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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

Qualcomm has updated their Snapdragon Wear SoC to include a low-power co-processor [theverge.com]:

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.

[...] For this chip generation, that's about all that's changing. Both the Wear 3100 and the Wear 2100 [theverge.com], 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.

See also: Montblanc Summit 2 will be the first Snapdragon Wear 3100 watch [engadget.com]

Related: Qualcomm Announces New Mid-Range 632, 439, and 429 Snapdragon SoCs [soylentnews.org]

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