Qualcomm finally updated its wearable chipset line-up, but the Snapdragon Wear 2500 chip raises a few eyebrows. The press release makes it very clear that this targets kid-oriented watches and it doesn’t really seem like something designed for premium watches (maybe that’s coming later? ). The processor is still based on ancient Cortex-A7 cores – four of them – so not much has changed on this front. Qualcomm claims that the new chipset is 14% more power efficient, which is nice until you consider that it replaces the Wear 2100 (introduced in 2016), which was based on the Snapdragon 210 (from 2014). The Wear 2500 does have a new modem – a 5th gen LTE modem, but no connectivity speeds were quoted. The chip also supports cameras of up to 5 MP resolution intended for video calling. Voice assistants are enabled by the low-power Voice Activation feature and there’s an ultra-low power sensor hub for activity and fitness tracking. Qualcomm even developed a special “for kids” version of Android Wear based on Oreo, which “fits in a 512 MB memory footprint”. “Memory” probably means RAM here, which is nothing to brag about — most Android Wear watches already have 512 MB of RAM. We doubt it's storage since even Android Go Edition’s system partition is about 1 GB. The company is working with Huawei, the biggest customer for the Snapdragon Wear platform, to develop next generation watches. Qualcomm also partnered with InvenSense to develop algorithms for gesture recognition. Snapdragon Wear 2500 development kits will be available in Q3 this year and the first watches with it should be out shortly after that. Which leaves one question – the Qualcomm kept an ace up its sleeve? Any new Android Wear watches, even ones for adults, would switch to the 2500 for the power savings (cost too, it’s a smaller chip), unless the company trots out a premium Wear chipset. Source<doc-sep>Why it matters: Qualcomm's continued investment in dedicated wearable technology can only be seen as a good sign for an industry that has largely failed to meet expectations. Qualcomm at Mobile World Congress Shanghai this week announced its first platform designed specifically for 4G connected smartwatches for kids. The Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2500 is based on quad-core A7 processors and Adreno-class graphics and features the company’s fifth generation 4G LTE modem. It offers up to 14 percent longer battery life compared to previous iterations, we’re told, and supports up to a five-megapixel camera. The new Wearable PMIC is designed to reduce Rock Bottom Sleep Current (RBSC) by up to 14 percent, is smaller by 38 percent and comes in a compact package that integrates power management, charger, fuel gauge, and haptics driver functionality. The new Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) based RF PAs are designed to consume up to 20 percent lower peak power compared to their predecessors. Despite what the name might infer, the Wear 2500 chip isn’t designed to support Wear OS, a version of Google’s Android operating system for wearables. As The Verge highlights, it’s meant to be paired with a version of Android developed by Qualcomm called Android for Kids. Based on Android Oreo, Qualcomm says the installation requires just 512MB of storage and is designed to consume lower power by shutting off capabilities not needed. The site says it doesn’t sound as if it’ll support notifications or an app store; instead, manufacturers are expected to pre-load it with apps and games they think parents and kids will want. Also, you may be asking yourself what differentiates a kids’ smartwatch from an adults’ in terms of hardware requirements. That answer isn’t really clear. Pankaj Kedia, who leads wearables at Qualcomm, provided The Verge with the following analogy when asked about it. “I have a Tesla and a Porsche,” he said. “Both take me from point A to point B, but they’re designed for different use cases. Same kind of thing here.” It sounds as through the Wear 2500 is simply a less powerful and less capable solution but that’s mere speculation without confirmation. Either way, Qualcomm is already partnering with companies like Huawei and shipping samples to manufacturers meaning the first wave of products could arrive before the end of the year.<doc-sep>Qualcomm Helps to accelerate 4G Kid Watch Segment with Dedicated Snapdragon Wear 2500 Platform —Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 Platform Now Widely Used in Kid Watch Products by more than 10 OEMs Across more than 10 Operators in more than 10 Countries— **SHANGHAI, CHINA – June 27, 2018 ** Today, at Mobile World Congress Shanghai, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, announced its first platform targeted specifically for 4G connected kids watches. The Qualcomm® Snapdragon WearTM 2500 platform is designed to deliver a robust foundation with extended battery life, an integrated sensor hub with pre-optimized algorithms, low power location tracking, and the company's fifth generation 4G LTE modem, and optimized version of Android for kids. Built into a variety of customer devices, the Snapdragon Wear 2500 platform helps children to keep in touch with family, learn and grow with access to rich multimedia content, have fun and play with friends, and stay fit and active throughout the day – while also helping provide parents with peace of mind. "If you look at the targeted kid watch and tracker segment the growth in these designed-for-kids but highly capable devices, is very exciting, and customers are seeing wide spread global demand. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. has helped to drive this fast expansion of 4G kid watches with its Snapdragon Wear 2100 platform and there are more than 10 devices commercially available today through retail and carriers," said Anthony Murray, senior vice president and general manager, voice & music and wearables, Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd. "With this next generation Snapdragon Wear 2500 platform, we are supporting new performance and features that customers will be able to use to create even more fun features and compelling use cases for these connected 4G kid watches and with our dedicated kid watch platform we aim to deliver a robust foundation that supports a rich and engaging experience for children." A Robust Kid Watch Platform Snapdragon Wear 2500 is designed for low power with up to 14 percent longer battery life across both active and standby modes of operation compared to prior generations. This extended battery life is supported via several new features including: Wearable PMIC, RF Front End (RFFE), location engine, Bluetooth streaming architecture, and processor and modem software optimizations. The new Wearable PMIC is designed to reduce Rock Bottom Sleep Current (RBSC) by up to 14 percent, is smaller by 38 percent and comes in a compact package that integrates power management, charger, fuel gauge, and haptics driver