Qualcomm has launched Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset designed specifically for Google’s Wear OS smartwatches in San Francisco. The new chipset comes with ultra-low power system architecture that claims delivery of interactive mode, improved battery life and increased personalization of smartwatches. Built in concerted association with Google, Qualcomms new chipset will run Wear OS devices manufactured by Fossil Group, Louis Vuitton, and Montblanc in its initial releases.
Highlights
- Rich Interactive Mode
- Personalized experience
- Extended battery life
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Speaking on the sidelines of the launch event, Anthony Murray, senior vice president and general manager, voice & music, Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd. said “Qualcomm Technologies has played a critical role in the evolution of the smartwatch segment and our customers are currently shipping more than 100 Wear OS by Google smartwatches with 25 brands globally based on our existing platforms…With the Snapdragon Wear 3100 Platform, we envisioned a new ultra-low power system architecture and in collaboration with the latest from the Wear OS by Google team, to help deliver a rich interactive mode, bring in new personalized experiences and support extended battery life for tomorrow’s smartwatches.” 
Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 Features
The Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset primarily composes of a quad-core Cortex A7 CPU, along with a DSP and ultra-low power co-processor that helps improve battery life. The ~21mm square tiny co-processor assists the main processor, with optimization for ultra-low power operation. The processor also features a deep learning engine that allows custom workloads for keyword recognition, like “Hey Google.”
The chipset also has PMW3100 integration, which is basically a power managing sub-system that does the enhanced battery life part, as well as 4G LTE modem and Gallium Arsenide power amplifier integration for improved power efficiency.
Dennis Troper, director of product management, Wear OS by Google, was quoted saying, “Together with Qualcomm Technologies and the ecosystem, Wear OS by Google has enabled a vibrant set of wearable devices, offering consumers with great choice and diversity. We’re excited to see Qualcomm Technologies’ new Snapdragon Wear 3100, their continued investment in the wearable space, and we look forward to the ecosystem bringing the next generation of smartwatch technology to the industry.” 
The three particular features that speak of a more personalized experience includes
- Enhanced ambient mode
- Dedicated sports experiences
- Traditional watch mode
The ambient mode looks after improved brightness, with up to 16 colors and watch faces with live complications. A dedicated sports mode turns the heart rate and GPS on for hiking, swimming long distances and run lengthy marathons.
The watch mode cuts off smart functions and extends battery life. To achieve this balance, the sensor and display is shifted from Cortex-A7 CPU to an ultra-low power co-processor.
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Compared to its previous chip-set Snapdragon Wear 2100, the new processor offers 4-12 hours of extended battery life, depending on the level of usage. In its watch mode, the smartwatch delivers battery life of up to one week, as per Qualcomm’s claim.
The chipset is available in three different configurations:
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi tethered smartwatches
- 4G LTE connected smartwatches
- GPS-based tethered smartwatches
Qualcomm has already started shipping Snapdragon Wear 3100 to manufacturers and we will be seeing it in consumer watches soon.
