Qualcomm Announces RISC-V Based Wearable Platform To Power Wear OS

On Tuesday, Qualcomm announced its collaboration with Google on a RISC-V Snapdragon Wear chipset. The new processor will power next-generation Wear OS devices. The new chipset is said to deliver high performance while consuming low power, ideal for compact smartwatches with limited resources. This also marks Qualcomm’s move away from ARM after recent controversies.

What is RISC-V?

RISC-V, pronounced like “risk five”, is an open source instruction set architecture for developing custom processors. The technology allows any company to create custom cores for a range of devices, from IoT to high-end smartphones, wearables, computers, and more. According to Qualcomm, technology allows more companies to enter the market, thereby fostering innovation and competition.

How does RISC-V benefit the industry?

In a press release, Qualcomm said: “The openness, flexibility and scalability of RISC-V benefits the entire value chain – from silicon suppliers to OEMs, end devices and consumers. ».

Currently, Qualcomm relies on ARM to assemble its processors, from entry-level models to the high-end Snapdragon 8 series. However, due to its disputes with the core supplier, Qualcomm is working to move from ARM cores to RISC-V processors. The introduction of these cores in Wear OS will pave the way for cores in the Android ecosystem.

In the future, the company may release full-fledged smartphone processors based on RISC-V technology. However, Qualcomm will later announce the launch of the RISC-V wearable solution.

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