Bluetooth chips enable practical wearables with 40% better energy efficiency

Bluetooth is the foundation that allows smart gadgets to talk to each other, and the wireless technology is leveling up today.

NXP Semiconductors is unveiling a new Bluetooth Low Energy chip that will deliver double the battery life for smart wearable devices. The new chip is 40 percent more energy-efficient than its closest competitor, NXP said. This kind of improvement should help a whole ecosystem of companies in the wearable business.

The Dutch company is unveiling the technology at the 2016 International CES, the big tech trade show in Las Vegas.

The QN 9080 can run multiple applications and features a fusion signal processor for continuous sensing in an “always-on” state, the company said. NXP said it is the first in the industry to deliver a solution that allows consumers to wear smart devices for up to a month without recharging.

“This is the dawn of new, super energy-efficient, smart wearables,” said Asit Goel, senior vice president at NXP, in a statement. “Today’s consumer is always on-the-go and needs to be connected to their personal data. The QN 9080 allows for just that – enabling far superior battery life, enhanced wireless robustness, support for multiple sensors and the smallest system size to create the ultimate connected experience that consumers demand.”

The QN 9080 uses an ARM Cortex architecture and a 2.4GHz radio Bluetooth that yields twice the performance while using half of the power of existing solutions. In addition, the chip features a fusion signal processor that uses a quarter of the power of existing solutions, NXP said.

The company said that improved battery performance in wearables will make them much more practical for use in our daily lives. Samples are available now for key customers.