ARM unveils processor for wearables and the Internet of Things

Smart watches and smart light bulbs are bound to get even smarter with this announcement.

ARM is launching its smallest and lowest-power ARMv8-A processor today as it further targets next-generation wearables and Internet of Things applications.

ARM already has an estimated 70 percent market share in embedded, or processors that are used in appliance-like devices such as automobiles. It is positioning itself to expand that share with a focus on the Internet of Things (smart and connected everyday objects), which could be a $1.7 trillion market by 2020, according to market researcher IDC.

The ARM Cortex-A32 is targeted at embedded solutions that need 32-bit processing, said John Ronco, vice president  of product management, in an interview with VentureBeat.

The new chip offers an upgrade path for past customers of ARM’s Cortex-A5 and Cortex-A7 cores. Ronco said the new chip brain is about 25 percent more efficient than the Cortex-A7, meaning it has more performance and uses less power.

The new core is scalable for a wide variety of embedded applications, and it has built-in security as well. It is optimized for low cost and efficiency.