Wear OS Is Finally Getting The Smartwatch Chip To Fully Take On Apple Watch

Following a constant stream of teasers, Qualcomm announced its next-generation chips for smartwatches and wearables on July 19. Called the Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 and Snapdragon W5 Gen 1, these new processors have an entirely new naming scheme even though they are direct successors to the Snapdragon 4100 and the 4100+ chips the company launched in 2020. The focus lies primarily on the Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 chip, which will be the one that most Wear OS-toting smartwatches will use in the near future. The chip labeled Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 will only be used with some China-specific smartwatches and devices designed for kids, senior citizens, and commercial establishments.

A closer look at the spec sheet of the W5+ chip reveals that the new chips are a significant upgrade over their predecessors. To begin with, the W5+ chip is based on a 4nm manufacturing process as opposed to the 12nm process on the wear 4100+. This is nothing less than a generational leap in the world of microprocessors.

Qualcomm

Qualcomm claims this change alone makes the W5+ platform 50% “better” than its predecessor. In addition to the main chip, the W5+ also includes a co-processor that is built using a 22nm manufacturing process. Qualcomm also claims the W5+ Gen 1 chip will offer 2x faster performance in most daily tasks you throw at watches. Improvements have also been made to the connectivity features, with the newer chips supporting faster network speeds and newer Bluetooth connectivity standards. The smaller manufacturing process also ensures that the actual SoC is physically smaller than its predecessors. This should also mean manufacturers will be able to reduce the size of smartwatches without compromising on performance or features.