What you need to know
- Qualcomm's reportedly developing a new smartwatch chipset.
- It's based on a 64-bit architecture and will come with 1GB of RAM.
- Possible names include Wear 429 and Wear 2700.
Last year, Qualcomm promised a revitalization of Wear OS smartwatches with the release of its Snapdragon Wear 3100 processor. The chip was supposed to breathe new life into the wearable market, but instead, it ended up being a flop thanks to choppy performance and unimpressive battery life.
Thankfully, it looks like Qualcomm's gearing up to try again. According to a report from WinFuture, the company is developing a new smartwatch SoC that'll either be called the "Snapdragon Wear 429" or "Snapdragon Wear 2700."
Essentially a modified version of the Snapdragon 429 processor for smartphones, the new smartwatch chip is said to have a 64-bit architecture, use the newer Cortex A53 CPU, and have 8GB of storage along with 1GB of LPDDR3 RAM. For comparison's sake, the Wear 3100 only supports a 32-bit design and has an older Cortex A7 CPU.
There's mention of a "Track3" component for the platform, which WinFuture says will likely be used to offer better efficiency/battery life. Other things worth highlighting include Bluetooth 5.0, EMMC 5.1 flash memory support, and an LTE modem.
Qualcomm is believed to be in early development of the new chip, meaning it'll likely be a while before it comes to market.
The prospect of a new processor for Wear OS that actually delivers on its promises is quite exciting, but Google's going to need more than just a new chipset if it wants to dig Wear OS out of the rut it's been in for a few years now.
