos Connect U100 can provide an accuracy of single-digit centimeters and under five degrees, making it ideal for indoor environments with limited GPS tracking as well as for AR and VR applications that require exact and real-time tracking of moving users. Other features of the new chipset include radio frequency (RF), baseband, embedded Flash (eFlash) memory and power management IP, all fitted into a single compact chip.
The Exynos U100 can also tap into a power-saving feature to maximize the battery life of mobile and automotive hardware, as well as smaller devices such as smart tracking tags that run on limited power supplies. Additionally, the U100 also packs a scrambled timestamp sequence (STS) function and a secure hardware encryption engine, which Samsung says helps in preventing unwanted hacking.
Despite launching its latest Samsung Galaxy S23 flagships with Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets, the South Korean giant hasn’t slowed down on maintaining its pace with its own Exynos brand.
Last month, the company also unveiled its latest midrange Exynos 1380 chipset. The SoC is manufactured with a 5nm process, and comes with a Cortex-A78x4 2.4GHz and Cortex-A55x4 2.0GHz, and a Mali-G68 MP5 GPU. The Exynos 1380 powers the recently-launched Galaxy A54 and A34, which make up Samsung’s most popular mid-range phones for 2023.
