Qualcomm updates its wearable tech with new platforms

Qualcomm this week updated its wearable platform offerings with two new platforms designed to deliver “ultra-low power” and high performance in an effort to extend device battery life and provide better experience for end users.

The new platforms emerge at what is proving to be an interesting and uncertain time in the market for wearable smart devices. Though many research firms seeing nothing but strong long-term growth for the market, research firm IDC last month noted that the global wearables market actually declined for the first time ever during the first quarter of 2022, with unit shipments down 3% year over year to 105.3 million units, according to dat from IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker

It appears to be yet another high-tech market segment that boomed during the pandemic, and has begun cooling off as consumers spend dollars elsewhere, according to IDC. Amazon’s entry into the market with its Halo health-focused wearable device also is shaking things up. Consumers also may be getting smarter and more studied about choosing devices designed around their specific needs, and that is part of what Qualcomm is looking to enable.

The Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 and Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 are the new additions to the company’s wearables platform, and the new capabilities will help manufacturers of wearable devices broaden their own product families, and differentiate products around battery life, applications and varied user experiences, Qualcomm said. The low power advancements, for example, also translate to new capabilities for devices, such as hibernation or deep sleep modes.

"The wearables industry continues to grow and present opportunities across multiple segments at an unprecedented pace," said Pankaj Kedia, senior director, product marketing, and global head of Smart Wearables, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “The new wearable platforms – Snapdragon W5+ and Snapdragon W5 – represent our most advanced leap yet.”

The W5+ platform is built on a hybrid architecture that leverages a 4nm-based system-on-chip and 22nm-based highly integrated always-on co-processor. It boasts 50% lower power, 2X higher performance, 2X richer features, and 30% smaller size, compared to Qualcomm’s previous generation technology. It also supports new ultra-low power Bluetooth 5.3 architecture, low power islands for Wi-Fi, GNSS, and audio, in addition to the low power states mentioned above.

These new capabilities could help boost Qualcomm’s reputation in the wearables market, where despite efforts to identify as an IoT start-up of sorts, it still often has been viewed as more focused on traditional mobile chips than its Wear platform chips for wearables. 

Google, a major partner of Qualcomm’s in the wearable market, voiced its approval of the new platforms.

"Google and Qualcomm Technologies have a longstanding history of helping our partners deliver great user experiences. We applaud the technological breakthroughs that Qualcomm Technologies is bringing to the wearables industry with the launch of its Snapdragon W5+ platform," said Bjorn Kilburn, GM and Senior Director of Wear OS at Google. "With the Snapdragon W5+ platform, we're excited for what's possible in bringing new levels of performance, capability and battery life to Wear OS smartwatches."

Kedia also said Qualcomm already is collaborating with wearable device firms OPPO and Mobvoi to create new products based on the new platforms.

“The announcement of the latest Snapdragon W5 wearable platform will bring smart wearable technology to a new level,” said Franco Li, OPPO Associate Vice President, President of IoT Business. “OPPO and Qualcomm Technologies have closely collaborated for a long time, creating new possibilities of product innovation together. The Oppo Watch 3 series will be launched in August. As the first smartwatch powered by Snapdragon W5 wearable platform, it will delight our users with better performance.”

Qualcomm also said two new reference designs Compal and Pegatron will help device firms to more quickly develop products based on the platforms.