When Samsung first introduced Ultra Wideband (UWB) support on its Galaxy Note20 Ultra back in August 2020, it quietly unlocked a new realm of spatial awareness for smartphones. By leveraging UWB’s precision radio pulses, the Note20 Ultra could “Point to Share” files with pinpoint accuracy—no more fumbling with Bluetooth pairings or slow Wi‑Fi transfers. Yet ever since, UWB remained an elite club feature: reserved for Samsung’s priciest models and enthusiast‑grade hardware.

Samsung’s foldables have mirrored this pattern. The Galaxy Z Fold2, unveiled in September 2020, became the first foldable to sport UWB. Every successive Z Fold—Fold3, Fold4, and most recently Fold6—has continued to include the chip, bolstering Nearby Share accuracy and enabling digital car keys or smart‑home controls via Samsung’s or third‑party ecosystems. Yet its clamshell counterpart, the Galaxy Z Flip line, has conspicuously lacked UWB support…until now.

With the Galaxy Z Flip7, Samsung has technically introduced UWB to the Flip family for the very first time. It marks a departure from the perception that the Flip devices—designed for pocket‑friendly style over bleeding‑edge connectivity—would perpetually miss out on things like UWB or wireless DeX. However, there’s an important caveat: only a single regional variant actually carries the UWB chip.

It has emerged that UWB support on the Z Flip7 is exclusive to units sold in Samsung’s home market of South Korea. Models destined for China, Europe (including the UK), the United States, and other global markets ship without the UWB radio. Samsung itself made no fanfare about this selective rollout—likely because highlighting a region‑locked feature could invite consumer frustration. Android Authority speculates the decision may stem from “regional demand” or the costs and complexities of regulatory certification in multiple territories.

Ultra Wideband isn’t just a “nice‑to‑have” novelty. By emitting ultra‑short pulses across a wide frequency band, UWB enables spatial accuracy down to a few centimeters. This unlocks features like:

• Precision tracking of Bluetooth‑style tags such as Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTag2 or Motorola’s Moto Tag, locating your keys or wallet in a crowded room.
• Digital car keys, letting you unlock or start compatible vehicles by simply waving your Flip7 near the door handle.
• Enhanced Nearby Share, making peer‑to‑peer file transfer faster and more intuitive, with a visual cue of exactly where you should point your phone.

By comparison, Bluetooth LE’s angle‑of‑arrival or RSSI‑based estimates are far less accurate, and Wi‑Fi‑based schemes can be sluggish or environmentally sensitive.

Samsung’s decision to reserve UWB for Korea will inevitably frustrate flip‑phone enthusiasts elsewhere. In an era where interoperability is increasingly prized—think Apple’s seamless Find My ecosystem or Google’s evolving UWB support—feature fragmentation can feel antiquated. If consumers can buy a Z Flip7 in Seoul that doubles as a car key fob, why can’t a buyer in San Francisco or London enjoy the same capability?

Regulatory hurdles do vary: radio‑frequency approvals, certification agencies, and even spectrum licensing can introduce extra time or cost. Yet if UWB is core to Samsung’s broader One UI and SmartThings strategy, it seems ripe to standardize it across all models sooner rather than later.

There’s hope. Samsung has steadily expanded UWB support from flagship phones to wearables (Galaxy Watch6 Pro) and accessories (Galaxy SmartTag2). As the accessory ecosystem grows—third‑party tags, smart‑home hubs, even airport tracking—demand for universal UWB compatibility may push Samsung’s hand.

For now, if you’re in South Korea and picking up a Galaxy Z Flip7, enjoy the extra spatial smarts. For everyone else, keep your eyes peeled for firmware updates or new regional SKUs—Samsung could yet flip the switch on UWB for the rest of the world.