Great news for smartwatch fans as Qualcomm has finally released their brand new chip for Wear OS. The new Snapdragon Wear 3100 includes high-performance quad-core A7 processors, a highly efficient integrated DSP, and an ultra-low power co-processor. What makes this great news is the next generation of Wear OS watches should have even better battery life.
Battery Life
Extending the life of your smartwatch is the main focus behind the Snapdragon Wear 3100. The new co-processor the Qualcomm QCC1110 is optimized for low power consumption and includes a deep learning engine. Along with the main processor, the co-processor will be used for many tasks such as audio, display, and sensor experiences.
There is also a new wearable power management sub-system in place to support lower power usage and higher integration. The new DSP framework supports next-generation sensor processing and implements a dual display hierarchy. Meaning we might see more instances of watches using dual displays in the future to extend the battery life.
Even the 4G LTE modem is now paired with new high-performance Gallium Arsenide power amplifiers to increase power efficiency.
Typical battery life is expected to increase by up to 4-12 hours over the previous Snapdragon Wear 2100 when using a 450mAh battery. During Personalized Sports Experiences using GPS and heart rate monitors your watch should last up to 15 hours total.
Personalized Experience
The new Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 platform is also becoming more personalized for different watch experiences. Three examples of these personalized experiences include Enhanced Ambient Mode, Dedicated Sports Experiences, and Traditional Watch Mode.
Enhanced Ambient Mode includes support for up to 16 different colors, a smooth moving second hand, live complications, and improved brightness. Offering fashion watch lovers more of a traditional watch experience even when in ambient mode.
Dedicated Sports Experience gives active users what they want by allowing them to use GPS and heart rate monitoring as they do ultra-marathons, bike for miles, hike mountains, or swim long distances.
While Traditional Watch Mode allows consumers to enjoy their watch for an extended amount of time. Switching to this mode gives you basic functions and allows your watch to last up to a week. Perfect for those times when you won’t be near a charger.
None of these would be possible without the new ultra-low power co-processor. It takes over providing for longer battery life and gives the more power hungry and faster A7 cores a rest until needed.
Due to the need for different experiences in the smartwatch market, the Snapdragon 3100 will come in three different variants. One will be strictly for Bluetooth and WiFi enabled watches, one for GPS tethered watches, and one for 4G LTE connected watches.
Fashion Brands at the Forefront
The first brands to get their hands on the new Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 series of chips will be Fossil Group, Louis Vuitton, and Montblanc. Putting fashion watch manufacturers front and center for the next generation of smartwatches.
It has never been a better time for smartwatches. Between the enhancements to Wear OS, the improvements to the Snapdragon 3100 platform, and partnerships with major fashion brands things have never looked brighter.