functionality. The new Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) based RF PAs are designed to consume up to 20 percent lower peak power compared to their predecessors. The Snapdragon Wear 2500 platform is based on Qualcomm Technologies' proven, globally certified fifth generation 4G LTE multi-mode modem. Using the latest in global navigation satellite system and sensor fusion approach, the platform supports more accurate location tracking and is designed to implement reliable geofencing use cases, important for parents eager to track their child's location accurately. Additionally, the Snapdragon Wear 2500 hardware platform is accompanied with an optimized version of Android for kid watches. Based on Android "O", this version fits in a 512MB memory footprint, is designed to consume low power by shutting off capabilities not needed, right sizes the modem for wearables use cases, integrates the sensor hub for low power highly accurate sensing, and adds kid watch specific features. Designed to Bring Tomorrow's Kid Watch Experiences Today Based on high-performance quad-core A7 processors and an Adreno-class graphics engine, the Snapdragon Wear 2500 platform is designed to bring rich messaging and integrated learning experiences to children. The platform supports a five mega-pixel camera for parents to get in touch with their child over a video call or for the kids to enjoy rich educational video-based content. The platform incorporates Qualcomm® Voice Activation and supports popular AI-based voice assistants, making it possible to converse naturally and access rich educational content on the web. The platform also integrates NXP's next generation highly secure NFC solution, which is designed to allow kids to leave their wallet behind for everyday purchases at school. The platform integrates an ultra-low power sensor hub and comes with pre-optimized sensor algorithms designed to provide a highly accurate smart sensing experience. Using these sensors can help children to stay active and fit while parents can monitor the health of their loved ones. Additionally, the platform supports gesture-based gaming and entertainment applications so children continue to enjoy their experience with the kid watch. Ecosystem Collaboration to Extend the Benefits of the Platform Qualcomm Technologies announced that it is collaborating with Huawei as the lead customer for the Snapdragon Wear 2500 platform and is working closely with InvenSense, Inc. to extend choice of sensor algorithms to its customers. "At Huawei, we are proud to be the first company expected to commercialize a 4G Kids watch based on the new Snapdragon Wear 2500 platform," said Rico Zhang, Smart Wearable and Health Product Line President, Huawei. "Built on the outstanding power-efficiency, 4G connectivity, smart sensing, and location capabilities that the new platform is designed to deliver, we are pleased to extend our long-time collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. in the wearables segment and bring our next generation kid watches to the industry." "We're excited to be working with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. on the Snapdragon Wear 2500 kid watch platform", said Nicolas Sauvage, Senior Director, Ecosystem, InvenSense, Inc., a TDK Group Company. "Utilizing our vast algorithmic expertise in six-axis motion sensing, InvenSense, Inc is supporting multiple meaningful gestures on this platform, helping to provide OEMs with customizable responses to gestures, reducing development time, and humanizing the digital experience." Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. is shipping commercial samples of the Snapdragon Wear 2500 platform to customers and via sales channels now. To help device makers bring exciting kid watches more efficiently and cost-effectively, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. is working with a number of original design manufacturers (ODMs) on 4G kid watch designs. Additionally, Intrinsyc, a leading contributor in this effort, is aiming to offer a Snapdragon Wear 2500 based system-on-module and development kit will be available in the third quarter of 2018. The Development Kit is available for pre-order at http://shop.intrinsyc.com/collections/product- development-kits. Additional information is available at: https://www.intrinsyc.com/system-on- modules/.<doc-sep>
Qualcomm has just announced its latest processor for wearables in the Snapdragon Wear 2500 chipset. This chipset is going to be mostly targeting kids smartwatches, while able to work in higher-end smartwatches like Wear OS-powered smartwatches, it actually isn’t targeting those products. The Snapdragon Wear 2500 platform is going to offer better battery life, while also incorporating Qualcomm’s fifth-generation 4G LTE modem. According to Qualcomm, the Snapdragon Wear 2500 has been designed for low power, and will offer about 14-percent longer battery life, compared to the Snapdragon Wear 2100. This is thanks to a few new features including Wearable PMIC, RF Front End (RFFE), location engine, Bluetooth streaming architecture, and processor and modem software optimizations. Qualcomm has also managed to shrink an optimized version of Android for kid watches, allowing it to work on watches with as little as 512MB of RAM. This optimized version of Android is based on Android Oreo. It’s not technically Wear OS, but it’s almost a forked version of Android that works on these Kid watches, and is targeting those kids that are not old enough to have their own smartphone, but parents still want to stay in touch with them. The Snapdragon Wear 2500 chipset is based on high-performance Cortex-A7 processors, along with an Adreno-class graphics engine. The Snapdragon Wear 2500 can bring rich messaging and integrated learning to children. Kids will be able to do voice and video calls with their parents and others, using their smartwatch, just as they would normally be able to do with a smartphone. Qualcomm has also integrated NXP’s next-generation secure NFC solution. This is going to allow kids to be able to pay for things with their watch, instead of carrying cash around. With the ultra-low power sensor hub that is part of the Snapdragon Wear 2500, kids will have a watch that doesn’t use a lot of battery when not in use, but also a watch that is accurate with things like GPS and WiFi connectivity. The Snapdragon Wear 2500 does also support gesture-based gaming and entertainment apps, which is going to need to be made by the manufacturers and app developers. Qualcomm has already begun shipping the Snapdragon Wear 2500 to its partners for testing and is expecting a few announcements at Mobile World Congress – Shanghai, this week. That includes Huawei, which will be announced a kids watch that will be available in China. Qualcomm has announced that Intrinsyc is working on a development kit that uses the Snapdragon Wear 2500, and it should be available in the third quarter of this year.