Broadcom (NASDAQ: BRCM) has introduced a global navigation satellite system chip that it claims doesn't drain battery power. The company says that the chip, christened the BCM47521, is the industry's first "with a unique architecture to enable geofence capabilities while preserving battery life."
Geofencing is a technology that allows applications to recognize when a device is within a certain geographical area. Its limitation is that, to work, the device's processor must run constantly. That's highly detrimental to battery life.
According to Broadcom, the BCM47521 reduces battery consumption by a factor of 60.
The company is to showcase the new chip at the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona, Spain, starting next week.
