Qualcomm unveils latest chips for wearables; check details here

Qualcomm has unveiled its latest chips for wearables - the Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 and the Snapdragon W5 Gen 1. As the company said in the announcement, these new chips have been 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”. “By using these platforms, manufacturers can scale, differentiate, and develop products faster in the continuously growing and segmenting wearables industry,” Qualcomm added.

The Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 promises 50 per cent lower power, 2X higher performance and richer features, and 30 per cent smaller size as compared to its predecessor. The chip has been built based on the hybrid architecture comprising of a 4nm-based system-on-chip and a 22nm-based “highly integrated always-on co-processor” and incorporates innovations like ultra-low power Bluetooth 5.3 architecture, low power islands for WiFi, GNSS, audio, and low power states like Deep Sleep and Hibernate.

“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,” said "The wearables industry continues to grow and present opportunities across multiple segments at an unprecedented pace," said Pankaj Kedia, Global Head of Smart Wearables, Senior Director, product marketing, Qualcomm Technologies.

"Google and Qualcomm Technologies have a longstanding history of helping our partners deliver great user experiences. We applaud the technological breakthroughs that Qualcomm Technologies is bringing to the wearables industry with the launch of its Snapdragon W5+ platform," said Bjorn Kilburn, GM and Senior Director of Wear OS at Google.

Kedia added that Oppo and Mobvoi are going to be the first companies to work with the new chips and integrate them into their products.

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