Android 15 improves indoor location with Wi-Fi ranging

With the release of Android 15, support appeared Wi-Fi range, technology that promises to revolutionize indoor localization with amazing accuracy, allowing an error of less than one meter (approximately 40 inches).

However, Although this feature is already available in the operating system, users cannot use it out of the box.

Wi-Fi range depending on protocol IEEE 802.11azcan be an alternative to GPS indoors. Traditional GPS uses satellites, which limits its effectiveness in indoor areas where the signal cannot reach properly, such as shopping malls.

Instead of, Wi-Fi ranging allows your Android device to connect to nearby Wi-Fi hotspots to pinpoint its location in closed, crowded areas. for example, shopping centers or conference centers.

Potential applications for Wi-Fi ranging

This indoor location technology opens the door to various practical applications. Imagine a store in a mall that can direct shoppers to specific items, or a smart home that detects the room you’re in and automatically turns on the appropriate lighting.

With such precision Wi-Fi ranging has the potential to revolutionize both shopping and home automation.

Although Wi-Fi ranging has enormous potential, itMost Android phones still don’t have the necessary hardware for this technology. For example, Qualcomm introduced the FastConnect 7900 chip, which supports Wi-Fi ranging, at Mobile World Congress 2024. However, devices using this chip have not yet been released to the market, which means there is still time for this technology to be in the hands of users.

Additionally, Wi-Fi hotspots will also need a firmware update to support Wi-Fi ranging, which is another necessary step before the feature becomes widely available.

The evolution of location using Wi-Fi

Before the introduction of a standardized Wi-Fi location protocol, mobile devices could only calculate location within 10 to 15 meters depending on signal strength.

With the upgrade of the Wi-Fi protocol to 802.11mc, the Wi-Fi Round Trip Time (RTT) function was introduced, which increased the location accuracy to 1-2 meters. Google already built RTT support into Android 9 in 2018, but now the 802.11az standard, released in 2023, takes the technology even further. Using Wi-Fi ranging combined with Fine Timing Method (FTM), It is possible to localize devices with an accuracy of up to 40 centimeters.

Google has confirmed that Android 15 and later are ready for Wi-Fi Ranging, as long as you have the appropriate 802.11az firmware. Additionally, apps that already use Wi-Fi location features on Android will be able to benefit from this increased accuracy without modification if nearby Wi-Fi hotspots are updated to support the feature.

Competence in indoor location technologies

In the world of precise location, Apple has chosen a different technology: ultra-wide band (UltraWide Band or UWB), which is even more accurate than the Wi-Fi range. and is used in devices such as AirTags to detect personal items with centimeter-level accuracy.

UWB also supports features like precision search in the Find My app, proximity detection with HomePods, and improved AirDrop reliability.

Another new technology is Bluetooth 6which introduces a feature called Channel Sensing to improve distance tracking accuracy. While Wi-Fi ranging is a little less accurate than UWB and Bluetooth 6, it does have one major advantage: it has a wider range, making it ideal for larger locations.

Overall, Wi-Fi Ranking is an impressive achievement for indoor navigation on Android. While its implementation still faces technical challenges, the promise of accurate and affordable indoor location gives us a glimpse into the future of mobile devices and smart technology.