New Wi-Fi Module Packs AI and Multi-Radio Links
The u-blox Alma-W1 is in limited sampling, with broader availability and pricing not yet announced.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Consumer Electronics
u-blox unveiled the Alma-W1 Wi-Fi module for power- and size-constrained IoT devices on November 3, 2026, and has begun providing initial samples to a small group of customers. The range is compatible with Wi-Fi 6 and 6E as well as Bluetooth LE and 802.15.4 radios, and it is built on Nordic Semiconductor's nRF7120 and nRF7120E SoCs. The module is announced and sampling; it is not yet a broadly available product.
Why it matters
Designers building connected devices have increasingly needed low-power wireless connectivity that can be added without a ground-up hardware design, and the Alma-W1 is u-blox's response to that demand. Combining several radio standards and an on-module neural processing unit in one small part points to modules carrying more local intelligence as IoT hardware spreads.
The Alma-W1 is specified as supporting Wi-Fi 6 and 6E together with Bluetooth LE and 802.15.4 radios, built on Nordic's nRF7120 and nRF7120E system-on-chip parts. The source offers no measured throughput, latency or power figures, so the module's performance claims remain unverified.
The players
u-blox
Swiss positioning and wireless-connectivity chipmaker known for GNSS receivers and cellular and short-range modules for IoT devices.
Nordic Semiconductor
Norwegian fabless chipmaker whose nRF series of low-power wireless SoCs is widely used in Bluetooth and Thread-based products.
The details
The module combines a Wi-Fi 6/6E radio with Bluetooth LE and 802.15.4 (the low-power standard used by many sensor networks) in a single part, with the underlying silicon supplied by Nordic Semiconductor's nRF7120 and nRF7120E system-on-chip (SoC, a chip that integrates processor and radio on one die). The range includes a neural processing unit (NPU, a processor block designed to run machine-learning inference efficiently), which u-blox says minimises latency and enables AI applications directly on the device. The Alma-W1 range offers multiple configuration options, allowing designers to select the variant that suits their power and feature needs.
Timeline
November 3, 2026: u-blox unveiled the Alma-W1 Wi-Fi module.
Initial samples began going to a small group of customers, with u-blox preparing to expand the sample process.
The Tech Race
The Alma-W1 places u-blox alongside Nordic Semiconductor, whose nRF7120 family supplies the underlying silicon, in a competition to package Wi-Fi 6/6E into low-power IoT modules. The inclusion of an on-module neural processing unit signals that the race for connectivity modules is now also a race to add local AI inference.
Engineers designing smart-home, healthcare, industrial and robotics products could evaluate the Alma-W1 once samples reach them, though u-blox has not stated when general availability or pricing will be announced. Until then, the module is a pre-production part available only to a small customer group.
The takeaway
The trajectory is toward connectivity modules that bundle several radio standards and on-device AI into one drop-in part, reducing the custom design work that IoT products require. Watch for u-blox to publish measured power, throughput and pricing figures, and for the sample program's expansion to a general-availability date.
Further reading
For more on the devices this module is meant for, see our Consumer Electronics coverage.
