Qualcomm has improved every aspect of the Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 and W5+ Gen 1
Alleged Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 specs
The Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 duo, or at least the Plus version, will allegedly also be equipped with a new co-processor to help it handle background processes more effectively, as well as a new modem for “best-in-class LTE standby” and VoLTE support.
Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 might be more advanced than chips in Apple, Google, and Samsung’s next watches
Apple’s latest smartwatch, the Watch Series 7, is powered by the proprietary S7 chip that was apparently based on the S6 chip that fueled the prior generation. The S6 featured cores that were based on Apple’s A13 processor, which indicates it was based on the 7nm process. The next-gen S8 chip that will allegedly power that Series 8 is also rumored to be not much different than the S7, which suggests it won’t be manufactured using the latest tech.
The next generation of Snapdragon-based smartwatches will be sleeker and more powerful
Thanks to the new process technology, the chip is also likely to be 30 percent smaller than its predecessor, which should help watch vendors make thinner and sleeker arm candies.
Also on the cards are new deep sleep and hibernate low power states, which will presumably let you eke out more battery life. On the sensors’ front, we can expect ECG, motion sensing, PPG Biosensing (for heart rate measurement), and optical sensing.
Today’s rumor also corroborates earlier reports that had said Qualcomm’s next smartwatch chips could feature an integrated image processor with support for up to two cameras. Apparently, the W5 Gen 1 will have dual ISPs (16MP +16MP).
Wear 4100+ vs W5+ Gen 1
Qualcomm was perhaps neglecting its watch chips but as today’s leak shows, the chip maker has been jolted awake by Samsung and Google’s Watch OS collaboration, which has breathed new life into Android smartwatches without involvement from Qualcomm.
