Qualcomm unveils 'Wear Elite' chip to power upcoming AI wearables
What's the story
Qualcomm has unveiled its latest Snapdragon Wear Elite chip, a move that could potentially revolutionize the world of artificial intelligence (AI) wearables. The tech giant considers this new addition as a "wrist plus" chip, meaning it will work alongside the existing W5 Plus model rather than replacing it. The company anticipates that this innovative chip will attract manufacturers interested in developing AI-powered wearables such as pendants, pins, and even display-less smart glasses.
Chip features
The Snapdragon Wear Elite chip
The Snapdragon Wear Elite chip is based on a 3nm process and features an eNPU and Hexagon NPU for AI processing. The eNPU handles low-power AI tasks like keyword spotting and activity recognition, while the Hexagon NPU handles more demanding workloads. Qualcomm claims that the Hexagon NPU can manage two billion parameters on-device and up to 10 tokens per second.
Power management
Improved power efficiency and quick charging support
Despite sharing a co-processor architecture with the W5 Plus, Qualcomm has improved the power efficiency of the Wear Elite chip. This means more functions can be handled by the main chip without consuming too much power. For instance, GPS tracking now consumes 40% less power than before. The Elite also supports 9V quick charging, which can charge your device up to 50% in around 10 minutes.
Connectivity upgrades
Connectivity upgrades and expanded software support
The Snapdragon Wear Elite chip also brings a host of connectivity upgrades. It supports satellite connectivity, 5G, ultra-wideband (UWB), and Bluetooth 6.0. The CPU performance has been boosted by five times while the GPU now supports 1080p resolution at 60fps for animations. Beyond Android and Wear OS, Linux support is also included to cater to start-ups interested in developing AI pins or pendants on proprietary software.
Market demand
Qualcomm's bet on AI wearables
The launch of the Snapdragon Wear Elite chip indicates that Qualcomm is betting on the future of AI wearables. Even though there hasn't been a major breakthrough in the pin or pendant categories, a leading component maker like Qualcomm is actively developing chips for this device category. Google has also shown interest in building an ecosystem of AI hardware, including wearables, while Apple is said to be considering an AI wearable.