Broadcom smartwatch SoC based on Cortex A7
The company did not release the full spec of its new SoC, but it did give us a rough idea of what to expect. The unnamed chip sports four Cortex-A7 cores, just like Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 400, which powers the majority of Android Wear devices out there.
The chip also has a 2G/3G modem, but support for the modem is currently lacking in Android Wear. Oddly enough, support is still not available for NFC, WiFi and camera, but Broadcom is offering all of the above four additional chips.
The BCM4343 is WiFi and Bluetooth 4.2/Bluetooth Smart combo chip, the BCM4773 packs a GPS SoC with an integrated sensor hub, while BCM20795 and BCM59350 bring support for NFC and secure element functionality, and wireless charging support respectively.
So what makes Broadcom’s platform different?
The company claims its new smartwatch platform reduces power usage by up to 40 over the previous generation, while using a smaller form-factor and enabling OEMs to include a larger battery in their smartwatch.
The company expects strong growth in the smartwatch space, and thinks its new platform, with improved power efficiency and an optimized bill of materials (BOM) has what it takes to capture a slice of the market.
Larry Olivas, Broadcom Senior Director, Business Development, Wireless Connectivity Combos, said in a statement:
"Smartwatches represent a big piece of the wearable pie, and Broadcom's new platform expands opportunities for Android Wear developers designing both high-end and affordable devices."
The new platform is already sampling and will be showcased at MWC 2015, but we still don’t know when to expect the first smartwatches based on Broadcom’s new silicon.
If you think you’ve heard similar power efficiency and size reduction claims in the past, you’re right. A few weeks ago MediaTek announced the MT2601 smartwatch SoC, claiming a similar reduction in physical footprint and power consumption. Like Broadcom’s new smartwatch platform, MediaTek’s MT2601 is still not commercially available.
