Image : Qualcomm Google recently rolled out a big update to Wear OS with improvements including a new streamlined UI, better health and fitness tracking, and an all-around smarter and more useful Google Assistant. But as nice as that all sounds, software is just one piece of what you need to make a good smartwatch, because without the right silicon powering the device, gadget makers can only do so much. Advertisement And unlike the Apple Watch, which has gotten a new homegrown S-series processor every year, with Qualcomm responsible for 80 percent of the chips in Wear OS (formerly Android Wear) devices, the best most Wear OS makers could do has been the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 which have been around since February 2016 (and that’s not even considering the even more dated Snapdragon 400 chipset SD Wear 2100 is based on). Image : Qualcomm Thankfully, that could be changing today with the announcement of Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon Wear 3100 platform. Instead of shrinking down chips intended for phones and cramming them in wearables like with SD Wear 2100, SD Wear 3100 chips are purpose-built smartwatch SoCs (system-on-a-chip) with four A7 CPUs (instead of just one on the SD Wear 2100) for increased performance, and new DSP, and ultra low-power co-processor for increased energy efficiency. When you translate those efficiency gains into real-world battery life, the effect on new Wear OS devices could be quite significant with Qualcomm claiming Snapdragon Wear 3100 offers 4 to 12 hours of additional active use when compared to Snapdragon Wear 2100, with total battery life increasing by as much as 1.5 to 2.5 days (depending on the size of the battery, of course). Qualcomm is even using that new ultra low-power co-processor to make a new energy-sipping Watch Mode, so that when the device’s battery gets low, you’ll still at least be able to tell the time. Image : Qualcomm And to help support services like Android Pay, Snapdragon Wear 3100 also includes more tightly integrated NFC, while better 4G connectivity should make it easier for watch makers to create standalone devices that don’t need to be constantly tethered to a smartphone. There’s even redesigned integrated sensor hub to help facilitate things like all-day heart rate monitoring and other fitness data gathering. Advertisement In another interesting twist, Qualcomm says Snapdragon Wear 3100's new co-processor now takes 20 times less power to animate a watch’s second hand, which many digital watch faces previously omitted because they sucked up too much juice. There’s a lot more fashion brands than tech brands in the Wear OS game nowadays, which is both good and bad. Image : Qualcomm Advertisement Unfortunately, the new chip means many recently announced smartwatches may be outdated before they even go on sale. However, with an updated platform to work with, Snapdragon Wear 3100 may herald the return of more core tech companies to the smartwatch space. This is important because in the last couple years, most new entries into Wear OS smartwatches were made by fashion brands like Fossil and others, which is nice if you were looking for notification and step-tracking support from an otherwise normal(ish)-looking watch. But at the same time, those fashion brands weren’t really doing much to push the category forward in terms of new features and capabilities. Advertisement But with Snapdragon Wear 3100, hopefully both gadget nerds and the more fashion conscious can find a happy balance. That said, until an actual watch sporting a new SD Wear 3100 gets released, it’s still on smartwatch makers to make that happen. Update: Montblanc has announced that the Summit 2 will be the first smartwatch featuring Snapdragon Wear 3100. It should arrive sometime in October, and if the original Summit is any indication, it’ll probably cost around $900.<doc-sep>It’s been two and a half years since Qualcomm last released a major new smartwatch chip, and in the time since, Android smartwatches have languished. But in the coming months, they could finally start seeing some meaningful improvements: Qualcomm is releasing a new processor for watches, called the Snapdragon Wear 3100, that’s meant to extend battery life, enhance always-on displays, and offer more versatility when it comes to sports devices and fitness sensors. The new chip’s key feature is the addition of a secondary low-power processor, which is supposed to handle most of the work when a smartwatch isn’t in use. This co-processor will power a watch’s sensors and ambient display, doing so while using up to 20 times less energy than the main processor would, according to Qualcomm. “The 95 percent of the time when you’re not actually interacting with [your watch], you are in ambient mode or always-sensing mode,” says Pankaj Kedia, Qualcomm’s wearables leader. “So the co-processor, that’s where you are 95 percent of the time ... we are doing less and less things in the main [processor].” The main processor hasn’t changed from last generation For this chip generation, that’s about all that’s changing. Both the Wear 3100 and the Wear 2100, its predecessor, share the same main processor — so there’s no reason to expect major speed gains. The co-processor is the main improvement, and that means almost all of the enhancements enabled by Qualcomm’s new chip come from what the co-processor can do. Grid View Compal reference design for Qualcomm 3100 smartwatches Dieter Bohn / The Verge Compal reference design for Qualcomm 3100 smartwatches Dieter Bohn / The Verge Mont Blanc Summit 2 Wear OS watch Dieter Bohn / The Verge Mont Blanc Summit 2 Wear OS watch Dieter Bohn / The Verge Mont Blanc Summit 2 Wear OS watch Dieter Bohn / The Verge Mont Blanc Summit 2 Wear OS watch Dieter Bohn / The Verge A lot of those improvements are related to battery. Qualcomm estimates more than a day of battery life for a typical Wear OS smartwatch, or around a five-hour boost over current fashion-style models. Companies could also choose to use a smaller battery and slim down their watch. Sports watches are supposed to get a boost, too. The new chip is designed to do a better job with GPS, helping them run nonstop with around 15 hours of usage — though Qualcomm is assuming these watches will have larger batteries in the first place, meaning thicker devices. The co-processor is also supposed to allow for a much richer ambient display. Qualcomm says a watch can now show a smoothly moving second hand as well as live-updating complications, like a step counter, and do all of that in up to 16 colors. Most of that does not sound particularly impressive, but one of Wear OS watches’ few advantages over the Apple Watch has been their ability to show a watch face at all times; adding complications to that will make the feature even more valuable. Smartwatches with a Wear 3100 processor will gain one other handy trick: if their battery gets low, the major functions of the smartwatch can shut off, allowing the battery to last potentially for days longer while powering a simple watch face. Qualcomm says that from 20 percent battery, you’d get a week of additional use in this mode. The downside, though, is that Wear OS shuts down, so you don’t get features like notifications. But it’ll at least continue to tell the time. After two years, Qualcomm announces two days before an Apple Watch redesign The final interesting update is to how the chip handles sensors. In the past, companies had to rely on algorithms built by Qualcomm to read heart rate or other collected data. But now, Qualcomm says hardware companies will be able to write their own code, potentially allowing some companies to get an edge on others. That’s something Qualcomm thinks will be particularly valuable to companies building sports watches. Qualcomm says the first watches with a Wear 3100 chip will ship before the end of the year. Among the first out the door will be models from Fossil, Louis Vuitton, and Montblanc — Google, however, will be a no show this year, having said last week it isn’t planning to release the rumored Pixel Watch. That fashion brands will be the first adopters should come as no surprise. Over the past couple years, fashion brands have taken to smartwatches and churned out model after model of watch with differing designs and not much else in the way of improvements. But the bigger question is if any of this will be enough to revive the Wear OS ecosystem. While it launched with a lot of promise, the platform quickly hit a slump and has been slow to see updates — both on the software side from Google, and on the hardware side from Qualcomm and other chip companies. Clearly at the end of this year, the platform is getting another push. Alongside Qualcomm’s new chip, Wear OS watches are also getting improved software from Google that’s supposed to make the platform easier to navigate and just generally more helpful. Now we wait for the new watches None of these are major overhauls, though. And the platform faces a tough future: in two days, Apple will announce a redesigned version of the Apple Watch that appears to be, at least on the hardware front, leaps and bounds ahead of Wear OS watches. And while Apple’s software isn’t necessarily worth marveling at, it has evolved enough to simply and coherently handle the basic functions people want from a smartwatch. Wear OS will need more than just a single push to catch up. Qualcomm says it’s not accurate to say the company did nothing with watches for two years — the Wear 2100, which came before this, was improved over time via software updates, Kedia says. And Wear 3100 will be the same. “The features we announce on day one are just the beginning of the road,” he says. Planned updates are supposed to add new features and reduce power consumption even more. Still, these all sound like basic steps forward. And unlike Apple, which can improve hardware and software all at once at a regular pace, improvements for Android smartwatches are reliant on three different parties: Google, Qualcomm, and the hardware companies that actually build the watches. So far, we’ve seen what two of them have in store for this year. Next up, the actual watches.<doc-sep>Qualcomm’s next wearable processor is set to power the upcoming generation of Wear OS smartwatches. In addition to detailing specs, performance, and new features this morning, the chipmaker announced that Fossil Group, Montblanc, and Louis Vuitton will launch the first Snapdragon Wear 3100 devices. Coming two years after the Wear 2100, this new chipset focuses on power efficiency for increased battery life and new features. An “Enhanced Ambient Mode” allows an always-on watch face to have live updating complications, adaptive brightness, up to 16 colors, and a smooth spinning seconds hand. On the “Traditional Watch Mode,” devices can last one week with just a 20% charge, while a full charge allows for 30 day battery when displaying just the time. Meanwhile, in normal usage, the Snapdragon Wear 3100 should result in 4 to 12 hours of improved battery life compared to its predecessor. This is made possible by an ultra-low power co-processor that takes over display and sensor processing from the quad-core A7s. Fossil Group The Fossil Group is comprised of many well-known fashion brands like Michael Kors, Skagen, and of course