Qualcomm introduces Snapdragon Chips for smartwatches

Qualcomm unveiled new Snapdragon chips for smartwatches and OPPO and Mobvoi will be among first companies to use the new wearable platform, with 25 designs in the pipeline across segments. By using these platforms, manufacturers can scale, differentiate, and develop products faster in the continuously growing and segmenting wearables industry.

Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 and Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 are designed to advance ultra-low power and breakthrough performance for next-generation connected wearables with a focus on extended battery life, premium user experiences, and sleek, innovative designs.

New enhancements to the flagship Snapdragon W5+ platform offer 50% lower power, 2X higher performance, 2X richer features, and 30% smaller size, compared to the previous generation, enabling wearable manufacturers to deliver the differentiated experiences consumer’s demand.

Based on the hybrid architecture, the purpose-built platform consists of a 4nm-based system-on-chip and 22nm-based highly integrated always-on co-processor. It incorporates a series of platform innovations including new ultra-low power Bluetooth 5.3 architecture, low power islands for Wi-Fi, GNSS, and Audio, and low power states such as Deep Sleep and Hibernate.

Pankaj Kedia, Senior Director, product marketing, and Global Head of Smart Wearables, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. said, “The new wearable platforms – Snapdragon W5+ and Snapdragon W5 – represent our most advanced leap yet. Purpose-built for next generation wearables, these platforms address the most pressing consumer needs by delivering ultra-low power, breakthrough performance, and highly integrated packaging. Additionally, we extend our proven hybrid architecture with new low power innovations such as Deep Sleep and Hibernate states delighting consumers with premium user experiences while extending battery life.”

“We are thrilled to be working with a range of customers and partners, thus expanding our thriving wearable ecosystem, and are delighted to announce 25 designs in the pipeline across segments based on the new platforms. We have collaborated extensively with our first customers, Oppo and Mobvoi, over the last year and look forward to seeing their products,” added Kedia.