The Microwatt Revolution: AONDevices and Realtek Forge Path for Next-Gen Smart Remotes

IRVINE, CA – December 29, 2025 – By Timothy Bell

A transformative partnership announced today between AONDevices and Realtek Semiconductor is set to redefine the landscape of consumer electronics, promising a new era of smart remotes and controllers that are not only perpetually aware but also incredibly energy-efficient. The collaboration integrates AONDevices' super-low-power artificial intelligence processors with Realtek's industry-leading Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) chipsets, creating a platform poised to solve one of the biggest challenges in the Internet of Things (IoT): the trade-off between advanced functionality and battery life.

This joint effort aims to deliver a voice-enabled smart remote platform that enables real-time intelligence and instant responsiveness at a fraction of the power consumed by current technologies. For consumers, this translates to devices that can remain in an 'always-on' state, ready to respond to voice commands without requiring frequent battery changes or charges. For original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), it provides a scalable, turnkey solution to accelerate the development of next-generation smart home controllers, media remotes, and other connected accessories.

The Technology Behind Always-On Intelligence

At the heart of this innovation lies the synergy between two specialized technologies. AONDevices, a leader in edge AI, contributes its AON1100 M3 processor. This chip is engineered to perform complex AI tasks—such as wake-word detection, voice command recognition, and acoustic event sensing—while consuming power measured in microwatts. The processor can operate at full load, actively listening and processing, using less than 260 microwatts, a power budget that makes years-long battery life a realistic goal for small, everyday devices.

This extreme efficiency is achieved through a co-design of hardware and algorithms, optimized for specific tasks. The company's AONx360 development platform further empowers developers, allowing them to train and deploy highly accurate, lightweight AI models that can distinguish human speech from background noise with remarkable precision, even in sub-0dB signal-to-noise environments. This means a remote could reliably hear a command from across a noisy room.

Complementing this is Realtek's expertise in low-power connectivity. The platform leverages Realtek's proven BLE chipsets, such as the energy-efficient RTL8762D and RTL8762E series, to handle wireless communication. Realtek's Vice President, Yee-Wei Huang, noted in the announcement that AONDevices' technology is a perfect match for their strategic focus. "AONDevices' ultra-low-power AI perfectly complements Realtek's focus on low-power Bluetooth," he stated, underscoring the deep alignment that makes this partnership more than just a component-level integration. It represents a holistic approach to creating a new class of intelligent, connected hardware.

A Strategic Play in a Multi-Billion Dollar Market

The timing of this collaboration is critical, as it positions both companies to capitalize on the explosive growth in the Edge AI and smart home markets. The global Edge AI market, valued at over $20 billion in 2024, is projected by analysts to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 21%, driven by the demand for real-time processing, enhanced privacy, and reduced reliance on the cloud. The consumer electronics segment remains the dominant force within this market.

Simultaneously, the voice-controlled smart home market is on a trajectory to become a trillion-dollar industry, with projections estimating it could reach $1.58 trillion by 2035. Consumers are increasingly demanding more natural and seamless ways to interact with their environment, moving beyond smartphone apps and clunky remotes to intuitive voice interfaces. This partnership directly addresses that demand by providing the foundational technology to make voice control ubiquitous, reliable, and unobtrusive.

While the competitive landscape includes formidable players like Ambiq, which specializes in ultra-low power solutions, and tech giants like Google with its Edge TPU, the AONDevices-Realtek platform carves out a powerful niche. By offering a pre-integrated, highly optimized solution for voice-centric applications, they lower the barrier to entry for OEMs and significantly shorten time-to-market. This strategic advantage could disrupt the supply chain for consumer electronics, making advanced, always-on AI a standard feature rather than a premium one.

Beyond the Button: A Seamless Future for Device Interaction

For the end-user, the implications of this technology extend far beyond the convenience of a voice-activated TV remote. The platform's capabilities pave the way for a future of truly anticipatory and personalized devices. Because the AI processing happens directly on the device, it can learn user preferences and habits securely without sending sensitive data to the cloud. A smart remote could learn to recognize different users' voices and automatically switch to their preferred profiles, or a smart home controller could fuse voice commands with motion sensor data to understand context more deeply.

This shift from reactive, button-based interaction to proactive, context-aware intelligence represents the next evolution of the smart home. It's a future where technology fades into the background, responding naturally to user needs rather than requiring direct, deliberate input. The elimination of battery anxiety for these 'always-on' devices is a crucial component, removing a significant point of friction that has hindered the adoption of more advanced smart accessories.

Building an Ecosystem for Widespread Adoption

Recognizing that a powerful platform requires a robust ecosystem to thrive, AONDevices has been actively forging strategic alliances across the supply chain. A recent partnership with Faraday Technology Corporation, for instance, secures access to UMC's advanced manufacturing processes, ensuring a scalable and reliable production capacity to meet anticipated demand. Another collaboration with Atmosic Technologies combines AONDevices' AI with ultra-low-power wireless solutions that can leverage energy harvesting, potentially leading to devices that never need a battery replacement at all.

With multiple designs for the new voice smart remote already under development with unannounced partners, the first wave of products built on this platform is likely not far off. By providing a comprehensive, powerful, and easy-to-integrate solution, AONDevices and Realtek are not just selling chips; they are enabling a fundamental shift in how humans interact with the digital world, setting a new standard for intelligent, connected living in the years to come.