Fossil. In recent weeks, all three have announced Wear OS devices based on the older chip, but will also be one of the first to launch a Snapdragon Wear 3100 watch. It will be available in time for the holidays. Michael Kors Runaway Fossil Explorist HR Montblanc Known for pens and other luxury items, Montblanc launched a Wear OS device in May 2017. The original started at $890 and is now being followed up by the Montblanc Summit 2. Powered by the Wear 3100, it is designed for both men and women and aimed at “travel, fitness, or exploration.” It is launching this October. Louis Vuitton The fashion brand launched the $2,500 Louis Vuitton Tambour Horizon in May 2017, and today noted how it worked with Google and Qualcomm. It is “excited” about leveraging the Snapdragon Wear 3100 in future devices. Qualcomm noted that it was “coming soon.” Tambour Horizon (2017) Tambour Horizon (2017) Tambour Horizon (2017) Qualcomm did not detail when the first watches will be available for purchase, but notes that “the platform is in mass production and shipping today.” Check out 9to5Google on YouTube for more news: FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. Check out 9to5Google on YouTube for more news:<doc-sep>
Qualcomm has taken some lumps over the past year about not updating the aging Snapdragon 2100 chipset, which has powered many smartwatches over the past couple of years. It has now answered those criticisms with the new Snapdragon Wear 3100 platform, and it has definitely come out fighting, as it packs a variety of new technology to power the next generation of wearable technology. The Snapdragon Wear 3100, unlike the 2100, is a new low-power chipset designed for smartwatches, rather than being adapted from a chip designed for smartphones. To understand what makes it special, think back to how many multi-core phone chips were described as having “big” cores and “little” cores, which helped manage power and reduce battery consumption. The Snapdragon Wear 3100 is made up of 4 A7 “big” cores, a little DSP, and a new tiny co-processor. 5 years of research It has taken five years of research to create the 28nm QCC1100, ultra-low power co-processor, and it’s going to fix many of the things that frustrate us about wearable tech at the moment. Crucially it will be responsible for keeping the lights on when you’re not interacting with the watch, removing strain from the main processor. Two new display architectures kick in depending on activity, further reducing power consumption. How much lower? Qualcomm said the Snapdragon Wear 3100 reduces active power by 20 times over current products. The introduction of the new chip will make future Google Wear OS smartwatches more versatile, and is designed to power both fashion and sports-focused watches. Qualcomm told Digital Trends we will see more sports manufacturers introduce smartwatches with the Snapdragon Wear 3100 inside, due to the platform now able to run GPS and a heart rate sensor for 15 hours on a single charge, rather than the three that’s possible now. How about battery life overall? Depending on the capacity of the battery, new smartwatches with this chip will operate for between 36 and 60 hours before a recharge. Snapdragon Wear 3100-powered watches will also have a power-saving traditional watch mode, similar to what we’ve seen on the Mobvoi Ticwatch Pro and the Huawei Watch 2, except here it’s a combined hardware and software system that will see the watch run in ambient mode for 30 days on one charge. You’ll get a week from 20-percent battery power too. It’s not just power benefits either. The co-processor will run a brand new ambient mode, which elevates the current boring Wear OS ambient mode look to something much more watch-like. It will display 16 different colors, a moving second hand, and complications too. We saw a beta version running, which you can see in the image above, and it looks great. With ambient mode on, the A7 cores are asleep, and everything operates using the co-processor. Interestingly, the co-processor doesn’t run Wear OS like the A7 cores, but an RTOS operating system, which again increases efficiency. Do more, for longer The co-processor isn’t the only new aspect of the Snapdragon Wear 3100. There is a new PMIC (Power Management Integrated Circuit) for improved battery life, a next generation NFC chip for better contactless payments, a more efficient modem designed for use in wearable products, and custom SRAM. Additionally, the Digital Signal Processors are built on an open framework for manufacturers to add more sensors based on product requirements, rather than being limited to what Qualcomm provides. Qualcomm describes the Snapdragon Wear 3100 as a platform, not simply a chip, and it will be supporting it through updates in the future. These will being new features and improve the battery life too. We should expect a Monday-to-Friday battery life extension first, followed by Monday-to-Sunday life in the future. Boiled down to the basics, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 3100 platform will let us do more with our smartwatches, for longer, and become less reliant on charging. It’s exactly what we’ve been waiting for. For all the new features in the Snapdragon Wear 3100 to work, it will require a new version of Google’s Wear OS on the watch. Google unveiled a new way to interact with Wear OS, but we haven’t seen these new power-saving modes in action. Plus, some manufacturers may decide to use a smaller battery due to the power efficiency enhancements, so a thinner watch case can be introduced, potentially negating the bulk of the battery life improvements. When can you get a watch with the 3100?