New Snapdragon Chip Aims to Supercharge Wear OS Watches

Wear OS smartwatch users, get ready for a potential performance boost. The rumor mill is buzzing with news that Qualcomm is developing a brand-new Snapdragon wearables chip, codenamed SW6100. This silicon could be a significant upgrade, potentially supercharging the performance and efficiency of future smartwatches running Google’s Wear OS.

The wearable chip segment is very different from its phone counterpart. You don’t want your watch to be the most powerful out there, but rather one that offers a good balance between performance and battery life. Regardless, it’s always good to have your smartwatch’s UI as fluid as possible, right? Well, the latest news paints a promising future for those who have experienced occasional lag or less-than-stellar battery life on their Wear OS watches—even on some modern ones.

Qualcomm working on a new Snapdragon wearables chip

The current generation of Snapdragon Wear chips is already quite capable. However, they sometimes leave users wanting more in terms of responsiveness and longevity. A dedicated new chipset from Qualcomm, specifically designed for the demands of modern smartwatches, could address these pain points head-on.

The Android Authority team found evidence of the development of the new SoC. According to the report, the chip uses the motherboard number SW6100 and the internal codename Aspen. The project is currently in the testing phase at Qualcomm, the outlet adds. The commercial name of this hardware in question is still unknown. However, the source suggests some options such as Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 or W6 Gen 1.

More specific details about the new Snapdragon chip for wearables are still scarce. However, we do know that it is currently manufactured using TSMC’s process standards. This is good news considering the Taiwanese giant’s factories produce very efficient chips. Plus, the chip now supports LPDDR5X RAM. For reference, its predecessor (the current W5 Gen 1) is compatible with LPDDR4. LPDDR5X RAM modules are not only faster but also more energy-efficient.

LPDDR5X support and mysterious QCC6100 coprocessor onboard

Another interesting point about the SoC is the presence of a QCC6100 coprocessor. Unfortunately, there are no more specific details about this yet. Will Qualcomm opt to offer SoCs with dual processors like those used by OnePlus and OPPO in their smartwatches? It would be quite interesting to see. If you’re not aware, the chips in OPPO and OnePlus’ smartwatches have dual processors: one ultra-low-power one to handle the core features, and another that runs the more demanding ones. This neat approach results in significant battery savings throughout the day.

If these rumors pan out, the arrival of the SW6100 could usher in a new generation of Wear OS smartwatches that are faster, more efficient, and ultimately more enjoyable to use. For anyone invested in the Wear OS ecosystem or considering picking up a new smartwatch in the future, this is definitely a development to keep a close eye on. The potential for a significantly improved Wear OS experience is looking promising.