ARM: new technology could hugely improve battery of wearables and internet of things

The Apple Watch drew criticism for having to be charged every night, but new chips could lead to much longer battery lives

Sundar Pichai presents Android Wear, the company's smartwatch OS (Reuters)

ARM, the chip maker, could be set to extend the currently dismal battery life of many wearables with the acquisition of two new companies.

The new purchases could help ARM extend battery lives by 60 per cent, by using new Bluetooth technology that takes much more power. The company has bought Sunrise Micro Devices and Wicentric, which will form part of a new division looking to stop wearables using so much battery life.

The battery life of wearable devices has become a point of much concern, especially since the Apple Watch brought the category into the mainstream. Apple Watches need to be charged at least once a day, and much of the battery power used up by them and other devices is in the technologies that allow them to communicate with phones.

The new technologies work using very low voltages, which allow them to draw less power.

"Operating below 1 Volt enables the radio to 'sip' energy from a battery, thus greatly extending the device's life," ARM said. "In addition, it makes it easier to run without batteries by using energy harvesting technologies."

ARM’s new division will be known as “Cordio”, named after one of the products made by one of the companies that it has bought.