TECH – Qualcomm has introduced its newest wearable chipsets, Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 and W5+ Gen 2, bringing groundbreaking satellite communication and smarter location tracking to smartwatches. These developments elevate wearable safety and precision significantly, especially in remote or challenging environments.
At their core, both chipsets retain the 4 nm architecture with four Cortex-A53 CPU cores and the Adreno 702 GPU, maintaining foundational performance from previous generations. The Plus variant (W5+ Gen 2) adds a low-power co-processor built on a 22 nm Cortex-M55, enhancing efficiency and extending background tasks like notifications, audio, Wi-Fi, and GPS even when the main SoC remains idle.
Satellite Connectivity (NB-NTN)
A standout feature is support for satellite messaging via Narrowband Non-Terrestrial Network (NB-NTN)—powered by Skylo—which allows wearers to send and receive SOS messages when disconnected from cellular or Wi-Fi networks. This makes smartwatches leveraging these chipsets—like the newly announced Pixel Watch 4—the first wearables capable of satellite-based emergency communication. Qualcomm claims Wear OS is now the first wearable platform to integrate such satellite capabilities.
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Improved GPS Accuracy
Both chipsets also feature advanced positioning capabilities through “Location Machine Learning 3.0,” which leverages AI to enhance GPS accuracy by up to 50% compared to Gen 1. This upgrade promises superior tracking in dense urban areas or deep canyons where signal interference is common.
Smaller Size & Better Efficiency
Qualcomm has slimmed down the Radio Frequency Front-End (RFFE) module by approximately 20%, reducing both power consumption and physical footprint—enabling sleeker watch designs with extended battery life.
First Device and Developer Use
The Google Pixel Watch 4 is confirmed as the launch device featuring the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2. Its implementation is already positioned to deliver life-saving satellite SOS in emergencies, with free access initially, followed by subscription-based service in the future. Qualcomm emphasizes that enhanced connectivity, efficiency, and accurate tracking are now possible across Wear OS wearables thanks to these platforms.
These updates underscore Qualcomm’s strategy of enriching wearable technology with meaningful safety and navigation capabilities—without drastically altering performance specs. The W5 Gen 2 platforms mark a major step toward smarter, more resilient devices tailored for real-world use, particularly in emergencies.
Source: gsmarena,com
