Samsung's Galaxy S27+ may lose the chip that finds lost items and unlocks cars

A leak says Samsung's Galaxy S27+ will not have an Ultra-Wideband chip, known as UWB. It is a small radio that measures distance very precisely. The Plus model has had it since the Galaxy S21+ in 2021. If the leak holds up, it would end a six-year run and remove some handy features.

What changed

The claim comes from Chinese MIIT certification filings shared by tipster Abhishek Yadav. They show no UWB radio in the S27+. Samsung seems to be keeping the chip for the new Galaxy S27 Pro and the Galaxy S27 Ultra. The base Galaxy S models never had it.

Samsung reportedly plans four flagships for 2027. Leaked prices are $1,100 for the S27+ and $1,300 for the S27 Pro. The Pro reportedly gets a 200MP main camera and faster memory, and it keeps UWB.

What you would lose

• Car keys: Samsung Wallet's Digital Key works with Volvo, Polestar, Genesis and Cadillac cars. UWB lets doors unlock as you walk up.
• Without UWB, the key falls back to NFC or Bluetooth, depending on the car. NFC means tapping the phone on the door handle.
• Tag finding: a SmartTag2 loses Compass View, which shows arrows and the distance in 0.1-meter steps.
• Home locks: Digital Home Key, built on the Aliro standard, would fall back to NFC taps at the door.

A smaller loss is Point to Share, a Quick Share feature that puts a nearby UWB phone at the top of the sharing menu.

Can Bluetooth fill the gap?

The S27+ should keep Bluetooth 6.0, which has a feature called Channel Sounding. It measures distance more accurately than older Bluetooth. Samsung uses it in the new SmartTag3 for directions. The Android Police writer is not convinced it replaces UWB. UWB uses a much wider channel and copes better with signal echoes indoors, around furniture and appliances.

Why Samsung may do it

The writer notes that a UWB chip likely adds only a few dollars to the cost of a phone. Apple has put UWB in every flagship iPhone since 2019. The writer suspects Samsung wants the Plus to feel lacking so that buyers pay $200 more for the Pro. That is an opinion, not something Samsung has said.

What to do

This is a leak, so details could change. For now, anyone who wants hands-free car or door unlocking, or precise tag finding, should check that a Galaxy model has UWB before buying. The S26+ has it. The S27 Pro and Ultra reportedly will too.