Qualcomm, one of the leading manufacturers of system-on-chip (SoC) hardware used in today’s mobile devices, announced a new platform called Snapdragon Wear, which will include software, reference designs, and the Snapdragon Wear 2100 SoC.
Qualcomm said that “the majority of the current Android Wear smartwatches” are powered by the company’s Snapdragon 400 processor, but the Snapdragon Wear Platform and Snapdragon 2100 SoC offer significant advantages for wearable devices, compared to the Snapdragon 400.
Qualcomm said the Snapdragon Wear 2100 is 30 percent smaller and draws 25 percent less power than the Snapdragon 400. The Snapdragon Wear 2100 also features an “integrated, ultra-low power sensor hub” that Qualcomm said is more accurate than the Snapdragon 400. The Snapdragon Wear 2100 is also able to “deliver an always connected experience” with its “next-generation LTE modem with integrated GNSS,” as well as both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
"With the introduction of the Snapdragon Wear platform and Snapdragon Wear 2100 SoC, Qualcomm Technologies is well-positioned to extend its progress in wearables technology by enabling sleek designs, long battery life, smart sensing, and always-connected experiences in the next generation of wearable devices. These benefits are expected to have widespread appeal across the mobile, fashion and sports ecosystems in the wearables space," said Raj Talluri, senior vice president, product management, Qualcomm Technologies Inc.
The Snapdragon Wear 2100 SoC supports Android and Android Wear and is intended for all kinds of wearable devices, including smartwatches, smart bands, and even smart eyewear and headsets.
| CPU | Quad ARM Cortex A7 up to 800 1.2 GHz optimized for wearables |
|---|---|
| GPU | Qualcomm Adreno 304 GPU / OpenGL ES 3.0 |
| DSP | Integrated modem DSP shared for modem, GNSS, sensor processing, keyword detection and audio |
| Display | Up to 640x480 at 60fps |
| Audio | Fluence noise cancellation technology / Snapdragon Voice Activation / Snapdragon Voice+ |
| Security | Qualcomm SecureMSM hardware and software foundation |
| Charging | Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 |
| Storage | eMMC 4.5 |
| Memory | LPDDR3 400 MHz |
| Processing Technology | 28nm |
| Location | Qualcomm IZat Gen8C |
| USB | USB 2.0 |
| NFC | Supported (integrated NFC through NXP/Qualcomm collaboration) |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.1 / Bluetooth Low Energy |
| Modem | X5 LTE / Global Mode / LTE FDD and TDD / WCDMA (DC-HSDPA, DC-HSUPA) / TD-SCDMA / EV-DO and CDMA 1x / GSM/EDGE |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11n (2.4 GHz) |
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 2100 SoC and the rest of the Snapdragon Wear Platform are available today for OEMs. LG has already expressed its intent to use the platform in the near future for smartwatches and other wearables.
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