In a move years in the making, Qualcomm is finally updating the chipsets in smartwatches, with a “lead smartwatch” showing off the tech sometime in late 2018.
The ages old Snapdragon 2100 has been powering smartwatches for over two years now, with no change in design, power, or capability. However, that might soon change with new Qualcomm chipsets coming this year.
Google and Qualcomm revealed that new chipsets (plural, as in more than one chipset) are coming in the fall with a new “lead smartwatch.” to roll out the new chipset with.
Qualcomm’s third-generation platform would be a significant departure design-wise from its first two offerings (the Snapdragon 400 & 2100) for Android Wear.
With this upcoming 3rd generation, Qualcomm touts “dedicated chips” with “no-compromises” and multiple variants for different use cases. All watches will have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi as a baseline.
Presumably, a new chipset launched in 2018 would features a smaller process size than the 2100’s 28nm. Another promised improvement includes a “significant” battery life upgrade both in use and when not being used. According to Wareable, these battery savings also open up more sensor usage for health with heart rate being able to operate longer.
With a new, smaller, and more powerful chipset for smartwatches, I think that I’ll finally be able to justify the purchase of a smartwatch.
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