Wearables Finally Get a Chip That Can Handle Consumer Expectations
IMAGE: GERO BRELOER/ASSOCIATED PRESS
The so-called Internet of Things — encompassing everything from smart fridges to fitness trackers — has turned all kinds of products into computers. And every single computer needs a processor, and those processors consume power.
This is why it's important to have a whole different class of chip for devices without a traditional user interface — "embedded" processors. ARM, the company that has chip tech is in almost every smartphone today, just gave the category a big upgrade.
The company's 32-bit Cortex-M7 chip architecture is a big step up from the previous top-of-the-line, the M4. ARM says it has double the performance, allowing it to deliver more sophisticated functionality to products, including smart appliances, in-car systems (think: parking assist) and even drones.
Being able to perform twice as well while consuming the same battery life as previous chips will have benefits to many wearables.Being able to perform twice as well while consuming the same battery life as previous chips will have benefits to many wearables. The Pebble smartwatch, for example, is powered by a Cortex-M3 chip. With an M7, a similar smartwatch could run more apps, respond faster and still last for several days on a single charge.
Many smart systems that do have traditional UIs pack both an embedded chip (often to manage wireless connections and power) and a more familiar mobile processor, such as one based on ARM's efficient Cortex-A7. Those devices will enjoy the M7's benefits, too, letting the embedded part take over more tasks, including voice recognition and video processing, and do them faster.
The first wave of products based on the M7 should start to arrive in the coming months, potentially unlocking a whole new generation of faster and better-connected gadgets.
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