Broadcom announced on Thursday about the development of a chip with global positioning capabilities. The chip will be used in wearable gadgets such as smart watches and trackers.
The BCM4771 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) system-on-a-chip (SoC), whose structure is based on the ARM chip's architecture, can give more accurate and real time data such as location, distance, and speed relative to the user's movements. The SoC is envisioned to have the most efficient chip structure, using 75 percent less power from the device than other existing GNSS chips.
"Today's wearables like fitness trackers have surged in popularity, but often miscalculate speed and distance," director of marketing for Broadcom's Mobile and Wireless Group, Mohamed Awad, said in a statement, as reported by eWeek.
"As the largest supplier of discrete GNSS solutions, Broadcom brings its location expertise to deliver more precise fitness and health measurements to the accelerating wearable market," he added.
The need for wearable devices is expected to increase as more and more such items are being introduced in the market. As of now, users can buy fitness trackers, smart watches, and Google's Google Glass. According to the 2013 analysis made by Berg Insight, 8.3 million wearable units were purchased in 2012 and by 2017, this number will increase to 64 million.
Similarly, ABI Research concluded that GPS-enabled fitness tracker will reach $2.6 by 2018 and the need will just keep on increasing after that. This is the market that Broadcom's newest chip is trying to penetrate. Users with wearable devices would want to have the most accurate data as they plan the navigation or go through their fitness routine for the day.
The BCM4771 SoC measures around 40 nanometers in diameter and is fitted with a sensor hub. This hub gets the data sent by the sensor and process what is happening with the user's surroundings. The data will be used to delineate the user's speed, distance, and exact location.
The newest chip will be put on display in Barcelona, Spain at the Mobile World Congress on Feb. 24.
