As noted by MacRumors, AirDrop — Apple’s proximity-based, built-in file sharing feature — is getting an upgrade with the new iPhones thanks, in part, to the Apple-designed U1 chip in the 2019 iPhones announced yesterday.
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With the U1 chip and iOS 13, you’ll be able to point your iPhone 11 towards someone else’s and AirDrop will prioritize that device in the list of possible AirDrop recipients. The U1 chip uses Ultra Wideband technology for spatial awareness — allowing an iPhone to precisely locate other U1‑equipped Apple devices.
AirDrop helps you quickly transfer files between various Apple devices using Wi-Fi. You don’t have to be connected to the same network in order to transfer files – your devices automatically set up a direct wireless connection for AirDrop.