Bluetooth 5.1 and Near‑Final UWB Standard Promise 10‑cm Location Accuracy

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Today the Bluetooth Special Interest Group released a revised specification that introduces direction‑finding, enabling location services with 10‑centimeter precision. A separate draft for ultra‑wideband (UWB) radio, nearly ready for final approval, promises even faster and finer accuracy—measuring distances to within a single centimeter.

Bluetooth 5.1 expands on multi‑antenna positioning, using signal phase and amplitude to triangulate positions. While the core mechanisms are now defined, application profiles are still under development, ensuring developers can integrate the feature with confidence.

In mid‑March, the IEEE 802.15.4z standard for UWB is expected to enter a stable draft, opening the door for silicon manufacturers to adopt the technology. The new standard supports centimeter‑level resolution and nanosecond timing—speeding up location accuracy beyond what Bluetooth can deliver.

Industry leaders Apple and Samsung have been actively participating in the 802.15.4z working group, along with Huawei. Their involvement suggests that UWB could appear in commercial smartphones within the next two years. NXP, a long‑time member of the group, has also been exploring integration possibilities, potentially combining UWB with existing NFC chips.

“Consumer electronics applications are notoriously hard to predict before they hit the market,” says Benjamin Rolfe, vice chair of the 802.15.4z group and a technology consultant at Blind Creek Associates. “Smartphones already house multiple radios with distinct functions, so adding UWB is a natural next step.”

Rolfe is also chief technologist of the UWB Alliance, which launched last year with backing from Decawave—a leading supplier of UWB chips for embedded systems. 3DB Access, a Zurich‑based UWB chip manufacturer, has likewise been active in the working group.

An example of one of the timing methods the UWB standard uses. (Source: IEEE 802.15.4z)

The IEEE group’s website states the spec targets a range of up to 100 meters. To achieve this, it introduces enhancements to coding, preamble, and modulation of the existing 15.4 physical layer and its media access controller.