Qualcomm's new wearables chip is for fitness trackers and kids' watches

Qualcomm has announced a new Snapdragon processor at Computex as the chipmaker aims to extend its presence in the wearables market. The Snapdragon Wear 1100 complements the Snapdragon Wear 2100 announced a few months ago; while that processor was designed for smartwatches, the 1100 is intended for use in simpler "targeted-function" devices with less functionality like fitness trackers, smart headsets, and location-aware gadgets for kids and the elderly.

The Snapdragon Wear 1100 prioritizes compact size and power efficiency while offering LTE and 3G connectivity, and can also work alongside Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and voice commands. Qualcomm's iZat location engine employs multi-GNSS, geofencing, and cell-ID positioning for devices that need to continually relay their locality. Companies including Anda Technologies, inWatch, and WeBandz are announcing kids' watches that use the Snapdragon Wear 1100; the SoC is commercially available today.