Apple’s new iPhone SE does not have a U1 chip for positioning but supports WiFi 6

Apple released the new iPhone SE yesterday. The new iPhone SE combines some of the components of the iPhone 11 series and the design of the iPhone 8 for under $400.

However, Macrumors pointed out that the new iPhone SE is not equipped with a U1 chip for spatial positioning. This Apple-developed chip debuted on the iPhone 11 series last year. The U1 chip can act as your local GPS and compare to the real GPS, the U1 chip has higher accuracy and lower power, because it does not need to receive signals from base stations and satellites near you, but Apple officials also said that it can not completely replace GPS.

“Jupazip iPhone 11 Silicon Cover” by TheBetterDay is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

When you use AirDrop to transfer files, you only need to point your iPhone equipped with a U1 chip to the other party, and the other party will get the top list of the transmission list.

At the same time, this U1 chip may be a necessary component for Apple’s upcoming AirTag accessory to achieve full functionality. Of course, AirTag may also work with Bluetooth.

Despite this, there are still many components added or retained in the new iPhone SE. For example, it supports the 802.11ax (WiFi 6) currently supported by the iPhone 11 series, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and Express Cards.