Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 and W5+ Gen 2 add satellite connectivity to smartwatches

At the Made by Google presentation, where the new Pixel Watch 4 smartwatch debuted, Qualcomm introduced an updated generation of its platform for wearable devices — Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 and W5+ Gen 2. The main innovation was support for satellite communication, which opens up new scenarios for new use cases.

Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 can now work via the Skylo NNTN system, which allows you to send emergency messages even where there is no cellular network or Wi-Fi. Such functionality will be especially useful for tourists, climbers and rescue services. The basic version of the platform is presented as W5, and the W5+ modification is additionally equipped with an energy-efficient coprocessor for more economical battery consumption.

Among the technological improvements are the transition to a 4nm architecture, the introduction of the Location Machine Learning 3.0 system, which increases the accuracy of GPS navigation by 50% compared to the previous generation, as well as an optimized RF Front End, which allowed to reduce the dimensions of the components and reduce power consumption by approximately.

The first to be released on the new platform were the Pixel Watch 4, which runs Wear OS 6. Qualcomm says that the W5 Gen 2 is designed to provide a balance between performance, autonomy and ease of interaction with other devices.