ARM aims for phones, wearable tech with new chip

11 years ago

British chip maker ARM Holdings is matching rival Intel Corp.’s recent overhaul of its Atom processor with the release of a new processor aims at the smart phone and wearable device market.

ARM’s Cortex A-12 processor for smart phones that sell for between $200 and $350 and the company also expects to see the chip architecture used in other wearable technology such as smart watches in the near future, according to Ian Drew, executive VP of the company.

Speaking at the Computex 2013 trade show in Taipei today, Drew said the mid-range smart phone category ARM is aiming for is expected to ship half a billion devices a year by 2015. He is also banking on the ranks of wearable devices to swell in the next few years.

Intel, last month announced a new push into the tablet and smart phone market with a revamped line of Atom mobile processors. The company’s products are now installed in mid-market devices being targeted by ARM.

Drew, however, said ARM is “not slowing down.”

He said the Cortex A-12 will be capable of 40 per cent more performance compared to its predecessor the Cortex A-9, using the same amount of energy.

Drew expects the Cortex A-12 to be in devices by 2014.

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