Qualcomm launches a new chip for kid-friendly wearables

Qualcomm has finally launched a new smartwatch chip over two years after its last one, but it was created with a specific market in mind: kids. The chipmaker's new SoC, called the Snapdragon Wear 2500, has a 4G LTE modem, as well as an integrated sensor hub and can extend a watch's battery life better than its previous platform can. Wondering why Qualcomm has to create a chip specifically for children's smartwatches? Its wearables SVP Ant hony Murray said it's because the growth in the "designed-for-kids but highly capable devices" segment "is very exciting." Apparently, the company is seeing "widespread global demand" for them. The chipmaker hasn't forgotten us adults, though -- according to The Verge, this is just one of two (or more) smartwatch chips it's launching this year.

Qualcomm hasn't released any smartwatch SoC over the past couple of years, and it had a huge effect on the Android Wear market. Back in May, Qualcomm senior director of wearables, Pankaj Kedia, told Wareable that the company spent those two years designing new smartwatch platforms and that it will finally release them this fall. They'll apparently be Qualcomm's first purpose-built chips, unlike its previous one, which was just a modified phone processor.

The Wear 2500, however, won't power any Wear OS devices. It will be accompanied by an optimized version of Android O that can fit in a 512MB memory footprint called "Android for Kids." While it's likely not as powerful as the other SoCs Qualcomm is launching later, it can still support a 5-megapixel camera for video calls, voice assistants, NFC payments and location tracking, which is a given for kids' smartwatches. The Verge says the OS probably won't have its own app store, and manufacturers will likely pre-load Wear 2500 devices with apps and games. Since Qualcomm is already negotiating with Huawei to become platform's lead customer, we can expect the Chinese company to release some of the first Wear 2500 smartwatches ever.

Source: Qualcomm



via Engadget RSS Feed https://ift.tt/2IwFbGV
RSS Feed

If New feed item from http://www.engadget.com/rss-full.xml, then send me

IFTTT

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Evernote cuts staff as user growth stalls

Image
Note-taking app Evernote has fallen on hard times of late, culminating in its latest spate of job cuts impacting 15 percent of its workforce (54 employees). CEO Chris O' Neil -- an ex-Googler who took the reins in 2015 -- announced the firings at an all-hands meeting earlier today, reports TechCrunch . In a message on the Evernote blog , O' Neill admitted he'd set "incredibly aggressive goals" for the company in 2018. He continued: "Going forward, we are streamlining certain functions, like sales, so we can continue to speed up and scale others, like product development and engineering." The layoffs follow an exec exodus just weeks ago and the company's recent brand refresh (complete with a refined logo and wordmark). But critics are more concerned about its product, especially the free tier, which they claim lacks the perks to...
Read more

The best air conditioner

Image
By Liam McCabe This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter . When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here . After six summers of researching, testing, and recommending window air conditioners, we've learned that quiet and affordable ACs make most people the happiest—and we think the LG LW8016ER will fit the bill in most rooms. This 8,000 Btu unit cools as efficiently and effectively as any model with an equal Btu rating, and runs at a lower volume and deeper pitch than others at this price. Little extra features like a fresh-air vent, two-axis fan blades, and a removable drain plug help set it apart, too. The LG LW8016ER is a top choice for an office or den, and some people will find it quiet enough for a bedroom, too. If our main pic...
Read more

We won't see a 'universal' vape oil cartridge anytime soon

Image
Pre-loaded cartridges of cannabis concentrate are currently among the most popular means of consumption, and for good reason. They're discreet to use and easy to handle, a far cry from the dark days of 2016 when we had to dribble hash oil or load wax into narrow-mouthed vape pens by hand. But, frustratingly, an ever increasing number of oil cartridge manufacturers employ one-off design standards so that their products won't work with those of their competitors, thereby locking customers into proprietary ecosystems. We've already seen this with nicotine vaporizers -- which has a seen a massive rise in "pod systems" in the last few years, each outfitted with a unique canister and battery built to be incompatible with those of their competition. Is it too late for the burgeoning cannabis industry to set a universal standard for their product designs? ...
Read more