Kedia says the coprocessor can also support onboard machine learning, though we’ll have to see if and how companies make use of that.Įssentially, the main processor is only used for interactive features like calling, 3D watchfaces and animation, or GPS navigation. Meanwhile, health tracking features like monitoring sleep and heart rate are also handled by the coprocessor. They include audio, keyword detection for digital assistants, and notifications via low-power Bluetooth 5.3. With the W5 Plus platform, the always-on coprocessor powers features that were previously handled by the main SoC. This isn’t to say the W5 Plus is automatically better because it’s on 4nm - it’s more that Qualcomm is finally using current process tech like its peers. Apple’s S7 chip for the Apple Watch Series 7 uses a 7nm process. For context, Samsung’s Exynos W920, which powers the Galaxy Watch 4, uses 5nm process tech. For the W5 Plus, Qualcomm is making a huge leap from 12nm to 4nm on the main chip and from 28nm to 22nm on the coprocessor. There’s the main processor for interactive tasks and an always-on coprocessor to help conserve battery. Spec-wise, the platform keeps the hybrid architecture featured in the Snapdragon Wear 31 chips. As in, they’re not repurposed smartphone chips. And, according to Qualcomm’s global head of smart wearables, Pankaj Kedia, both chips are specifically built for wearable devices. The W5 Plus is envisioned for premium smartwatches, while the W5 is meant for simpler devices like smartwatches for kids, fitness trackers, and enterprise devices. Instead, the new W5 Plus and W5 chips will be folded under the main Snapdragon umbrella. That might seem irrelevant, but it’s more like a symbolic fresh slate. And this time, it seems like Qualcomm means business.įor starters, the company is ditching the Snapdragon Wear branding. But today, Qualcomm is launching an overhauled wearables platform called Snapdragon W5 Plus and W5. Thus far, Snapdragon Wear chips have been repurposed mobile processor designs built on outdated tech and are a big reason why Wear OS watches have been so lackluster. While Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear chips power the vast majority of current Wear OS watches, the platform itself has never really delivered.

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