Ambiq Micro's Ultra-Low Power Apollo Platform Selected by Fossil Group for its Hybrid Smartwatches

Ambiq Micro’s Patented SPOT™ Technology Enables Enhanced Functionality Without Sacrificing Battery Life

AUSTIN — Nov. 21, 2016 — Ambiq Micro, the leader in ultra-low power solutions, today announced that Fossil Group, Inc. will include its patented Apollo Platform with patented Subthreshold Power Optimized Technology (SPOT^TM) in hybrid smartwatches from brands, Fossil, Skagen and Misfit.

Today’s consumers demand significantly extended battery life, sleeker and more fashionable form factors, as well as myriad powerful features from their wearable devices. These benefits, however, are only possible with greatly-reduced energy consumption, which is achieved using Ambiq Micro’s Apollo, powered by SPOT.

“Fossil Group is an innovator and leader in the wearables and smart device market, and the inclusion of Apollo in its newly launched hybrid smartwatches is a testament to its desire to meet the power, space and application requirements of its consumer base,” said Fumihide Esaka, CEO at Ambiq Micro. “Ambiq Micro’s partnership with Fossil Group indicates both companies are dedicated to developing the next generation of powerful wearables that meet the demands of both fashion and function.”

The Apollo platform operates as a central component in the hybrid smartwatches and will handle device operations – including processing sensor inputs and controlling wireless communication.

About the Apollo Platform

Based on the 32-bit ARM® Cortex M-4 with FPU, in real world applications the Apollo microcontroller MCU typically consumes 5 to 10 times less energy than competitive MCUs. The dramatic reduction in energy consumption is achieved using

Ambiq Micro’s patented SPOT technology. This high level of performance per watt can mean significantly extended battery life, the use of smaller or fewer batteries, and the ability to add new features not previously possible.

In addition, the Apollo Platform offers best-in-class power consumption numbers in both active-mode and sleep-mode – a capability that is unique in the industry. The Apollo Platform consumes an industry-leading 34µA/MHz when executing instructions from flash memory and features sleep-mode currents as low as 140nA.