According to a new report, Qualcomm is designing a new chipset specifically for smartwatches. It could be Wear OS’s last hope.
It is not a secret open or otherwise that Wear OS—previously called Android Wear—is a failure. Google’s smartwatch platform provides a great user experience that is far more usable and discoverable than that on the Apple Watch. But it’s dogged by poor performance and battery life, and large, uncomfortable form factors.
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The issue, according to Qualcomm senior director of wearables Pankaj Kedia, as told to Wareable, a wearables-focused blog, is that the current chipset that powers these watches isn’t optimal. It was, in fact, simply a modified version of a low-end smartphone chipset. Which was released in 2016 and then never updated.
So Qualcomm started over.
“It’s designed from the ground up for a no-compromises smartwatch experience with dedicated chips that make your watch look pretty when you’re not looking at it, that bring the best fitness and watch experience, and extend battery life,” Kedia told the publication. “We rethought the system architecture together [with Google].”
The new Qualcomm chipset, which isn’t named by Wareable, is expected later this year, and in time for the holidays. It has been custom-designed to support dedicated use cases and will include onboard Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. A version for fitness-oriented watches will include GPS. And LTE connectivity will be optional on both.
The new chipset is considerably smaller than its predecessors and will enable a much-needed new generation of smaller smartwatches.
“People have their normal watch where they can rely on long battery life, and then they have their smartwatch where the battery life is not as good and it does not look as sleek,” Kedia is quoted as saying. “When we want to add Fossils and the Michael Kors and LVs of the world, they don’t want that. A smartwatch is first and foremost a watch, it needs to look good, it needs to be sleek, it needs to look good when I’m looking at it or when I’m not looking at it. It cannot be static when I’m not looking at it; it cannot be black and white when I’m not looking at it. So when we talk to Fossil consumers and Michael Kors consumer, they want a no-compromises smartwatch.”
Kedia also notes that this new platform will “significantly change the Wear OS ecosystem” and “what you expect from a smartwatch.” It had better: From what I can tell, Wear OS is on life support today. And this new platform can’t arrive quickly enough.
shameermulji
<blockquote><a href="#275278"><em>In reply to ghostrider:</em></a></blockquote><p>"Apple can't walk away with this."</p><p><br></p><p>They already are. Apple is walking away with the wrist-wearable market in the same manner that Amazon is walking away with the smart-speaker / home automation market.</p>
Stooks
<blockquote><a href="#275334"><em>In reply to Chris_Kez:</em></a></blockquote><p>Apple is making their own custom chips and combined with their OS being able to use those custom chips, it is giving them advantages in smartphones and watches that no other player has.</p><p><br></p><p>I live in the US. I have kids 3 of them, 14 and older. All of them have iPhones. All of their friends have iPhones. I go to their schools for events, and 99.8% of the students have iPhones. 98.9% of the parents do as well. Lots and lots of these kids now have iWatches and so do their parents. I bet 99.7% of them do not even know there is an Android watch.</p><p><br></p><p>Apple's lead is simply too far. Heck I bet Fitbit and maybe even Garmin outsell Android watches.</p><p><br></p><p>Until Google gets really serious about hardware, to the point of building their own custom silicon and updating it on a yearly basis their phones and watches are going to basically do nothing marketshare wise. (Google branded).</p><p><br></p><p>The other players that still actually make Android wear watches are at the mercy of Qualcomm. Maybe Samsung moving to their own watch OS can get past these limitations….but I doubt it.</p><p><br></p><p>Lets add to the list…..when was the last time you saw ANY advertising for a Android watch? Now think the same thing for a Apple Watch. Heck when was the last time you seen ANY kind of advertising for the Google Pixel phone….or the new Google Pixel Chromebook?</p><p><br></p><p>I am not sure why Google makes any hardware to be honest.</p>
Bats
<p>I actually agree with this. </p><p>First and foremost, WearOS was never really the problem as Paul Thurrott wanted people to believe. Afterall, WearOS is only the software that runs the smartwatch. The problem according to Qualcomm Director is the hardware and therefore everything he said makes total sense.</p><p>Everything this guy has said, has basically been everything I have always said on this website. EVERYTHING! I said that a smartwatch is fashion accessory, first and foremost. Therefore, like that the Qualcomm said, it has to look good. It can't look like a futuristic wrist band like the Microsoft Band. That design is not a versatile. </p><p>Also, I have several of these pre-WearOS watches with several leather bands to compliment the look and style of my shoes and belt. For me, battery isn't an issue because I always take off my watch at the end of an 8-10 work day and place it immediately in the charger. When I do so, the watch face always tells me that I have 65-75% of battery left on my watch. If longer battery life is what's preventing the WearOS smartwatch from becoming popular, than great. I probably go and buy those watches as well. People are not buying WearOS watches because it has WearOS. 90% of the people in the world don't care for that. They are doing it because they don't either like the style or the idea and practice of maintaining one.</p><p>Second, if what the Qualcomm guy said is correct, then the problem with Wear OS smartwatches isn't WearOS, as Paul wants people to believe. The problem is hardware and the fact that designers don't want to creating a smartwatch because of the conflict between tech design and style design. If that's the case, go ahead Qualcomm…make everyone's day. </p><p>Lastly, WearOS or smart wearables are not EVER going to be on life support. LOL…that's funny. Tell that to Tag Heur, the makers of the $1500 Connected watches that run WearOS. It only makes sense that wearable technology will continue to evolve until there is actually a very practical use for it. Right now, it isn't. It's just a luxury "toy" for people to have. With that said, you know Google is always going to be in on this.</p>