Qualcomm Unveils Snapdragon W5+ & W5 Gen 2 with Satellite Connectivity
Qualcomm has unveiled their latest smartwatch SoCs, the Snapdragon W5+ Gen 2 and W5 Gen 2. The New wave of these chips are the newest successors to the 2023 W5 Gen 1 since the company introduces satellite connectivity in the Snapdragon Wear platform for the very first time. Performance specifications core-wise see little change from the previous generation.
Core Specifications and Architecture
In essence, these two newly launched chips - Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 and W5+ Gen 2 follow similar architectural fundamentals to their predecessors. These include:
- Four Arm Cortex-A53 CPU cores
- An Adreno 702 GPU
- Support for LPDDR4-2133 memory
However, the important difference between the two models is found within their co-processor. The Snapdragon W5+ Gen 2 combines with Qualcomm's QCC5100 co-processor which has a Cortex-M5 core and a 2.5D iGPU. Thanks to this hardware, the connected smartwatch can operate in a "low-power" state to save battery life.
Main Upgrade Satellite Connectivity
The common identity of both new SoCs marks the introduction of satellite connectivity by Skylo's NSTN (narrowband non-terrestrial networks) technology. Users will now be able to send up to 2 kilobytes of data texting at places devoid of cell service. Notably, this feature is limited to texting only and will not be able to send GPS coordinates.
Most Other Features
There exists the satellites link; the new chips have a U55 AI chip optimized for on-device GPS accuracy. Standard connectivity options such as Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi are also included.
Market Debut and Service Plan
The Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 is ready to mark its entry in Google's upcoming Pixel Watch 4. In terms of subscription, the satellite service will be offered free to Pixel Watch 4 owners for the first two years after which a fee is likely to be incurred in continuing to enjoy the feature.
