Recently, a report from 9to5Google shared details of two upcoming smart speakers – Clover and Buckeye – in development in Google’s Fuchsia project. Now, a freshly posted Fuchasi code of the Buckeye suggests it’ll come with UWB (Ultra-wideband) support. It appears that Google wants to go on par with Apple HomePod’s “Handoff” feature with its next-generation Nest smart speaker with UWB connectivity.
This comes days after Google gave a direct preview of what UWB could and will be able to do on Android at the Android Dev Summit. UWB technology is already available on the Pixel 7 Pro and 6 Pro, primarily used for Nearby Sharing.
A new report from 9to5Google suggests that Google developers have started to take a more active interest in Buckeye in recent weeks, and it could be a future Nest speaker launching in 2023. Further, it suggests Buckeye’s more advanced processor and audio chip would make it a replacement for the 2019 Nest Audio or the 2017 Google Home Max.
An early report from 9to5Google also showcased a “Tap to Transfer” feature when the Android 13 was still in the works. It would ask you to move closer to the connected speaker to switch the music to play on the other device. Since Nest speakers do not currently support UWB or NFC, the use case of this feature was previously unknown.
This technology has been present on iPhones since 2019, letting you connect and use it for anything from finding an AirTag to serving as a digital car key. Apple also uses UWB in the “Handoff” feature, which lets you move music from an iPhone to a HomePad when it’s in close range. The same coming to the future high-end Nest speaker will undoubtedly favor Pixel phones with UWB paired with Tap to Transfer feature when released.
