Qualcomm announced that it is working with Google to develop a smartwatch processor that uses the RISC-V instruction set architecture instead of ARM. This is the first time the company is working on a RISC-V chipset, which could mark the beginning of the company's move away from reliance on ARM.

Qualcomm, known for its Snapdragon line of processors and 4G/5G cellular modems, said it has expanded its partnership with Google to develop RISC-V-based Snapdragon Wear series processors for watches Smart Wear OS.

As a result, we will likely see high-performance and energy-efficient processors for future smartwatches. These chips will be launched globally, but the company has not announced the name or launch date of the RISC-V chip.

Google and Qualcomm, along with Samsung, are already part of a new semiconductor development alliance called RISE. Together, the RISE companies are trying to create microprocessors, software and applications based on the RISC-V instruction set architecture to find an alternative to ARM, an emerging instruction set architecture. holds a unique position in smartwatches, smartphones, computers, and servers.

Dino Bekis, Vice President and General Manager of Wearables and Mixed Signal Solutions at Qualcomm, said, โ€œWe are excited to adopt RISC-V and extend the Snapdragon Wear platform to Wear OS. The innovations of the Snapdragon Wear platform will help the Wear OS ecosystem grow rapidly and optimize new device launches globally.โ€

Do you expect results from the RISE alliance?