Wear OS watches can finally get the improved chip they so desperately need (through 9to5Google† Qualcomm teased the possibility in a video posted on Twitterindicating that the next Snapdragon smartwatch chip is coming “soon”.
After Samsung and Google announced their collaboration on Wear OS 3 last summer, Qualcomm said it would roll out a new chip in the following year. It looks like Qualcomm is delivering on that promise, though we have no idea when it will launch. (Could be Google will use it in its upcoming Pixel Watch†
Snapdragon chips power a number of Wear OS watches. But the most recent, the Wear 4100 series, was only included in a handful of watches, including the TicWatch Pro 3, the matte Fossil Gen 6, and the expensive Montblanc Summit 3. It’s been about two years since the 4100’s initial launch. , and Wear OS smartwatches are due for an upgrade (except the Exynos W920-powered Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, the first with Wear OS 3).
Rumors indicate that Qualcomm’s upcoming 5100 and 5100 Plus processors will be built on the Samsung 4-nanometer (nm) process. The smaller form factor could translate into better battery life and efficiency compared to the Exynos W920’s 5nm process and the Apple Watch Series 7 chip’s 7nm process. If true, this would also be a huge shift from the 12nm process used by the Wear 4100 and 4100 Plus.